Fitness coach Tabitha Thomas and husband Sanket, and their dog Tyra, and felines, Ollie and Suki. She says her cats miss human company as they have been used to having guests over before the pandemic put an end to it

For pooch owners, changes in exercise routines during the lockdown became a major concern. Rushail Navani, lawyer and co-owner of Cuffe Parade’s delivery kitchen Masalaesque, remembers the sudden aggression in the behaviour of his five pugs. “All dogs need an outlet for energy, which is usually walking, running, or exercising.” His dogs piled on kilos,  became restless and belligerent in the absence of daily walks, which would previously happen three times a day. This year, with the resumption of walks, the pooches are in a much better place. “They are so habituated to seeing my parents and myself around now that if I even pick up my gym bag, they start barking. They don’t want us to leave.”

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Atil Pavesha with his horse, Theia, at Amateur Riders’ Club, Mahalaxmi. During last year’s lockdown, Pavesha could not visit Theia for four months. When he eventually met her, she looked refreshed, energetic, he says. “The time away from humans had helped”

Priyanka Hosangadi is a telepathic inter-species communicator, who conducts workshops to donate for animal welfare. According to her, pet owners have experienced a change in perspective because they have been spending more time with their pets at home. “Animal companions are very sensitive to our emotions and mood changes. Often, they start mirroring our behaviour, including our stress levels.” In the pandemic, she has come across several such instances. It’s not uncommon for a more aggressive person to unwittingly inspire the pet to react similarly while someone battling depression may make their pet morose. The objective of mirroring, she explains, is to make the human aware that a certain aspect of their behaviour is not desirable.  “Sometimes, owners are concerned about separation anxiety their pet may experience when they resume work at the office. But a lot of times, when you interact with the animal, it turns out that it’s the owner who is experiencing anxiety and not the pet. This is more in the case of those who adopted pets during the lockdown and haven’t been away [from them].”

Priyanka Hosangadi, animal communicator 

Larger animals like horses also mirror our energy, believes Atil Pavesha, equestrian athlete and founder of True Fit Gourmet, a culinary kitchen in Santa Cruz. He bought Theia, an eight-year-old horse at Amateur Riders’ Club, Mahalaxmi, in 2016. Last year, for four straight months, Pavesha could not visit Theia. “It was quite a revelation when I eventually did meet her. Theia looked refreshed, and  ready to take on the world; a feeling akin to humans post a vacation. It was as if the time away from humans helped her rejuvenate. Other riders felt the same.” Pavesha suggests that those who wish to be around a horse should be centred and in control of their feelings. “Communication with your horse is important, because they are very perceptive. You have to let go of your stress and live in the moment when you are around them.”