Vanderbilt students can play with cute animals for free

Animals are heavenly creatures that walk among us. When I see a fraternity event with animals on Alumni Lawn or a dog walking around Centennial Park, I feel instantly happier. I’m sure we’re all familiar with the flood of newsfeed and Snapchat photos of family pets at the start of every break. Beside just sheer cuteness, there is a reason for the craze surrounding animals, especially from the perspective of college students.

Animals are known to relieve stress, but living in college dorms with pets is near impossible — not to mention prohibited. And yet, college students might just be the people who need animal affection the most. While strong owner-pet bonds lead to the most stress relief, even brief encounters can improve stress levels.  

We all know how anxiety-ridden Vanderbilt classes, organizations, internships, and jobs can be. What if we just need some slobbery kisses or fluffy cuddles to calm us down and improve our studies?

There is a solution: Nashville Humane Society. This is a magical place, only ten minutes from campus, where you can play with puppies and kittens for however long you want for free. Seem too good to be true? That’s what I thought as well —until I journeyed to the magical land of small animals.

When you walk in, it smells like little creatures, but in a nostalgic and homey way that will make you feel instantly happy. You are greeted by lots of little windows below waist-level where adorable dogs and cats are peering at you with happy faces. They want you to come play and see them.

Nashville Humane Society’s animals are all up for adoption, but while the animals are there they want to make sure they feel just as loved as they will in their new homes. That’s why they have an open-door policy. We are welcomed by people and animals alike to donate the commodity so often undervalued — our time.

I have been twice so far — once during finals last semester and once during midterms this semester. In times of stress, I find myself even more drawn to these wonderful animals. They have a whole room just for kittens and a whole room just for puppies where you can play and hold the animals for however long you want. Both times I left feeling so much calmer. The time I spent was sheer joy, full of love being shared, and I felt revived, which made it easier to return to studying.

Added bonus: they have a website with a link to the KittyCam. This is a live feed of the room where all the kittens live, and it’s genius. You can drop in virtually and see people playing with the kittens or the kittens playing, cuddling, and eating together. So even if you can’t find your way to the actual location, keep up with these adorable fluffs online.

If I’ve convinced you to go love on these little creatures in your free time, you can find the address and hours of operation here.  Hanging out at this wonderful organization is a mutually beneficial venture that is sure to melt your heart.

And when you’re buying pets, remember: ADOPT, don’t shop!