The dreadful exam season is upon us. It’s time for that vicious cycle: unnecessary procrastination, realisation of mistakes you’ve made, staying up late to frantically try to make up for it, waking up with a neck ache and a face full of notes, and repeat.

Fret not, however, as there is a solution to all this stress: animals! A whole lot of our furry friends. Take an hour or two out of your study schedule and remove that negativity from your life with some animal therapy. Forget about your vet parasites and cestodes, your language grammar or history books. Go stroke a dog or lock eyes with a fish.

The lazy cat person

If you can’t be bothered to do anything, this is for you. Two options: head over to Bristol’s cat pub, or chill at Bristol's very own cat café. You can mingle with some feline friends, but don’t expect them to entertain you. Remember, you’re there to entertain them.

Maybe you could read your dissertation to them, or request a paw for one of the answers in a survey. Down a pint with cats at the cat pub, entitled the Bag of Nails, situated in Hotwells. Or, get a coffee and a bite to eat with a cat at the You & Meow on Denmark Street. Info for the pub can be found here and details about the cafe are available here.

Pet show

Need a lot more than just a handful of dogs or cats? Check out the upcoming shows in Bristol. To find the one that best suits you, just search on your browser for a dog or cat show in the local area. It is the perfect opportunity for those who want it all but without the responsibility.

The majority of shows are during the summer, but some events are already selling tickets. Buy them now and get that kick of motivation to get this exam season over and done with.

Bristol Aquarium + Zoo

A classic on any itinerary when your friend comes down for the weekend: Bristol Aquarium and Bristol Zoo! Firstly, full of so many different types of fish (as you would expect), plants (also likey), the odd spider (spiders in an aquarium?!), and placed right in the centre of Bristol, the aquarium is a wonderful place to watch your stress float away with the fish as they glide through the water.

The zoo includes lions, penguins, gorillas, red pandas, monkeys, the zoo's very own aquarium and so much more. You could bond with the nocturnal animals about how little sleep that darn dissertation causes. More information and tickets are available here!

If you've already been to Bristol Zoo, check out the Wild Place Project near Cribbs Causeway for even more animals! Including the cutest meerkats on. the. PLANET.

The dog lover’s festival

We know of Glastonbury and Parklife, but have you heard of the dog festival? DogFest is a festival all about dog lovers and their dogs. Hosted by Supervet Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick, there will be amazing dog tricks, a charity walk, grooming sessions and much more.

It will be held at the luxurious Ashton Court and you can find out more here!

Frenchie meet and greet

Let us tell you why Bristol is one hell of a city: there is a monthly French Bulldog meet up. A specifiied time where dog owners and their dogs travel to one location,and just socialise. Isn't that great?!

It’s typically at the end of each month at Ashton Court Estate, and more info can be found on their Facebook page here. If it’s a hot day then head down, and we can guarantee lots of friends will be made. Humans could even socialise too!

Sitting, petting, wishing...

Owning a pet at university always seems like better idea in theory than in practice. There’s the cost, the cleaning and of course the commitment all to deter you. However, there is a way for you to feel like you own a pet without the inconveniences.

Welcome to the magical world of pet sitting! There are websites such as Pawshake and BorrowMyDoggy that you can join to help pet owners in need of a sitter. Some owners even pay! Is there anything better than getting paid to be loved by an animal? I think not.

If you need to do some geography research for your essay, just take a puppy on a field trip with you!

Be a helpful animal lover

A good way to spend your time away from your work is to volunteer with animals, instead of just visiting them. Not only will your soul feel 100% again, you also get to help animals! Don’t worry if you’re sick of the typical animals like cats and dogs, because there’s the opportunity to volunteer with slightly more exotic animals such as hedgehogs, horses, bees, etc. Just search up animals you’d like to volunteer with and try your luck in the city.

A nutty excursion

Grab a bag of monkey nuts and head up Brandon Hill where you can feed some squirrels! Some of them are very timid and will just run around hoping you’ll throw a nut.

Others, however, will walk up to you and possibly even climb you, demanding a snack. Make sure you be careful and don't get bitten, though. That won't be pleasant!

City farm for city folk

What do you get when you mix city folk and a farm? You’d usually get a huge mess but that is not the case here. Around Bristol there are several city farms you could visit to get your fill of the farm life. Let your inner child out and shamelessly make farm animals noises. 

Sure, you might look strange, but aren’t we all. St. Werburghs City Farm and Windmill Hill City Farm are examples of it, you can stare at some goats for a couple of hours and convince yourself that they’re having a conversation with you. The perfect way to practise your Spanish! 

Become a duck feeder

Release that pent-up stress by grabbing that bag of stale bread and feeding them to the ducks. There is an endless list of places to go in Bristol to feed ducks. Frome Valley, Aztec West, Eastville Park and Harbour Inlet are just some of the places to go.

Similar to the farm, this also brings a wonderful opportunity to start quacking and convince yourself you’re a duck. But remember, you’re not a duck.

Hopefully, after doing one or two of this you’d feel your shoulders relax and the heaviness in your chest gone. Know that you’re doing great. However, if you still feel stressed out and need someone to talk to, speak to a friend or contact the Samaritans on 116123. You can do this!