Parents who have trouble letting go of their children when they go off to college — commonly given the name empty nesters — often discover different ways to cope with their child’s absence.

Tirra Birchmier, freshman in journalism and mass communication, said her mother found a replacement in a furry feline friend.

“During the summer, there was a mom cat, and she gave birth under a ledge by our house, and she took all the kittens except one,” Birchmier said. 

Birchmier said this happened about a week before she went off to school. Her mother took the kitten in and named him Catsby.

“My mom got really into him when I left. She had my dad build him a cat house, but she decided it was too small,” Birchmier said. “So she had everyone start parking outside of the garage so that he could have the whole garage to himself.”

Catsby started to misbehave by running into the street and other people’s garages about the neighborhood, Birchmier said. So they decided to move him to the family farm.

“My mom would go out there a few times a week to go play with him for a couple hours, and then he ran away,” Birchmier said. “She would cry a lot at first, and she still gets teary eyed when you mention him.”

Birchmier said she was happy her mom found something that brought her so much joy.

Caitlyn Baagoe, freshman in apparel, merchandising and design, is familiar with the feeling of a cat taking her spot. Pancakes the cat was her replacement.

“They got the cat right after I left home,” Baagoe said. It kind of makes sense that they got another cat, because our cat passed away this past summer. So I guess it is replacing that cat, too.”

Baagoe said Pancakes does take some of the attention off of her.

“My mom’s always buying it new toys. It’s like her new baby,” Baagoe said.

Instead of a furry critter being the replacement of Mikey Brown, junior in communication studies, a new baby is what is filling void in his mother’s heart.

Brown’s mother is expecting a little girl named Lucy in January, which Brown said he is excited about. However, he is not as excited about the changes that are being made to his living situation at home.

“I went home like a month ago, and my room was painted coral pink, and my mom replaced the light fixture with a girly chandelier,” Brown said. I either have to sleep in the basement or the small guest room.”

Brown said that his parents are still doing a good job of focusing on him throughout the pregnancy, because they know when the baby comes, they will be focused on her.

The focus being taken away from students can, in some cases, have a negative effect, said Tiffany Iskander, staff psychologist in the Student Counseling Services.

“It’s different, like with any case, for different students,” Iskander said.

Iskander encourages those students who might have a difficult time with this or any other issues to take advantage of the services that are available through Iowa State’s Student Counseling Services.