Pets in College
About a month ago, my boyfriend and I got a kitten named Ike. Since then, I’ve been meaning to write about him, but he didn’t fit well into any of my blogs.
Ike is just over 5 months old so of course he requires a lot of attention. He’s curious about everything, like every baby animal tends to be, so we’re constantly trying to teach him what he can and can’t do. For example, he still hasn’t learned that when I’m doing homework, he can’t try and play with my pencil or step on my laptop keyboard. In fact, he seems to think that this is the perfect time to get cuddly and playful so usually not a lot of work gets done when he’s around.
Having a pet can be a huge joy, but they require care, love, and attention. Ike is currently living at my boyfriend’s house where there are three other cats for him to play with and a huge home to roam around so he is constantly occupied. If he wasn’t living there, I wouldn’t have him.
If you want to have a pet in college, you have to weigh the pros and cons for both you and the animal. You have to consider the following questions:
- Can you afford your pet? This includes food, shots, litter (for cats), toys, Vet visits, cages, etc.
- Do you have time to spend with your pet/train it? Dogs require training, and not by your parents. One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone tells me they have a pet, but their parents were the ones that spent time with it, took care of it, and trained it. In the long run, an untrained animal or one that doesn’t receive enough attention from its owner is very difficult to live with. Giving an animal attention in college is hard when you are always in class or working, so if you are not up for the task of “raising” your own pet, don’t get it because it’s going to suffer.
- Can you have a pet wherever you are living and will it have adequate room in a safe environment? A dorm room is not the place for a pet. An apartment building that doesn’t allow animals is not the place for a pet. If you live with your parents and they say you can’t have a pet, then this is not the place for a pet. If you live with your parents, make sure it is okay with them for an animal to join the family because it is their house. If you live on your own, check with your building to make sure pets are allowed so that if you’re caught, you don’t have to get rid of your pet.
These are just several things to consider. Only after you can answer each of those questions can you proceed to possibly getting a pet. Once you do though, you’ll get a little cutie like this:
