Owning a pet in college seems like a great idea. You want a furry friend, you want someone to greet you when you get home from your classes, and you want someone who is by your side no matter what. People typically consider these positive effects but ignore the negative ones. There are always side effects on your animal, such as depression from being left alone. Please consider these circumstances before deciding to get a pet.
1. Budget: realistically, think about the money you make and think about how much it costs to raise a pet: consider pet bills, food, and any other necessities you need to raise an animal. You need to think about your money and budget prior to getting an animal in your life
2. Housing: this may sound like a silly one, but while you’re in college, many landlords do not allow pets. You need to check in with your landlord or school to verify you can have a pet. Sometimes there is an accompanying fee when having an animal. This should be calculated into your budget when deciding to get an animal.
3. Roommates: Everyone should be pet lovers, right? WRONG. Some people are allergic to animal fur which can cause bad effects. If you have roommates, you should check with them prior to getting your furry friend. You should also talk about whose responsibility the animal will be and where the animal’s belongings stay. Will they help take care of the animal or is it an individual effort?
4.Time: Classes and extracurriculars can keep you extra busy during college, but so can a furry friend. Certain animals are very social creatures. If you are not home often, you should get an animal that requires no interaction. However, if you are home a lot of the time you could get a more interactive animal likr a cat or a dog. A puppy requires a lot of time and attention that you cannot provide if you are busy with school and homework 10 hours a day. You need to keep this in mind when choosing an animal.
5.Vacations: The final thing to consider when thinking about adopting or buying a pet is the breaks that your college takes. When your college breaks for the quarter, semester, or year where will your animal reside? Will they be with you, will they be in a house by themselves, or will they be with someone who is watching them? These are all questions that you need to answer. You need to make sure you have proper arraignments for your animal when you are out of town. Whether that means putting them in a shelter or having a friend check in on your animal.
After taking all these things into consideration, you are more appropriately prepared to decide if you should get a pet. If you decide against getting a pet, that’s ok. The time will come for you to get your furry, scaly, or feathered friend. If you can get a pet, make sure you take in mind all the considerations above and pick the perfect pet for you.