I live on campus with my pet cat and emotional support animal, Jack. Living on campus with a cat is a lot of fun and made the change of being on campus, without my family, a lot easier. But it isn’t as easy as you might think it is.
The Easy Parts
I have really bad anxiety and have lived with that for most of my life. Before I got Jack, my anxiety made it hard for me to move around, I had a hard time with change, and it was difficult to get out of my panic attacks. Having my pet with me helps me not only adjust to my surroundings, but also helps me get out of my panic attacks. The hardest part about leaving home for college was being by myself all the time and not having my family there if I needed help. Jack helps me go from panicking to calming down and figuring it out.
Jack is a rescue and has been trained since he was a baby to calm me down. I got him licensed through the Disability Resource Center at UNCO, which took some time, but was so worth it. While I didn’t think I was going to keep him, he ended up choosing me, and he started to make my life with anxiety a little bit easier.
Jack goes almost everywhere with me and keeps me from stressing out when I’m around a lot of people. When I get back to my dorm, I look forward to his gentle purr and cuddles. He makes my dorm more homely, too; I’ve always had a pet in my life, so it made the change in my surroundings a little bit easier.
The Hard Parts
Having to take care of myself and a pet is not easy. Jack is a living being, so if he needs to go to the vet, I need to be able to cover most of the bill — I’m lucky to have help from my family. Like most cats, he goes to the bathroom in a litter box, but I live on the fifth floor of my dorm, so I have to make sure the litter box doesn’t smell too bad and that most people aren’t out and about when I clean it out. I do not want someone to be grossed out in their living space.
Before I head to class, there’s a lot I have to do to make sure Jack can hang out for a few hours alone. I make sure he has enough food and water, make sure there are blankets in his favorite spots so he can be comfortable and warm, and if I’m gone for more than two hours, I have to turn on the TV to give him stimulation that’s similar to home. I watch a lot of Smosh — like, a lot — so Jack is used to the Smosh casts’ voices.
Would I Recommend?
Yes and no. It’s complicated, okay? If you know you can afford to have a pet on campus and are willing to take responsibility for an animal, I say yes. If you cannot, then do not. In my experience, having an emotional support animal is so worth it; Jack keeps me calm and gives me a structured schedule outside of classes. But having a pet is a lot of work in many ways, and that’s okay.