Are You Ready for a Pet?

Having a pet can be a blessing and a curse as a college student. On one hand, pets can help you with being responsible for someone other than yourself. Even if you had a family pet, it’s an entirely different task to take care of a pet on your own. On the other hand, bringing a pet to college is expensive and time consuming.

Lots of people grow up with animals, and if you’re a “pet person,” it can seem odd when you’re off at college without one. Many off-campus apartments strictly prohibit pets and the apartments that allow them often require stiff deposits to pay for potential damages.

Here are some questions you should be asking before taking a pet to college.

• Are you home often enough to make sure the pet gets the attention and exercise it will need?
• Can you afford the additional expense of feeding an animal?
• Have you factored in the cost of vet visits? Shots? Flea medications?
• How do your roommates feel about getting a pet?
• Who will take care of the animal when spring break comes around and you head to Florida?

Sometimes all it takes is to read a list of questions like this to snap you back to reality about the responsibilities of pet ownership. Having a pet requires time and attention. A dog can also create tensions with neighbors if it tends to bark.

There are a lot of reasons why pet ownership and college don’t mix. If you still think you want a pet, be sure you can afford the expenses, are ready for the responsibilities and above all be sure to have the animal spayed or neutered.

Do you have any additional concerns that college students should consider before bringing a pet into an apartment community? Let us know about them in the comment section below.