You’ve just moved away from home, and you’re free to do as you please. Curfews no longer exist, you don’t have to run errands for anybody but yourself, and you get to hang out with friends as often as you want. However, there is something that many new college students forget about when approaching their early college years. What is that you may ask? Let me tell you.
Responsibility
For some, owning a pet in college is something they have planned throughout their high school years. For others, owning a pet could be the result of an impulse buy. Still, some others have been in college for a while now and are thinking about whether or not they should get their own pet.
No matter the circumstance, each of these situations has the same pros and cons. Take note that every person is different and has their own values as well. No single article will give you a perfect answer for whether or not you should get your own pet. Let’s take a closer look at this matter.
Time Management
In order to raise an animal, you have to be willing to give up a lot of your time. This could be taken away from hanging out with friends, watching Netflix, and sometimes even hobbies you do for the sake of personal enjoyment. No matter the case, no time should be taken away from daily activities that involve your personal health, hygiene, and school.
Picking the Right Pet
I’ll do my best to not be biased, but as a pet owner myself, I’ve noticed the differences between my own pet and the pets of my friends. As I’ve talked with many other pet owners who are also students in college, I’ve learned that the amount of time, responsibility, attention, and care varies depending on the type of pet you own.
Personally, I have discovered that the older your pet, the easier and less time consuming they are to take care of. They don’t need to be house trained and don’t care for all that much attention and play time when they’d rather be sleeping! If this still seems like too much of a commitment, try for a smaller pet such as a fish.
All in all, you know your wants and desires more than any other person, just be sure to do your research on the type of pet you’re searching for!
Good luck!