College can get kind of lonely at times and there’s not always someone around to help with that. That’s why so many of us turn to pets as soon as we’re off campus. I managed to make it until mid January of my first school year off campus before I adopted my two little rats. I know, rats can get a bad rep, but they’re actually a great pet to have, especially for broke, lonely college students, and here’s why.
Cheap AF:
We can barely afford to care for ourselves, so how in the world are we supposed to care for another animal? Well, luckily rats don’t cost you anywhere near as much as larger animals. Most rats can be adopted for under $15. You are going to want to buy at least two, they’re social animals who need a friend, but I got mine for about $9 each. The most expensive thing you’ll have to buy is a cage,but that’s a one time cost and there were a few suitable cages (large enough for room to play and climb) online for about $40 on ebay or Facebook Marketplace. I got mine for free from a friend. After your first round of buying starter supplies, rats will cost you around$10-15 dollars a month.
Nina the rat gets comfortable in my sweater; photo by Skyler Kane.
They Need Cuddles As Much As You Do:
I’ve had my rats for less than a week and they’ve already stopped running when I try to grab them from the cage and stick rather close to me when I let them wander around. Both of my rats like to sit in my lap and one of them has taken a particular interest in sitting on my shoulder and in my hoodie pocket. They’re social animals and they want to be social with you.
Inej the rat looks adorable while taking a nap; photo by Skyler Kane.
They’re Incredibly Intelligent:
Now, my rats are still young and getting used to me, so they don’t have any tricks yet, but rats can be taught amazing things. First on my list to teach my rats is come and fetch, but they can learn entire obstacle courses once they’re trained well enough. They can even be litter trained which will make cage upkeep so much easier once I teach that to my ratties.
Your Landlord Probably Allows Them:
Of course, make sure you know what’s allowed with your landlord before purchasing any animals, but rats are rather easy and largely kept in a cage. Personally, my landlord nixed any free roaming animals like dogs, cats or even rabbits, but was fine with any caged animal like gerbils or hamsters or rats. Double check with them, but you’ve got a better shot at being able to have a rat than a dog.
Nina and Inej cuddle up together to fall asleep; photo by Skyler Kane.
They’re Cute!:
Look at these babies and tell me they’re not precious.
Maybe rats are for you, and maybe they’re not, but they have a bad rep of being weird and gross when they’re a totally viable option for wonderful pets. Unfortunately, as PetSmart and PetCo no longer sell rats, it is a bit tricky to acquire them. There were a couple breeders in the area, but outside of public transport. I drove an hour to Menomonie to adopt mine. If you do decide to adopt them, though, then make sure you give them what they need like a good, large cage, lots of chew toys and lots and lots and lots of love.