Whether its stress, loneliness, or the need for a smile every day, owning a pet in college or university is great. Who doesn’t want to return home to a furry friend wagging its tail-happy to see you just walking the door?
However, owning a pet in college or university comes with its own set of challenges, and it’s not for the faint of heart. If you’re thinking of getting a furry friend in college, read these pros and cons of having a cat or dog, and see if it’s worth it.
Pros
They Encourage exercise
One of the benefits of having a pet in college is that it helps you exercise. As a student, you need to exercise regularly, but schoolwork and movies can take all of your time.
Exercising your dog by taking it out for a walk might benefit you too. As you get them fit by taking them out for 3 to 5 good walks per week, you also get to stretch those leg muscles of yours.
Dogs offer you Unconditional Love
Dogs are the best pet for college students. Not only are they your best friend, but they also offer you companionship. College can be a very lonely place, especially if you don’t have a roommate.
When you miss home or miss your family, the dog will be a welcome companion. A dog might encourage you to take a walk with it, and sometimes you might meet new people.
Learn Responsibility
In high school, everything is organized for you, but in college, you have to take on adult responsibilities. In college, you’re expected to be responsible for your dissertation writing and learn how to manage schedules.
Even though you can choose only trusted dissertation writing services to get your custom dissertation, owning a pet can also teach you more about responsibility. You will learn how to budget for your pet food and your food, as well as learn how to groom your pet.
Social Advantages
Having a dog in college can help you make new friends by acting as an ice-breaker. People love talking about their pets.
If you’re the only friend with a pet, those who wish they had owned pets might want to spend more time with you in your house. This way you’ll spend more time with friends and also your dog will get more attention.
They Keep You Busy
If you’re bored, a pet can keep you busy. You can spend time training them, taking them outside, or playing with them.
However, it’s advisable to finish your dissertation first. If you’re in Canada, you can achieve this by using Canadian dissertation writing services. They will offer you plagiarism free dissertations that will boost your overall grades at affordable prices.
Pets make you smile
Pets like dogs and cats will always greet you when you walk through the door. Dogs will charge on you with happy hello barks and drool dripping from their smile. If you had a foul mood, it instantly changes, and you even forget what was bothering you.
Caring for a GoldfishFrogs as PetsGet Pet Insurance
Cons
Property Damage
Even though cats and dogs are the best pets to own in college, they can be very destructive. Pets can cause wear and tear even when kept with the most responsible owner. This is why most colleges protest to pets because they might damage college property.
Allergies
If you’re living with your pet on the same floor with someone allergic to pets, then you’re putting that person at risk of getting allergic reactions.
Owning a pet can be expensive
The cost of college tuition is already high; that’s why students take part-time and summer jobs to offset the exorbitant amount of tuition fees and other expenses. Adding the expense of owning a pet to your student loan might not be a wise decision.
You will have limited freedom
Pets need to be walked around and fed. You can’t afford to spend all night at home then go out for a party without going home. If you want to meet your dog’s needs, this means you must make some adjustments to your social life.
Its time consuming
Having a pet means you have to bathe them, clean up after them, get them exercised, and feed them. This is the kind of responsibility some people might not be ready for in college, particularly if you have a full-time class schedule.
If you would like to own a pet but you’re not ready to commit fully, you can start small. Cats and dogs come with time-consuming duties. However, you can go for small reptiles, fish or a hamster. Starting with small pets like the ones mentioned above can be great to ease your way into pet parenthood.