When I’m back home, I spend all my time with my dog Daisy. I walk her twice a day and — to the dismay of my mom — spend hours snuggled up on the couch with her. I miss her when I’m in Gainesville, but I could never imagine having her in college.
I love Daisy, but that’s exactly why I wouldn’t want to bring her with me. Loving an animal and having the time, money and stability to responsibly care for one are two very different things.
College students have extremely busy schedules. Classes and homework take up enough time, and most students have extracurricular activities and social lives consuming the rest of their day.
With so much time already accounted for, it’s difficult to pay our furry friends the proper amount of attention. Depending on the breed, dogs need up to two hours of exercise per day. Those two hours don’t include potty breaks, meal time and grooming, which aren’t possible to fit into an already jam-packed schedule.
Space can further complicate the decision. Considering many students live in apartments, these animals are confined. Their lifestyle is dependent on how often their owner walks them. Students who can’t give their companions adequate exercise risk fostering an unhealthy environment for them. On days when you’re rushing among three classes and scrambling to turn in assignments before midnight, the last thing on your mind is the pet that’s been waiting for you all afternoon.
It’s difficult for the average college student to spend enough time with their dog. Not all animals are as high maintenance as canine companions — cats need as little as twenty minutes of active care and attention each day — but even if the time commitment isn’t an issue, students shouldn’t underestimate what they’re signing up for.
The responsibility of caring for a pet is constant. If your friends are taking a weekend trip but no one else is available to watch your pet, you can’t just leave it alone. The obligation of keeping a pet means the possibility of missing out on other opportunities. While missing out on one trip may seem like a small sacrifice, you also have to consider long-term plans like studying abroad or traveling for internships.
Caring for a pet is also a hefty financial commitment — and most college students don’t have a wallet overflowing with cash. Small caged pets, such as hamsters and birds, cost around $200 annually, and traditional ones, including cats and dogs, can reach over $1,500. This doesn’t account for emergency health situations that could majorly run up the bill. Financial stability is hard to come by in college, and students might be left in a difficult decision if they can’t budget for emergencies.
To ease the strain on their wallet, some students may try to share ownership of a pet, splitting the cost and responsibility with one or multiple roommates. But this situation is temporary. Pets last longer than college, and your college roommate likely won’t be your roommate forever. The possibility of a pet custody battle could add another question to the debate over long-term solutions.
Whether you’re the sole or joint owner, you need to consider life with your pet after college. Not every residence allows pets, adding an extra consideration when looking for housing. You also need to ensure your schedule continues to allow time to care for your pet when you enter the workforce.
While some students find ways to be a responsible pet owner in college, this task isn’t suited for everyone. I constantly miss my dog while I’m at school, but that doesn’t mean I need to tote her to Gainesville or adopt a new animal to fill the Daisy-shaped gap for nine months.
If you miss your furry friend back home or just want to spend more time with animals, consider visiting local shelters around Gainesville and taking advantage of their volunteer opportunities. Whether it’s spending a day with a shelter dog from the Humane Society of North Central Florida or attending a “moo-ket” at Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary, there are plenty of ways for you to get quality time with animals — all without taking on a 10-year commitment.
Contact Kaitlyn Ocuto at kocuto@alligator.org. Follow her on X @KaitlynOcuto.
Kaitlyn Ocuto is a sophmore biomedical engineering major in her first semester at The Alligator. In her free time, she enjoys running, hanging out with friends and reading.
