Students in college are in a transitional phase of life, and bringing a pet along with them only makes it harder.
We move in and out of apartments every year, and bringing a pet along only makes it harder for us and our pets. It’s easy for pets to become anxious and stressed when we’re frequently changing apartments or rooms. We’re making our pets’ lives harder.
As laid back as pets may seem, moving gives them a lot of anxiety and stress. They don’t understand the concept of moving like we do. So seeing everything packed into boxes can make them think their home is being taken away.
According to Dog and Puppy Stuff, dogs don’t like change. They don’t realize we are moving or how long we’ll stay which leads to a sense of nervousness. As college students we move around a lot and that becomes unhealthy for pets.
On top of moving around often, as students we aren’t home for most of the day. We are either in class or working. Pets need to be taken care of, which includes making sure they have enough time to be taken out and have playtime during the day. As students we don’t have that time. We leave early to go to school and usually leave for work right after class. Leaving them alone all day isn’t healthy. They can become depressed which can lead to sickness.
According to Mental Health Daily, “If you leave any dog in isolation long enough it is going to experience the sadness that accompanies loneliness.”
If you’re not putting in the effort to take care of your pet, then you shouldn’t have one in the first place. It’s not right to bring a pet with you to school when you aren’t going to be around to take care of them.
Students who bring pets with them to college end up giving them away at some point because they can’t take care of it.
“The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reports that 86% of pets that are surrendered to shelters are given up due to the owner’s life situation,” said Kerri Campbell in an article for The Street.
We always want to give our pets the best life possible and when moving away for college, the best thing may be leaving them home. We can always get them back when we are in a solid living situation with a steady life. Moving to college doesn’t mean we’re never going to see them again. We need to get our lives figured out and it’s easier doing that without having an animal to take care of.
