Being an independent student and juggling life is no easy thing, but adding pet ownership to your list of titles can be quite rewarding indeed. Having a furry friend to snuggle up with as you study for your finals is a big enough reward in and of itself, but there are some critical things you have to know before accepting this challenge.
- Sort Out Student Housing in Advance
For many students preparing for university, the question of housing comes down to comparing plusses to minuses. If you decide to live in the dorms, you are more than likely not going to be able to keep a pet. However, some students coming from the countryside are simply not able to live at home and commute. They either have to find a cheap enough flat that they can afford on their own, or look to move into a flat where other students have set up shop. Even more important, you have to ensure that your living situation is going to be stable. It wouldn’t be ideal to own a pet while moving from place to place each semester, so you want to get a pet only when you know that you can provide stability.
- Figure Out How You Will Pay for Your Pet
Obviously pets cost money to maintain. While you might be calculating how much money you have to pay for rabbit food or kitty litter each month, pets have other needs that you should account for. A long-haired dog may need to be professionally groomed every couple of months. Kittens and puppies need lots of vaccinations in the first year of life, so you will have to pay to take them to the vet multiple times. You will blow through money trying to find out which toys and treats your pet loves to play with the most. In short, there are expenses that you just won’t be able to account for until you actually become a pet owner.
- Ensure Your Pet Will Have Plenty of Companionship
For students who go to school all day and then work the graveyard shift, realise that there are certain pets that don’t do well with a lot of time alone. For a pet iguana, your time spent outside of the home will be of little consequence. On the other hand, an extra friendly kitten is going to need to be nurtured, loved, and given oodles of attention. If you have a pet that is used to you coming home at a certain time and spending hours playing, you simply can’t just change up your routine. Well, you can, but you probably won’t enjoy the results of your choice when it comes to owning a pet. Just as you would research the best pet insurance money can buy, you have to find ways to keep your pet company even when you are absent. Consider hiring a dog walker or even a pet sitter if your routine is going to change.
- Considering Pet Ownership When You Share a Flat
If you are a student who shares your home with other people, there are a lot of areas where you need to be prepared to compromise. If your flatmates already own pets, it may not be a good idea to get an Akita if they have bunnies that roam free. If a flatmate is severely allergic to cats, you might have to get a hairless variety. Don’t expect your flatmates to take on any of your responsibilities, even if you would do the same for them. Most of all, consider that your pet needs to live in a comfortable environment, so hold off on becoming a pet owner until you are sure that a shared living arrangement is going to work.
- Prepare Your Pet for the Unknown
Whether you are adopting an adult aged pet or fully prepared to pick out a pint-sized kitten, you have to know that time is going to eventually change both you and your pet’s circumstances. So, while you never hope your pet gets hurt in an accident or requires extra care because of an illness, you have to accept that life has plenty of unknowns. One way to prepare for this is to get a pet insurance plan. With https://www.everypaw.com/, there are a number of cover levels available in order for you to choose a policy that suits your needs. This U.K. based company can help everyone from students to pensioners choose a plan that meets their needs.
Eventually you are going to finish up with university and both you and your pet’s needs are going to change. The really great news is that if you can handle completing your higher education while also owning a pet, there is no challenge that you and your furry friend won’t be able to handle together. So, get a great pet insurance plan and let the chips fall where they may.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.