That new puppy might not be the best idea if you're not ready for the commitment. (CU Independent file/Emy Kane)
The opinions represented in this article do not necessarily represent those of the staff of CUIndependent.com nor any of its sponsors.
A few weekends ago, I found myself at a house party on the Hill. Music pounded, girls shrieked and beer bottles clinked as empty hands eagerly reached for more.
Bored with the drunken swaying of the dancers and the constant influx of new people in through the front door, I followed my friend into a room near the kitchen that happened to be one of the resident’s living space.
I peered in, taking in the giant speakers sitting on the floor along with the flatscreen TV that was blaring some popular hip-hop artist. The guy’s bed bumped up alongside the back wall, and on this bed was a gorgeous chocolate lab. The dog was lying there patiently, panting loudly with lolling tongue and tentative wags of the tail.
Pet ownership by students is a trend that is very popular in Boulder, a town where everyone takes their Labrador to the library and parks their golden retriever outside the local coffee shop while running in to grab an espresso.
But are pets for college kids? Sure, buying a dog to take hiking and play Frisbee with seems like a good idea at the time, but is it really the right choice in the long run?
Here are the top 10 reasons why you should say no to a new pet this holiday season:
1. You know that presentation that’s due tomorrow in your 8 a.m. class and is worth 30 percent of your grade? It’ll have to wait until you take Fido for a walk to keep him from destroying your favorite pairs of shoes and peeing on the new carpet your landlord just had installed.
2. That kitten sure looks cute in the store window, but will it look as cute at 3 a.m. when it’s coughing up a most despicable hairball on your pillow?
3. Rent is going up. That house that you thought was such a great deal because it was both cheap and allowed pets is now no longer an option. There’s a great deal down the street, but it doesn’t allow pets. Instead, you get stuck in the rundown house in the sketchy neighborhood across the highway. At least the house looks so rundown no thief would even bother robbing it.
4. You just had a date with the most beautiful person you’ve ever clapped eyes on and now want to head back to your house for some “alone time.” That “alone time” might end up a little interrupted by a furry friend if you have a dog or cat that is used to being the one and only soul you share your bed with.
5. Going home for the holidays? Airlines are now charging extra per bag that you check. Feel like going home broke after you ship Fido across the country to mom and dad’s house?
6. Poor starving college kids can live off Ramen noodles; contrary to popular belief, animals can’t.
7. It’s your birthday and you want to throw the rager of a lifetime. Aside from putting Fido to work lapping up spilled beers, what do you do with a dog when every room in the house is occupied with inebriated individuals engaging in some sort of destructive activity?
8. Class started at 9 a.m. You had an hour break for lunch on campus around 11 a.m., but have to head to a meeting after class is done for the day at 2 p.m. After the meeting, you only have a couple of minutes to rush to your job, where you stay until 8 p.m. that night. By the time you get back home, it’s 9 p.m. and Fido still hasn’t gone for a walk. Oh well. Maybe tomorrow. Or a month from tomorrow.
9. The new puppy only cost $30 at the pet store! Of course, that’s before shots, spaying and neutering, food, toys and bedding. In a fit of the puppy crazies, the dog eats a sock which gets entangled in its intestines and surgery to save the life of your new best friend ends up costing $500, at a minimum. You didn’t really need books for next semester, did you?
10. You adopt a new kitten when you’re 20 years old. Congratulations, you’ve just planned out the next 20 years of your life. Most relationships don’t last that long.
Contact CU Independent Managing Editor Kate Spencer at Katherine.a.spencer@colorado.edu.
But Kate, don’t you think College students also have the ability to respect and take care of a pet? It’s like you’re saying all College students are this busy, and don’t have the discipline to do what is necessary for the pet…
I guess what I’m saying is that not the entire student population of CU can be self-indulging/absorbed, uncaring, and forgetful when it comes to another living being. I mean, they usually stop at stop-signs. They usually remember to have the newest, latest gear, play their music for the rest of the world to hear, and make sure to provide the necessities for any party worth going to. I mean the last party I went to had 5 types of beer! Not just a keg of Bud light…
What more could a pet ask for? If the owner gets that kind of variety, the dog must be set up for some serious joy! 5 types of dogfood, 5 different locations to go play in during the week. It would be bliss…
Oh wait, did I forget something? I guess the alcohol bill is the first one to get paid? And the big question will always be: Is there enough money for food, as an afterthought?
I agree with Kate. Pets aren’t for most college kids, with the way schedules are, and, to be honest, the way they think. Having a dog in the house with loud music is torture for pets. Beer for dogs? Not good for them. Left alone all day? That’s when they start chewing things. Can’t leave them in a kennel for more than (an ideal) 4 hours. The cheapest pet food us horrible for dogs…fillers are bad for pets.
I’ve seen fellow students get pets, and totally neglect them. Especially as puppies, they’re a lot of work. They’re a lot of sacrifice, and as my parents found out, 2 Aussie puppies are harder work than 1 baby/toddler. You can’t be gone all day, someone has to be there to let them out or give them water mid-day. And that usually doesn’t happen.
However, there are also students who do take wonderful care of their pets, and I’ve seen those as well. However, my heart aches for the ones who aren’t cared for like they deserve.
I think this article is forgetting that there is a large population of the student body that doesn’t drink or party. Just because a few people aren’t ready for a pet, you should not discount many people who may be ready. People just need to know their limitations and if they are ready to handle a pet.
I am in a major where I am at school from 8 am till often 8 pm. But my cat doesn’t mind, and he is sure nice company to come home to after a long hard day, when the last thing I want to do is socialize with friends.
I agree a little with everyone. True, there are plenty of people who don’t drink or party, and have nothing else to do than come home after half a day of work and be with their smaller significant other, but there are also a good bunch of students that DO all the things she mentioned.
All in all, people just need to think it through really hard, and not complain when “fido” chews their new shoes, or bra (in my girlfriend’s case), or needs neutering, or new toys, or carpet cleaning, etc…It’s more of a commitment that a lot of college kids are capable of realizing. At our age, people travel a lot, move around, have unusual schedules, and pets just scream “settle down.” And in terms of relationships, they could drastically change the outcome of an existing one, or potential one. All for a cute bundle of joy that you could get at ANY time of your life. So yes I agree with Kate, but I also agree a little with the opposing comments.
This reminds me of the quote, “People who have what they want are fond of telling people who haven’t what they want that they really don’t want it.” You rock Kate, keep up the great writing!
controversial piece…clearly see comments. loved the pic and the article!