Your childhood pet is probably a dog or a cat that you have had for several years. You have raised it since it was little, trained it, played with it, and loved it. It has always been there for you when you needed comforting and in many ways, it is a part of the family. Now it is time to go to college and you have to leave fluffy behind. What do you do? Online universities allow you to keep your lovable ball of fur with you at home. If not that then there are some things to think about.
Generally speaking, it is not a great idea for a college student to have a pet. For starters, you will probably move two or three times and relocation can be difficult for pets like an outdoor cat. If you go home for Christmas or go away for Spring Break you will have to find somebody to care for it. Most dorms will not allow you to have pets, so you will need to be in your own place, and having your own place means having a pet deposit. You also need to make sure you have roommates who are okay with a pet. Lastly, veterinary bills can be expensive, and most students don’t have much money. If you do really want a pet though, here is an idea.
Go fish. Okay, it is true you can’t cuddle with them at night or play fetch with them, but fish are a pretty good option all things considered. Once you get your aquarium set up, all you have to do is feed them, and you are set. No one is allergic to fish so roommates should be fine. Not only that, but a fish tank is a great way to add some life and spark to a room. They are fun to watch and the gurgle of water from an aquarium is very relaxing. Turn the fish tank light on, the rest of the lights off, and go to sleep with the peaceful sounds of the tank lulling you to rest.
Another great thing about fish is the wide variety that you can have. Everyone has goldfish, but there are dozens of gorgeous exotic fish that you can buy. If you keep them separate you can even get Japanese Fighting Fish. To help clean the tank you can always buy a suckerfish. If you want to add some variety you can even buy a crab or turtle to add into the mix.
One of the most fun things about a fish tank is that you can decorate and customize it in so many ways. You can get fish gravel in all sorts of colors and you can plant underwater plants as well. You can create a cave out of large rocks or pretty coral or you can collect an interesting arrangement of driftwood to give it some character. Many people put something fun like a sunken pirate ship, a scuba diver, mermaid, sea monster, or even a submarine in their tank. Think of all the fun you can have and if anybody asks just tell them you are a marine biology major.
