Many pet-loving students at the University must either cope with being separated from their beloved family pets or simply look forward to getting one after they graduate. However, with their newfound college independence, some University students decide to take care of furry friends while pursuing their studies. From owning a dog to adopting a cat, having a pet in college requires a significant commitment, but these pet owners say that it improves their mental health and helps them feel increased connection with people around them.
While most students have to leave their furry companions at home, some are lucky enough to bring their family pets with them to school. Fourth-year College student Lucie Ide brought her family’s dog Doc, an English cream golden retriever, to live with her the November of her third year. Ide eventually decided to register Doc as an Emotional Support Animal, which requires a letter from a therapist certifying that the animal helps treat the owner’s mental health condition. Doc’s ESA status allows him to live in Ide’s off-Grounds apartment without added apartment pet fees.
According to Ide, the added responsibility of taking care of Doc provides this emotional support, helping her manage her anxiety.
“Having him just helps me regulate [my emotions] — having something to do each morning, get out of bed, take him out, feed him,” Ide said.
Mikayla Hinton, Residential Advisor and fourth-year College student, also has an ESA — a dilute tortoiseshell cat named Bean, short for Garbanzo Beanold Hinton. Before Hinton adopted Bean at the beginning of her second year, she said she experienced severe depression and struggled to socialize with others. Per the advice of a friend, she adopted Bean and found that, like Ide, the added routine improved her mental health.
“I had to get up at 6 a.m. to feed her, which meant I could finally start getting up and taking care of myself,” Hinton said. “I realized, if I'm putting so much work into taking care of her, I should be able to do the same for myself.”
While full-time pet ownership can be a daunting prospect, some members of the University community care for animals by fostering through the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA. This process allows students to temporarily take a shelter animal into their home. Two years ago, inspired by a friend with foster kittens, fourth-year College student Caroline Jareb decided to foster a gray-and-white cat named Peas from the CASPCA. However, taking Peas home ended up being a “foster fail,” as Jareb decided to adopt her instead.
“When I fostered her … I fell in love with her,” Jareb said. “She was just so sweet and so easy to take care of, and [she] just brought a lot of light to my life.”
Even for pet owners, like Jareb, who do not have an ESA, a pet can still provide stress relief and motivate them to look after themselves in the midst of their busy college lifestyles.
"A lot of U.Va. students probably find it hard to … take care of themselves,” Jareb said. “I think, for me, taking care of a cat helps that in a way, because I'm like, ‘Oh, there's another being that I need to take care of, so I need also take care of myself.'"
Jareb also said that she can always rely on Peas’ companionship for a mental boost. She said that no matter what kind of day she’s had at school, she knows Peas will be waiting for her at home, cuddled up on the bean bag in her room.
While there are plenty of benefits to owning a pet in college, there are also plenty of day-to-day challenges. For example, Ide said she often has to come home midday from Grounds to let Doc out, and Jareb said that it is difficult to feed Peas on a fixed schedule with her late-night extracurricular commitments.
Ide, Jareb and Hinton also all emphasized the many long-term commitments that come with being a pet owner. Travel can be especially difficult, as they need to either bring their pets with them or find someone else to watch them. Pet owners also need to be mentally and financially prepared to take care of another living being for years, during college and beyond.
“It's probably the biggest responsibility in my life right now, other than school, of course,” Ide said. “It's a huge responsibility to take care of a pet, so you just have to really be willing to make that one of the big things in your life.”
Students often turn to those around them to help tackle this added responsibility — something that allows them to forge deeper bonds with their peers. For instance, Hinton’s residents have helped to raise Bean, handling her when she was a kitten and choosing her name. From relieving collective stress to fostering friendship among residents, Bean has brought the residential community together, according to Hinton.
“My residents love saying hi to her, because they miss their home pets,” Hinton said. “And when they tell their friends that their RA has a cat, they bring their friends over. I think [Bean] was a great way to build community in the dorm, which is something that I love doing.”
Similarly, Ide enjoys the sense of connection that comes along with taking care of Doc, both with her housemates and the University at large. Taking care of Doc has allowed her to meet new people and explore Grounds in a special way.
“All of my friends help take care of him [and] love to take him on walks,” Ide said. “It's also really fun [to see] people get excited about asking to pet him. They'll tell me about their dogs at home. I feel like it makes me appreciate U.Va. more, because [I’ll think to] take him to the gardens and to the Rotunda [to walk around].”
Ide, Jareb and Hinton agree that having a pet has enhanced their mental health, brought them closer to the University community and added warmth and joy to their living spaces. Regardless of where these pets came from or whether they are officially there for emotional support, they have enriched their owners’ lives.
“It feels like she's my roommate, essentially,” Hinton said. “She's like family now.”
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