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Quadrupeds on the quad: cats, dogs go to college
By Kim Campbell Thornton
January 10, 2009
A recent Ohio State University study credits pets with helping college students make it through stressful times. Mid-terms or finals come to mind, not to mention homesickness, a breakup or a tiff with a roommate. Sara Staats, lead author of the study and professor emeritus of psychology at OSU’s Newark campus, was interested in whether interaction with a pet would benefit young, healthy adults in the same way it does seniors. She says nearly a quarter of the 350 college students surveyed believed their pets helped them get through difficult times in life.
The students interviewed for Staats’ survey lived off campus, but at least a few colleges–among them Eckerd in Florida, Stephens in Missouri, CalTech and UCLA–have programs in some dorms allowing for pets. Sharon L. Peters wrote about the trend in USA Today:
“Factors contributing to a college’s decision to establish pet-friendly dorms: Many animal lovers have opted to live off-campus, which bites into colleges’ housing income; and prohibitions haven’t always prevented pets from being smuggled in. But mostly, the policies seem to have emerged in response to a pet-loving society and from recognition that animals can reduce stress and make acclimating to college easier.”
I was one of those smugglers, back in the day. Two of my friends and I sneaked a kitten into their dorm room one night. We were busted within five minutes because some busybody saw the kitten through the window as she was walking by and turned us in. I would have loved to have gone to a college that allowed pets.
A pet-friendly program isn’t right for every school, although more and more are inquiring about it, says Lory Arnold, director of residential life at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. But that doesn’t mean students have to go without a furry fix. Some therapy dog groups take pets on campus to provide a few licks and laughs.
Of course, there’s a downside, too. Students have a reputation for abandoning pets between semesters or after graduation, but schools that permit pets try to address that concern in their rules. And, Arnold notes, most often these are pets from home, so students have long-standing bond with them to begin with.
What about you? What was your pet experience during college?
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We had a boys dorm and a girls dorm in separate buildings at the Community College I went to. Room inspections were on different days and the Residents came into your room whether you were there or not.
There were mice (guilty as charged), rats, a kitten, a hamster and, as I recall, at least one bird. One dorm’s pets went “visiting” to the other dorm like clockwork every week before people had to go off to morning class.
Comment by Susan Fox — January 10, 2009 @ 2:49 pm
Mice. Fish were allowed (and I had those too), but mice were needed for snuggle time. My RA knew about them and just requested that they be covered with a sheet before inspections so she wouldn’t get in trouble.
I was a “no trouble” resident and helped the RA with her fish (no research on what species shouldn’t be put together *shakes head*), so cutting me some slack on the mice was easy for her.
Comment by mikken — January 10, 2009 @ 4:22 pm
my room mate in second year had a lizard, which he was surprisingly allowed to keep as long as word of its presence did not get out.
Comment by Dogs — January 10, 2009 @ 4:57 pm
Same here, any type of pet was a big no-no while I was dorming upstate NY.
Comment by Chris — January 10, 2009 @ 5:11 pm
I lived in a fantastic co-op at Stanford. Though pets were not allowed, our chickens (not eaten!) and rabbits were. Naturally this animal-friendly environment segued into pet friendliness. A non-official resident, the boyfriend of an official resident, brought a husky and our Resident Assistant (that would be the person charged with enforcing policies) adopted one of the campus’ feral kittens. A friend of mine lived in her VW bus for her junior and senior years so that she could keep her GSD.
Nathan Winograd found his calling there at Stanford during the dark times when the university decided to kill all the cats, and some faculty, staff, and students fought back.
I’ve linked Stanford Cat Network from my name.
Comment by Barbara Saunders — January 10, 2009 @ 6:25 pm
I relocated from one segment (dorm-main campus) to another part of the system after my freshman year. I rented off campus, and therefore got a dog when my dog died. Ostensibly she was mine ( I bought her with my money, trained her, fed her, let her sleep with me and all that), but my mother refused to part with her. When she went to the Bridge, I couldn’t stand it! Being dogless, whether I had full custody of my dog or not, was more than I could bear. I succumbed to a pup in a pet store (bred locally, probably by what we would consider a byb now, but this was in 1973). They were both Shelties by the way, Gina. Anyway, she and I shared 14 wonderful years together. I miss her still.
Comment by Anne T — January 10, 2009 @ 7:51 pm
I had major home sickness for my dogs. I could call my parents, but there’s no way to appease a long distance desire to see your pets.
I spent hours surfing through breeder websites and online galleries of dog sports and such just to get a fix. And I forbade my parents from putting down my dogs (they were geriatric at that point) while I was away. I’d fly back for it, if it came to that.
Luckily I was home when it was time.
But I think I missed my dogs more than my parents, my house, my friends…
Comment by Christopher — January 11, 2009 @ 5:18 am
I used to smuggle my dog, who lived off campus with my brothers, into the dorm on weekends in a large rolling suitcase. She almost got us busted one week when, in the suitcase, she wagged her tail at a familiar voice right beside the RA. My roommate had a sudden stomping fit.
Eight years after college, I was sorting through some storage and found the suitcase. Crazy dog jumped right in ready to go visiting, grinning like a loon. I also had unauthorized hamsters, and I sheltered a feral kitten for a month before the end of the semester (and my move off campus). If I had known that there were campuses that might have let me bring my dog, I would have attended that college.
Comment by Compcat — January 11, 2009 @ 6:49 pm
I still have that previously feral kitten, though she is elderly now. (I just realized how that sounded.)
Comment by Compcat — January 11, 2009 @ 6:51 pm