So many college students out there are wishing to go home every day. They don’t necessarily want to go home because they are missing their parents or friends or siblings at home, but because they really want to visit home to see their pets. Animals can be a blessing and a curse when you’re in college. If you have a dog, cat, bunny, or any other fluffy or loveable animal at home it can definitely make you look for trips home just so that you can cuddle and de-stress with your favorite family member. On the other hand, a lot of college students want to have a pet that they can love and take care of while they’re away at school. This way their home away from home will be even more fun and comfortable. Unfortunately, there are a few ups and downs that come with owning a pet in college. Here are a few things that you have to deal with if you have a pet while away at college.

1. You have a pretty slim picking of pets that you can keep in a college dorm room.

In most dorms you can’t have a big dog as a pet unless you have some kind of medical need for one so most college students that want a pet end up getting a fish. Although there are tons of fish out there, you can’t get a huge fish tank so you still end up pretty limited. In the end, most people end up just getting a simple beta fish for the room.

2. It can be hard to take care of your pet if you aren’t always in your room.

If you are one of the people that needs a dog or cat for medical reasons, unless your animal is totally fine spending hours on end by itself locked in your small dorm room, you might have a bit of a problem.

3. What do you do with your pet if you go home?

Even with a fish, are you going to take it home for Thanksgiving break or leave it at school and hope that you still have a living pet when you get back? Sometimes it can be a hassle to have a pet in college, but the benefits definitely outweigh the issues because it’s all worth it know that you can walk into your room and have something there that is yours. Your pet loves you and depends on you, and you’re a college student that can balance the college life and taking care of a pet.