According to The American Institute of Stress, eight out of 10 college students experience stress frequently or on a day-to-day basis. College can get lonely and stressful at times, miles away from your family and friends.

It is a whole new environment that we must get used to. So at times, it might seem like a good idea to get yourself a furry friend. They can be so cute and will always be by your side. They can become your new best friend and will add some love to your college home.

However, this is not always the case. College students are not ready to take on the responsibility of adopting a furry friend and here’s why:

1. They are expensive

As the saying goes, at this time of our lives most of us are “broke college students” and when it comes to pets, your wallet is gonna keep hurting way after that first initial purchase.

They require food like any other living species, they need to be vaccinated and neutered to make sure your furry friend does not become a furry family.

Then, they have to be entertained with toys then more toys because they will eventually get bored of the first ones. According to Money Under 30, the first year of pet ownership exceeds $1,000. It is a never-ending cycle and can be almost impossible for students living off ramen.

2. They are like children

Having a pet is a much bigger responsibility than most think. They require love, patience and lots of attention. At this point in our lives, most of us just are not ready for that amount of responsibility.

3. Require lots of time

With schoolwork, internships, extracurriculars and for some a part-time jobs. Juggling all of this and trying to maintain a social life can get to be almost impossible. Try adding taking care of a furry animal on top of that.

Depending on the pet, most require play time and bathroom time outside, so one has to constantly take time out of their day to make sure there are no accidents. This can interrupt homework, nap time and in some cases social time. I cannot count how many times friends have had to go home from the bars or whatever social activity we were doing because they were afraid their pet would have an accident.

So as you can see there are plenty of reasons why adopting a pet in college is a no. Sure they will be there for you every day and will add some excitement to your normal routines but is the hole in your wallet really worth the companionship? I think not. This is something one has to work their way up to and could be a good graduation gift from mom and dad.

Nicte Hernandez can be reached at [email protected] or @nicteh7 on Twitter.