<p>I have two cats(Mao Mao, Gremlin) and two dogs(Tazy, Ludo), all of which I've raised since they were eight weeks old. My oldest cat Mao is four years old, and she's always slept on my stomach, constantly wanting to be held, likes to eat only if I'm beside her, etc. My youngest dog, Ludo, is still a puppy, and he follows me around wherever I am. Gremlin and Tazy are more independent, but certainly cuddly when they want to be.</p>
<p>I worry about when I leave for college, (which could very possibly be 2010 fall, though I'm only a Junior. I've met my grad reqs) how my pets will handle me not being there. A few years ago I attended a summer camp for a week, and Mao - still a kitten then - got severely ill, and my mom says she was looking for me for days and refused to eat until I was home again. This isn't to say that I've never left the house for trips and things, but the longest I've been gone now is two weeks, and Mao still gets quite upset when I leave. Now I'm looking to go to Northwestern, 14000 miles away. I'll be luck if I get to come home once or twice during the year.</p>
<p>My Parents and little brother will still be home, of course, but still...</p>
<p>Anyone have the same problems?
How have your pets adjusted?
How have YOU dealt with missing them?
Advice to lessen your pet's dependency on you?</p>
<p>and I don't mean to sound morbid, but If you've had a pet die while you were away, how difficult is it for you to not have been there? :(</p>
<p>Little bro and parents need to start doing the important things for the pets like the feeding and walking so your absence won’t be such a big deal to your animals come fall. You have to diminish your importance to them so they will continue to thrive when you are at school. Webcam so you can see them when you are at school.</p>
<p>Thank god I’m not the only one who is concerned about pets! I have 4 dogs and don’t know what I’m going to do without them! Two of them sleep on my bed with me, one on either side of me, and the other two act as my alarm clock, waking me up every single morning. </p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to miss my parents a lot, but I can always talk to them on the phone or by e-mail. It’s probably impossible to communicate with a pet if you’re outside the home.</p>
<p>When I went to college I had two dogs, one was getting older (she was 10 or 11 when I left). They got sad when I left, for a couple of weeks or so, but they adjusted. They always got sad again when they saw my things getting packed after a break. </p>
<p>My older dog became very sick during my sophomore year. I drove home a lot that semester (6 hour drive, glad my school wasn’t further). My parents then told me she was doing poorly (old dogs seem to get sick very fast) and I went home ASAP (notifying my professors). We had to put her down but I spent 2days/night with her sleeping by her side. I felt horrible for being at college. If I would have thought about it, when looking for apartments my freshman year (for my sophomore year) I would have looked for an apartment easy for her to get to (she started to get very bad arthritis and I lived on the 2nd floor). Anyway I felt horrible not seeing her for as much as I’d like to during those last 2 years. </p>
<p>I then took my other dog to college with me for the rest of the semester and will take them with me for my junior year (I do have to sacrifice my time from social events sometimes, but they’re more important to me, and my BF is around to help). I wouldn’t have it any other way, just wish I could turn back the clock a little bit. ;)</p>
<p>Its very hard to do, but you get used to it, and the time you have together becomes even more special. :)</p>
<p>I am so glad this thread came up. I’m not worried about missing my family. My mom will call me at least ten times per day (I wish I were exaggerating…). But I can’t talk to my dog on the phone. I won’t be leaving until Fall 2010, so I do have a lot of time to spend with my dog. It will be so weird not to take a quick study break to play with the dog. Even if I lived off campus, I could never take her with me because she requires a huge yard (she is a young, VERY active Jack Russell/Collie mix) and I want to live in the city. I think it will be harder to leave my dog than anyone else. She will miss me, too, which will make it even worse - even when I am gone for only one night she sits at the base of the stairs and looks up at the attic (but doesn’t cry).</p>
<p>i have no idea how i will survive without my dogs. i may get to come home 3 times a school year MAX, and i dont know what i will do without my babies (who are actually getting old:( ).</p>
<p>I’ve got a mini-dachshund that sleeps with me every night, and I am the one who feeds her, takes care of her and plays with her, etc. </p>
<p>I started teaching my little brother to feed her, and a bunch of other things that need to be done, but you must rationalize with yourself that college will not make them forget you, and what is meant to be is meant to be, we’re all tied in to fate, and you gotta take comfort in that. You’ll worry about your dogs, but you know they’ll be ok, and college is important</p>
<p>Yeah, it sucks when you leave them, but they’re incredibly excited to see you when you come home.</p>
<p>After 11 years with my old dog, he was put to sleep summer between Junior and Senior year of high school. Beginning of senior year, we got a puppy, and he’s completely attached to me. It sucks leaving him, but it’ll make me even more happy when I do stop home. (I’m also allergic to this one - so there’s pro’s and con’s. For the past year, I’ve been fine living with the allergies.)</p>
<p>I must say, at times I miss my dog more than my human family members. With how wonderful technology has become, I can be in contact with my parents/siblings as often as I want. Pets don’t have the same luxuries we humans have. If only dogs could type… But yeah, it’s tough being without your pet, but just try to think of how happy they’ll be to see you when you come home.</p>
<p>Hi i’m leaving for college in a week and my cat is very attached to me he is a 6 year old tabby. Me and my mom adopted him after his owner died he was very neglected and he has finally gotten close to me although he is still very skeptical about human interaction. He gets a long with my mom but he is still kind of scared to be around her and he doesn’t let her pet him that much. What i’m really worried about is the fact my mom works a lot and sometimes does overnights so he would be by himself a lot. Will he be okay?</p>
Hello, I’m leaving for college in a couple days for the 2015 fall semester. I’m going roughly 3 hours away from my home and I’m going to miss my pets more then anything. I have a really weird living condition, I live my grandfather who has a server alcohol problem and currently in treatment and live with my father too. But as of now I do everything for the my dog, and when I go I’m going to suffer a lot of home sickness. I’m thankful for my father who has adjusted his living situation to watch over my dog while I’m going for at least the first year.
I’m leaving for college soon and I also worry about my pets. I have a 12-year-old female cat who has always been really attached to me (and I’m super attached to her). She’s not in the best health (cancer, which is in remission but might be returning…) so I really worry that she could die while I’m away. She misses me even if I’m only away for a night. Hopefully she’ll be fine, and maybe I’ll FaceTime with her sometimes haha, but I’ll still worry. Plus, I’m the one who cleans my cats’ eyes and ears, so I really hope I don’t come home for breaks and see that the cats have gross, waxy ears .
But yeah, it’s tough being without your pet, but just try to think of how happy they’ll be to see you when you come home.</p>
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