<p>I feel a little bit weird saying this, but I don't think I'm going to have a problem with homesickness, except for my cats! I've had them since 6th grade, and they're seriously like my kids--I love them to pieces. I've always had animals in my life and at home, I can't imagine not having them around.</p>
<p>I'm almost worried that when I get back for X-mas vacation, they won't remember me, or will be upset that I've left for so long. I also have this bizarre feeling that while I'm away, one of them will die, and I won't be able to say good bye. Part of this stems from when my first cat died while I was away at summer camp and I didn't get to say good bye, but still.</p>
<p>I'm thinking of getting a betta fish for my dorm room, but I've never had a pet fish before--I don't know if they require a lot of care, and how I'd take care of them over breaks (how do you transport a fish?), so yeah, how have all of you dealt with leaving pets behind?</p>
<p>I'm in the same boat as you. My cat is like my son, and I have no idea how the first couple of weeks without him will be like. </p>
<p>I had many betta fish as a kid. It might be a little tough to keep up with one in a dorm, just because the tanks require lots of cleaning, if you want to keep that nasty tank scent out of your living quarters. If you're living off campus, then it shouldn't be a problem what so ever. Depending on whether you will be flying or driving home for winter and summer breaks, you could always transport the fish in a bag (not for too long though), or some kind of transportable tank (perhaps they are available at pet supply stores - im not sure).</p>
<p>i felt the same way about my dog….he is the definition of Man’s Best Friend -.-</p>
<p>nonetheless, being away from him for about 6 mths., i went through the same thing, thought he would forget about me etc. etc.</p>
<p>nonetheless, when i went back for Winter Break, he greeted me like never before and wouldn’t stop barking for the longest time, like a kinda “where have you been, thought YOU were gone sort of thing” (not sure if you can relate)</p>
<p>even though Cats in general are more independent as a breed, i’m sure they’ll always remember you</p>
<p>Fish is an entirely different thing, my Dad has a tank and maintenance is always greater on size of the Tank</p>
<p>if your in a Dorm room setting, i’d start off w/the smallest possible tank as even the most silent Filtration system will make noise</p>
<p>check out a local Pet Store when your settle in, and they should be able to give you all the info about that, BTW, how you consider a Turtle…those are great as well =]</p>
<p>bettas originally came from confined, swampy areas, so they can tolerate a small tank/dirty water/small amounts of oxygen/going days without food.</p>
<p>of course, it's not GOOD to leave them in those conditions, but they're really hardy fish.</p>
<p>mine's in a bowl-- not a tank-- so it's easy to clean. i just rinse it with hot water and a washcloth once a week or so... i've gone longer, but it's kind of depressing to have cloudy water sitting around.</p>
<p>transport the fish the same way the pet store gives it to you: a small cup with a lid works just fine.</p>
<p>bettas are pretty smart little fish; i used to have one 'trained' to eat off of my finger. one probably won't replace your cat, but they're amusing/fun little guys to have around.</p>
<p>I would actually LOVE a turtle or some sort of small lizard like a newt or something, my ideal dorm pet would be a dwarf lop bunny, but we're only allowed fish :( </p>
<p>I'm starting to think I won't get a fish, as I'm sure I won't actually have enough time to take care of it as it, and I wouldn't want to keep it in a small bowl, which is the only thing I'd have space for probably, so oh well.</p>
<p>I know exactly what you mean about the "your back?! yaaaaay" expressions pets get. My cats are probably the least independant, most active and people oriented cats I've ever known, I just hope they understand why I"m leaving. I'm sure everything will be fine, but I still worry</p>
<p>I completely understand what you're saying. I have three cats at home, aged 13, 12, and 5. I can talk to my family and friends, but there will be no contact with them until I come home for Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>I'm just trying to spend some extra time with them now, before I need to leave. I've been working this summer, so I've been busy and stressed out and kind of ignoring them. My last day is on Saturday, so I'll be able to calm down and just hang out with family, friends, and kitties, and get some shopping done. It's amazing how little it takes to make them feel special (except for little one - she wants 45 uninterrupted minutes of your time per visit).</p>
<p>How far from home are you going, equine99? I'm going from South Florida to Upstate NY. It would have been nice to come home every once in a while, but I just can't afford that. Will you be able to visit?</p>
<p>I'm going from California to PA and on top of that, my dad lives in NYC (no kitties :( ) and expects me to visit him on all of the little breaks, so no visits. I won't get to see my kitties until winter break in 4 months. :(</p>
<p>I don't mind fish, I just cannot stand fishtanks! You will end up missing many of your childhood pets. That is just part of growing up, no matter how close you were to your dog or cat. After you graduate until you buy a house you will not be able to have a dog or cat while you rent. (unless you move back home). Once you buy your first house then you can get a puppy or kitten and start your own journey! Then you can worry about babies!</p>
<p>I know the second I'm out of college and into an appartment, I will have my two cats with me. I would never live anywhere that didn't allow pets. A lot of places will allow small pets with a pet deposit. </p>
<p>I think it's really sad when people forget about their pets just because they're no longer living at home.</p>
<p>I know how you feel. I'm sure I will miss family and friends, but I know I will make other friends, while I'm not allowed to have a pet at all. I'll miss the specific people, but I'll still have the general space in my life filled. I know I will miss my animals, but I'll also miss just having any pets. Hopefully, I will be able to find an animal shelter to volunteer at or something. Or smuggle a small animal...</p>
<p>i felt exactly the same as you last year. i knew i was going to miss my cat soooo much, and i did.</p>
<p>i got a beta fish the day i arrived on campus, and he has been a great friend. i bought a round fishbowl for him, filled it with some glass marbles, a fake plant, and water. feed him twice a day, change the water once a week (buy one of those little nets so you can take the fish out of the bowl before changing the water!). the great thing about betas is that they do not need a large tank or a filter in the water. tap water works fine (let it reach room temp. before putting the fish in it), plus most pet stores sell this little bottle of water-purifier that you put drops of in and it "makes water instantly safe for betas".</p>
<p>also, when i arrived back home at the end of the year, my cat came running up to meet me outside. he definitely remembered me. and he spent the entire night sleeping on my bed, and he is NOT the kind of cat who does that every day, so i could tell he was seriously glad to have me home!</p>
<p>p.s. - about how to care for a fish over break, i've left mine by himself for about a week and he was okay when i got back. any longer i would not recommend though. i had relatives living in the same city so i left my fish with my grandmother over winter break. if you make a friend at college who lives nearby they could care for the fish over the holidays for you. for summer break, i brought my fish home with me of course (12 hour car ride didn't harm him). one of my friends had a beta that she left at school over winter break though and she left him with plenty of food, but the problem was all his water evaporated. so, don't do that!</p>
<p>I got my cats 5.5 years old (one of them hates me though lol) and my baby(dog) almost 2 years old. GOODNESS I missed my dog...I seriously had my mom put the phone up to him so I could say hi.</p>
<p>My roommate and I won a fish the first week at a Greek event, then got him a nice bowl and such. He survived until fall break when we gave him to some guys who were sticking around, only to hear he went belly-up by that very afternoon. Of course, they left the fish floating there until we came back, but were nice enough to play taps while we flushed him down the toilet.</p>
<p>My school has a rule... No pets that can't survive submerged underwater for at least 24 hours. =p Bettas are some of the easiest to take care of, although the smaller the tank, the more often you have to change the water. Betta "pros" will tell you at least a 2.5 gal tank to change the water once every week, but many people keep them in smaller containers. One thing you shouldn't do is get the "peace lily" arrangement, where the bettas go in a vase with a plant on top. It's been advertised as a self-sustaining environment, meaning that the fish is supposed to eat the roots or something so you don't have to feed it, but betta are naturally carnivores, so... not a really good setup. They can survive about ten days without food as far as I know, so it's not a big deal if you are going out of town for a short trip, but I would recommend that you feed it once or twice a day on a regular basis. (More feedings=more ammonia in the water=more water changes.) As for taking them with you, many pet stores sell very small covered containers that you can use to transport them. If you will be flying though, I'm not sure about airport regulations...</p>
<p>I use the vase sans plant, and my betta loves it. I change a third of the water every week, and a full change once a month. My little guy's pretty cheerful since he trys to attack me every time he sees me.</p>
<p>I felt the same way that you did before I left for school. I have 2 cats that I've had since early junior high school and I love them to pieces. I was devasted that I would have to leave them.</p>
<p>It is hard sometimes, and I do miss them, and I do miss having animals and something furry around - but it gets easier. And when you do come home, it gets even more special to see them. :)</p>
<p>Don't worry about them forgetting you - they really won't. One time I had my mom "put Nala on the phone" with me, and I called out her name.. she recognized my voice and immediately jumped up and ran over to the door like I was gonna come through it. lol </p>
<p>They'll get used to the separation and come to accept it. They start to realize that you leave but you will come back again. Of course they'd rather be with you there, and vice versa, but it ends up being okay :)</p>
<p>I wish I could have a fish tank... if I were in a single or even a double I'd definitely get one. I love my fish tank that I have at home. And I love my dogs... and my cats. But my fish are my favorite. I'm pretty close to home and my mom always send me pictures of them... I'd be away for the weekend and she'd send me cell phone pics of them. Too cute!</p>