<p>I will be living in a suite style dorm, moving in on the 21st, very excited. I am really introverted and have a huge soft spot for animals, I've had pets all my life, we even have goats and chickens. I am wanting to get a gerbil, hamster, or small lizard, I have plenty of experience caring for pets and am fully confident I will have enough time to commit to my pet. </p>
<p>Problem is my dorm only allows fish, but I don't think I will be happy without a pet, my college is under 90 minutes from home so it wouldn't be hard to take my pet home on breaks.</p>
<p>Any tips/experience having small pets in dorms?</p>
<p>Well sneaking a pet into your dorm is not a good idea. I think you should talk to your RA/dorm supervisor and if they don’t listen, then I think you should change dorms considering how important your pet is for you.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend it, but in a suite style dorm it’d be a lot easier to hide the fact that you have a pet. You would need to be really vigilant on not letting the pet out (which if it’s caged shouldn’t be an issue) and make sure to hide them when/if the RAs come do checks, though. And of course, don’t just show up with a pet without talking to your roommate(s) about it.</p>
<p>Again though, I wouldn’t recommend it. I mean, I know where you’re coming from on it being weird not to have animals around (coming from someone who’s always had cats, rabbits, birds, frogs, and hamsters around in some combination), but you do adjust. It makes it even more special when you get to go home and see them again, right?</p>
<p>I am allergic to mice and hamsters and gerbils.
If you snuck in one of those into our living area you would be hurting me.
a reptile or amphibean would be different . that would not bother me …but sometimes reptiles do give off an odor. </p>
<p>I guess what I’m saying is that if you have a roomate you should respect that they may have difficulty with a particuliar pet. Also I can relate to what your saying. I have a pet snapping turtle that I wish I could bring to school… he’s getting pretty big and likes having his shell and head rubbed …He usually sits on my lap while I watch TV & gets his rub down and he likes swimming with my brother & I in our pond. its getting time for him to get ready to hibernate … but its weird how every spring he seems to remember us and comes up to the special little pool we made for him next to our patio …whenever he wants attention he comes up from the pond and goes in the pool. he’s almost like a lazy dog as he hangs out. I don’t understand how they remember each spring…but they do.</p>
<p>If you miss having animals around, look into volunteering with a shelter or animal rescue in your area. You can also advertise services as a dog walker or look into getting a part time job at a kennel, pet store, or vet’s office. All of those things will give you access to animals. </p>
<p>From personal experience, don’t get anything that can get fleas. I lived in an apartment on campus once that was infested with fleas, and they think it was because the previous occupants had a pet that had fleas. It was a huge hassle because we all had to move and wash everything, and my roommates had tons of bites from sleeping there.</p>
<p>If you need a pet, I’d recommend getting a fish, which your dorm allows. Or you can volunteer at an animal shelter or offer to dog-sit if anyone’s going out of town around your college. And then next year, live off campus in a place that allows pets and feel free to get one.</p>
<p>If you get a pet your roomies mite think its funny to try to feed it people food and beer. Some people are really mean and wouldn’t care if they hurt it. People put stuff in fish tanks to you know.</p>
<p>Google “emotional support animal.” You are legally allowed to have a pet if it helps you with a psychological disability such as anxiety or depression. You’d need a letter from a mental health professional, register with the disabilities office at your university and be prepared to move to a different room on campus (especially if your current roommates aren’t okay with your pet).</p>