At Rowan University, there are a few new little Profs walking around campus, but these ones have paw prints. Various Rowan students have their pets on campus. The university allows students to have pets if they have a specific reason for having their pet on campus. 

Often, pets are known to reduce stress and anxiety for college students. Sometimes, pets are what a student needs to get through college. Having a pet on campus can be challenging at times. 

Sophomore Emily Clothier, a psychology major, explains her life with her cat, Cookie, who is registered as her emotional support animal (ESA). 

“I adopted my pet during my freshman year of college. I believe I was about a month into the fall semester when I got Cookie,” said Clothier. 

For Clothier, she has found that with her pet on campus, she’s had to ensure her daily schedule works around her pet’s needs.

“She fits pretty well into my routine. I make sure she is fed when I wake up and before bed. I clean her litter box when I have time. She also likes to hang out with me and my roommates when we are downstairs,” said Clothier. 

Clothier also finds that having her cat around helps bring other students together. 

“My roommates love having her around, and people love coming and meeting her,” said Clothier. 

There are various responsibilities associated with owning a pet on campus. Students have to balance their lifestyle to make their cat and themselves feel comfortable. 

Junior Mia Acevedo, a health and science communications major, describes her life with her one-year-old cat named Moose, who is her ESA. 

“I feel like it’s pretty easy [owning a pet]. I feel like, because when I got him, I was in my sophomore year, so I feel like we kind of figured it out together, and it was like he had gotten used to the times I get to be there and the times I go to work and come back. So it’s like we both figured something out,” said Acevedo. 

Pets are not always easy, and students realize that the majority of their time will revolve around their pet. Pets are unpredictable, and life is unpredictable, and students realize how challenging that can be. 

“I feel like everything I do revolves around him, which is really funny to say. Even like my room, it’s literally made for him. I have a tower in the closet, a tower out here [her room], a tower in the living room, [and] two beds. I feel like he really keeps me on my toes cause I feed him twice a day, and he knows the time that I feed him, so he’ll sometimes wake me up beforehand or when the alarm goes off,” said Acevedo. 

In the world right now, with prices of everything going up, college students realize that it can even be challenging to afford supplies for their pets. Over the past year, prices for dogs and cats have jumped up to 20% since 2022. 

“Pet food has seen a bigger price jump than medical care, electricity, and even groceries. In some Atlanta-area pet stores, dog owners are paying close to $100 for a 25-pound bag of food,” CBS News reported in an article on pet food prices.

As college students realize this, some wish they knew how this could affect them. 

“I realize how expensive cat food can be on a budget. Having to budget for food and litter can be hard,” said Clothier. 

Despite the hardships of owning a pet, it can be rewarding with the idea of coming back to an apartment and seeing a cute face waiting for you to come back. 

“My favorite thing is that he does this one thing, and I recorded it multiple times because people don’t believe me,” said Acevedo. “Is that he’ll hear me from like down the hall, and I guess it’s my keys or the way I walk, but he’ll hear me, and the second I open the door, he’ll go ‘meow meow’ and greet me at the door like a dog would. I am so glad I brought him.”

Pets often bring so much comfort, and students sometimes need that happiness and companionship in their lives. College can be a difficult time, and with a pet, it can make things better. 

“She [Cookie] is very sweet and greets me, and I love sitting down with her after classes because she is so loving and cuddly,” said Clothier.

Rowan students find it beneficial that the university allows college students to bring their ESA on campus and help students who are in need of support. Some advice from Acevedo is how aware you need to be when owning a pet on campus.

“I will say just get ready for any little thing that happens with either they damage something or you have to clean something up, especially if you have roommates … Just be prepared for any little thing that may happen because you never know,” said Acevedo. 

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