Whilst you are at University, it’s easy to forget the cute and fluffy things in your life; namely your pets from home. We at the Soton Tab say why wait anxiously for university holidays to be reunited? Being a real grown up now surely means you can justify having your own pets? Everybody needs something to love!
5. African Pygmy Hedgehog
These little bundles of joy are domesticated versions of the thing that used to wander into you garden late at night. They can be bought online for around £100 from registered breeders and they live in a hamster cage. The more they like you the less they curl up into a little ball when you handle them. They eat meal worms which you can buy freeze dried from pet stores and they nest in the most adorable fashion. Not convinced? Check them out .
4. Rats
Plenty of choice on how to house these critters, you can either keep them in a wire cage with bedding and sawdust or you can simply not clean your kitchen for a few months and wait for them to show up. Contrary to popular belief, rats are not dirty animals but adaptable to horrid environments. You can go albino or keep it real with a brown coloured rat. Either are very friendly and sociable animals once you get over them running under your floorboards.
3. Fish
Clearly the easiest animals to not kill look after. They operate as both a pet and a decoration. Feeling extravagant? Why not buy a filter etc so that you can have little nemos and baby sharks. WARNING: Baby sharks will probably eat the nemos….. Top tip with fish is to make sure you buy a snail for the tank also. The snail eats all of the algae and fish poo and helps keep it cleaner for longer.
2. Rabbits
Rabbits are the most endearing of all the pets that students can afford to keep. They live for up to 5 years (some longer) and they are cuddly and adorable, making them a complete babe magnet. Rabbits ideally need to be kept inside as thanks to ongoing season change and lack of sheds in student houses, outside is a bit too cold for them. A bunny will function really well in your bedroom as long as it has a cage filled with hay and sawdust for nesting, plenty of food/water and a owner that is ready and willing to let it out to hop around. A bunny is for life not just for University however, so make sure you are 100% able to commit to its welfare for the next couple of years before purchasing.
1. Hamsters
The ultimate student pet has to be a hamster. Hamsters come in various different breeds with various different requirements from their owners. Syrian Hamsters are ideal as they grow big, friendly and are territorial animals that don’t require a mate. Roborovski Hamsters are super fast, super small and super cute but beware they do fight with each other and are very skittish. Chinese Hamsters are also a good shout, but they are climbers that like to be sociable and therefore require lots of toys, lots of love and lots friends in order to be happy. Hamsters are hardy little animals that can be stroked and cuddled, but they require handling and love in order to be friendly.
Have you got a pet at University? What is your number one furry friend? Let us know in the comments section below!
What about cats?
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i have 2 russian dwarfs, they are literally the best animal ever <3
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My hamster has PTSD
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Does a Solent student living with you count?
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Very very surprised snakes aren’t on this list…
Only need feeding once every 10 days, piss easy to clean, no fur, and serve as decoration purposes.
How are they not the perfect student pet?!
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They can also eat most of the other pets on the list if they happen to escape their cages!
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Yeah, especially if you buy a baby corn snake. They’re so easy to look after, and you can easily hide the tank if the landlord comes round.
And so gosh darn cute. :3
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Aha yeh, i’ve got a 2 year old one at uni here, and told my landlord about him so it’s all good.
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I have a pet cock, once a week I go to Jesters to ‘feed’ it…
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Cocky indeed…
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Just spent ~20 mins watching videos of baby hedgehogs on youtube. Brilliant procrastination.
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I have crabs, they are small, cheep and collectable
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I have two fancy rats and let them roam free in my house.
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Actually, rabbits can live up to 10 years, are a major commitment and need a lot of social interaction, which is why it is recommended they be kept in pairs. They need a lot of space to run around in, most hutches/cages are hugely insufficient in size. They will also need cleaning out 3-5 times a week. They produce a lot of poop which you will probably find all over your room. They may also try and dig up your carpet, they’ll probably chew any wooden furniture and your books. They can be kept inside or outside but you shouldn’t keep moving them between the two- they grow a thicker coat if kept outside and can overheat inside.
They are a major financial investment, if you keep them in your bedroom you will need to rabbit proof it- they WILL chew through any wires they can get to. Sawdust isn’t recommended either as a main bedding material- straw is much better.
Their diet should be 80% hay, they need toys and stimulation otherwise they’ll be bored, which is cruel. The rest of their diet should be pellets and some veggies.
It is recommended that rabbits are spayed/neutered for their health and they’ll need inoculations too, even if they’re not kept outside.
For more information please see here: http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/
Rabbits are NOT “easy” pets and there are thousands dumped at rescue centres every year after people buy them thinking they’re “easy” to look after. They aren’t. If you’re not prepared to commit to an animal that needs a lot of love, attenuation and space for ~10 years then don’t get one!
Alternatively, a rampant rabbit only needs some AAAs, you can keep it in a drawer and only play with it when you want.
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I like the sound of a rat. My landlady for next year doesn’t like animals in the house though, so I shall have to wait
My boyfriend is leaving university soon though and he wants a cat, so I guess I’ll have a cat with him 
I think cats are a good example too, as they love you if you feed them and stroke them when they want to, they’re very independent (like students really!)
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Rats require very large cages, have to be kept in pairs or groups and require a LOT of attention. Also, sawdust has been suggested as a cause of respiratory problems in rats. For these reasons I would not recommend rats in a student house, although they make excellent pets, they are a big commitment.
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