It’s common knowledge that animal lovers at Elon are typically disappointed to know that on-campus housing only allows the keeping of fish as pets.
But for some students, off-campus housing is a prime opportunity to enjoy all the comfort that a home offers, including the chance to have various types of pets.
“Having an animal is great because you know there’s always something there that depends on you and will love you unconditionally,” said sophomore Kristi Oristian, who lives off-campus with her rabbit, Lumpy (both pictured above).
Oristian received Lumpy as a present for her 18th birthday before she came to college. Her mother took care of the rabbit for her during her freshman year, but Oristian decided to bring her pet to live with her as soon as she got her own living space.
Though she said taking care of Lumpy on top of being in school can be hard work, Oristian sees it as a small price to pay.
“[Doing the work] is natural for me because I’ve grown up with animals, so it feels like a joy rather than a responsibility,” she said. “But you have to factor in that if I’m having a busy night, I still have to go to the store and get her food. I have to make sure she’s a priority.”
Students with pets tend to cite responsibility as the number one factor in determining whether or not to get an animal. Junior Lindsay Richards brought her 13-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, Casey, to live with her at school and has to check up on her periodically throughout the day to let her outside, feed her and give her medicine.
“It’s like having a part time job because having a pet makes you manage your time,” Richards said. “You’re not just keeping yourself alive, you’re keeping another living being alive. It teaches you to be a little more selfless and that you can’t just function on your own clock.”
Richards’ roommate, junior Roger Gant, also has a pet – a cat named Diesel, who he jokingly calls Ninja because of his black coat.
“I love having a cat because I like having something cuddly to pet,” Gant said. “He’ll even come and sit with me while I do homework.”
Diesel originally belonged to one of Gant’s former roommates from a different living situation who never took care of the cat, Gant said, which is why he believes knowing the responsibility associated with having a pet is extremely important.
“My roommate didn’t want to take responsibility for this animal, and luckily I was there to (adopt) him,” Gant said. “I feel like the whole stray cat population at Elon is due to people not being able to take care of their pets.”
But Oristian said that as long as students understand what they’re getting themselves into, the right person having a pet can be a really positive experience.
“It’s a great stress relief,” she said. “A pet won’t judge you and will always listen, and that’s something a lot of college students struggle with because they don’t always have an outlet for talking to someone.”
Plus, animal owners often build some of their fondest memories through fun times they’ve experienced with their pet, and Richards said she has plenty of memories with Casey.
“As a puppy, Casey used to love jumping up on our trampoline,” she said. “She would sit in the middle and she would bounce around like a kid as (my siblings and I) jumped around. She would get so excited.”
And for Richards, the loyal bond between her and Casey is the thing she treasures most of all.
“I once heard that the power of a dog’s jaw could break all the bones in your hand, but they choose not to do that,” she said. “They’re more powerful than us but they’re loyal friends, and I think that’s special.”