After graduating from college, is it a good time to get a pet?

It depends what pet and what you do for a job? Some need a lot of loking after… dogs in particular but if you fancy low maintenace you could get a fish!

i dont know why everyone seems to think fish are low maintenance. They have a lot more care requirements than most think.

As a person who works with animals for a living, here is my two cents. Look at your current job, and look at your free time. When you come home, do you stay there? Are you a social creature who goes out all the time? These are questions to ask yourself before you get a pet. A cat is somewhat low maintenance, and you can leave for the night if you go out with friends. Dogs need a LOT of attention and care, and if you aren’t committed to it, there are already too many dogs in shelters for this reason. Plus, vet care is expensive….so be sure to know what you are getting into beforehand. Pets are wonderful assets to our lives, just make sure you get one that is condusive to your lifestyle and you can commit care for. Best of luck :)

I got my first personal pet (other than the fish I had in my dorm room that my roommates’ cat eventually ate) when I got my first “real” job (and actually my last one – I retired from it in 2002). I had a big enough paycheck to cover vet fees, and I really didn’t go anywhere but to work for 8 hours and then home for 16, so I took in two kittens. I seriously thought about it before I made the commitment, but I went ahead and I am glad I did. They were with me until about the time I retired.

However, I didn’t get involved with dogs until I was married, in a house I knew we would stay in for a long time, and had children old enough to ask for a dog. About that time my husband retired on disability so someone was always home with the dog (and later the dogs – they are somewhat like potato chips in that you can’t have just one) and I could get a break from the kids in the evening by taking the dog for a walk.

We also had and have plans for what if we go out of town (the dogs love the local dog hotel) and even what we need to do if there is a hurricane that requires us to evacuate (yes, all the animals and their cages will fit in the truck so we can go to Austin).

Note: my roommates back in college did what many college students did. When summer came they abandoned their cat. I took her home to my parents’ house and found a home for her. My roommates were idiots.

In summary, look at your lifestyle to determine whether it is time yet to get a pet. Can the animal depend on you for companionship, care and food? Do you know realistically what you are going to do with the pet if you are going out of town for a few days? Do you have an evacuation plan that includes your animals, in case of fire or flood or other disaster? If you have good solid answers to those questions then it may be the time to get a pet.

I would give it 6 months after getting a job before having a pet, not necessarily graduating from college. It is irresponsible to get a pet without having the money to support its needs. Beyond that though, pets aren’t necessarily a good thing for everyone, and there are many types of different pets that can suit different lifestyles beyond just cat or dog.

I myself had reptiles throughout university and have added two to the family for a total of four. I have a lifestyle that doesn’t leave me going away for long periods of time, which is appropriate because reptiles need to be fed fresh food. They are cool dudettes and dude, I enjoy having them around and people always get a kick out of holding and feeding them. I don’t regret any part of their ownership even though I do get pissed off when their lightbulbs burn out, those are a bit pricey and spontaneous.

Hm, I don’t know. I don’t see what being in college has to do with having a pet…I guess you couldn’t own a dog, since they require a lot more contact than cats.
We got our cats without much thought. I knew what went into the care of them, we had the funds to care for them (pre-having a child), and we were prepared for the responsibility.
I think if you know nothing about the animal, then don’t go and get one. Do research first. See how much they need to eat, need to be taken out/litter box changed, the basic vet cost for things like vaccines. If you can’t afford that, or provide the time it needs…then don’t get a pet.

We did give a dog away because we were both working, and I was in school and we could never get the dog out when he needed to, or give him the basic care he needed. It was a heart wrenching decision, that I wish we would have thought through. not getting the dog, but the giving him away part

For me, it depends on how serious your commitment to the pet is. You cannot get a pet if you would consider getting rid of it if it was inconvenient.

For example, ask yourself if you are willing to make the extra effort and absorb the extra cost to own a pet in a rental place.

What if you employer wants to transfer you? Are you willing to take the pet?

You should never get a pet unless you are willing to make a lifelong commitment for your pet’s life, which could easily be 15–20 years!

Unwavering love will be your reward, but you need to weigh the trade offs.

It depends on whether you have the resources to take care of a pet for the rest of it’s life. It isn’t fair to the pet or yourself to get a pet on a temporary basis, unless you are doing a volunteer service with guide dogs or rescue animals which you take into your home as a foster care giver until a permanent home is found.

Wait. You get paid by soliciting other people’s stories, ideas and memories, and then synthesizing them for you own purposes? What exactly would be in it for me to give you the benefit of my knowledge and experience?

pdworkin: Not to worry. If you don’t want to share what you know to help out other people, you don’t need to—though it does seem rather odd to find you on this site, then. But if you do share, you could possibly get quoted in an article (like the young woman who was happy to share her story recently for my column) and maybe even get others quoted who will appreciate the exposure (like a favorite animal charity or rescue or, as in the case of this young woman, her employer was thrilled to be mentioned and even get a link from the article).

I don’t take people’s stories and sell them—I take concepts and advice, quote and highlight significant portions, sometimes do deeper research based on the results, then formulate informative articles that readers will be able to immediately apply to make their lives better, and give full credit to those who shared.

Thousands of journalists seek out stories, tips, ideas, and advice every day to help fill out their publications, add a personal touch, and lend credibility to the information they provide. If you’re not familiar with HARO (Help a Reporter Out, www.helpareporter.com), you can see for yourself what goes on to give you the news you read, see, and listen to every day. Sign up as a ‘source’ and you’ll see what I mean. It might be a real eye-opener.

I share with other Fluther users. I don’t share with Fluther user users.

To each his own! Isn’t freedom grand?

It sure looks like a good deal for you!

Truth be told, my efforts in writing for Examiner aren’t worth it when looked at from a purely financial perspective. Columnists get paid a penny per pageview. My most popular article in my first three weeks on the site got about 350 views. That’s a whopping $3.50.

Considering the time it takes to think up appropriate topics, do research, write/edit/proofread, then find a photo and format the whole thing, I might have made a buck-and-a-quarter per hour on that one.

The benefits for me are not monetary; they’re helping new grads navigate the real world of work and independent living with less stress and more smarts…and hearing their success stories afterward.

Best wishes for your college and grad school efforts.

@realsolutions I apologize. You sound reasonable, and I believe you. I do object in principle and generally to people who come here to troll for answers for remunerative use.

So, tell us what you really think, @pdworkin.

@pdworkin: Not a problem. You’re keeping me on my toes. You know, you obviously have a passion and you write better than most people found on online discussion groups.

This may sound silly after revealing the paltry sum I’m making with my column, but you may want to consider becoming an Examiner yourself! (or starting a blog, if you don’t already have one) Here’s why: if you were to start now and write about something related to your work passion, by the time you graduate, you could have quite a nice portfolio demonstrating your work, your research, and your insights, which would be a big help when you look for a job after graduation. Heck, put it all together and you’ll have a book!

If you want to apply, go to Examiner.com, click on Write for Us, and choose your city and topic (or create your own niche, which might be even better). At the bottom of the application page, they ask who referred you (Find Your Examiner). I’d love for you to enter my ID # 16337 and then click on my name, Kathryn Marion. That will give your application faster and more serious consideration. And, yes, in the spirit of full disclosure (which I always tell people I refer), they do offer a small ‘finder’s fee’ for referring people who are selected as new Examiners.

The site is ranked around #600 in Alexa so it’s an incredible opportunity for anyone who wants to essentially blog without cost or HTML skills and gain national exposure, professional credibility…oh, and a few pennies, too. I can tell you’re a motivated person and have a lot to share, so I hope you’ll consider it!

Don’t get a dog or cat until you are ready to make a 10–15 year commitment. Shelters are already full with pets that have become bothersome, troublesome, cumbersome.

@asmonet I really think you should check timestamps before jumping to invidious conclusions,

Ha, pets…I got a baby out of my uterus right after college…:)though I have pets…always had pets…multiple ones

@realsolutions Thanks for the flattering invitation.

Well, if you break into the house, and go into the dining room (which is a hodgepodge of auction and inherited furniture all by itself), you’ll see, next to the bay windows, a desk. If you were to open that desk, and look through the drawers, you would find some interesting things. There’s a coin collection—organized by country (nothing very valuable). There is a bunch of computer crap. DVDs. Some jacks and dice. And if you look in the lower lefthand drawer (assuming it isn’t too stuffed to be pulled out), you will find a collection of toilet paper from all over the world. Ok. Not the world, just Europe, circa 1972.

I have no idea what that will tell you about me. However, if you come up to my office, you might see a bunch of Soviet posters, various odd pictures, a science fiction collection, photos from years and years back, a fake whale tusk, some native American pottery, various geodes and quartz, a chinese monk (carved in wood), a bunch of plants including an orchid, an empty bottle that used to hold some vile Chinese liquor, an old Panama Hat (somewhat flattened), and a horsehoe crab shell.

Dunno what that would tell you about me, but there it is.

@pdworkin: I was on both threads while they were live, I have no need for timestamps on Fluther, not to mention the fact that they don’t exist.

Then don’t make ugly imputations that you know are false.

@asmonet – Actually, if you hover your mouse just to the right of the flag, the Permalink text will come up, telling you how old a response is. That’s pretty much a time stamp in my opinion.

@Darwin: Huh, that must be fairly new as obviously I’ve been absent recently and have missed some minor changes. Still, they appeared concurrent on my side the way the site was updating for me in Chrome, as it showed on my screen they appeared roughly at the same time.

And they both say four hours ago for me at the moment – with a hard refresh, so my point stands.

I think @daloon got lost.

So, no apology?How disingenuous of you.

@Darwin thats pretty bitchin, never realized that.

@uberbatman – It’s a relatively new feature. Someone told me about it but I don’t remember who.

@pdworkin: How is that disingenuous? That word as far as I’m concerned does not apply, as the time stamps both show the same time frame, in addition to having attitude of their own. I addressed what I saw frankly and did not insult you. I have no reason to apologize to you.

I’m glad you have revealed yourself. It’s good to know whom to avoid on these sites.

You’re ridiculous. :)

That sounds like an attack, despite the smiley.

[mod says] Take the off-topic discussion to PMs please. Lets get back to the topic at hand. Thanks!

A pet is always good for the human psyche. If you want one, make it happen, and don’t listen to anyone else but yourself.

Thanks for all the input today, folks. The concensus is to think hard, think ahead, and make a decision that’s right for you as well as for the lifetime of the pet. I’ve volunteered at a local shelter before and seen things firsthand when pets get dumped. I hope my articles will help keep at least a few dogs and cats from getting purchased/adopted by college students or young professionals only to abandoned soon after due to ‘inconvenience.’

@casheroo – ”“I think @daloon got lost.” – I am glad you said that, I thought maybe it was me cuz I couldn’t make heads or tails out of that response!

Yikes! How did that happen? Right answer, wrong question. Weird!

But you still got lurve for it.

@Darwin Weirder and weirder!