Adopting a Pet

[clehman13]

Hey all,

I'm not sure if this is out of place, but if it is, mods feel free to take down this thread. I was thinking about adopting an older cat in my first or second year of the program. I figured that they are a bit more independent than a dog. My parents had cats and dogs when I was growing up and the cats have always been way easier to care for. I figured an older cat is normally less likely to be adopted and plus they would be significantly less energetic than a younger cat. Any thoughts? How difficult is it to manage graduate school and having a pet?

[PsyDuck90]

I would start the program and then see how you feel. Even though they need less attention, cats do still need some. And also, graduate students are usually on a very strict income. Cat food, litter, vet visits, etc can add up. See what your schedule and budget are like the 1st year, and if you think you have the time and money to care for a cat, go for it! This is especially true if you end up wanting to live with roommates to save money (some may have allergies, buildings may not allow pets, etc.). 

[clehman13]

4 minutes ago, PsyDGrad90 said:

I would start the program and then see how you feel. Even though they need less attention, cats do still need some. And also, graduate students are usually on a very strict income. Cat food, litter, vet visits, etc can add up. See what your schedule and budget are like the 1st year, and if you think you have the time and money to care for a cat, go for it! This is especially true if you end up wanting to live with roommates to save money (some may have allergies, buildings may not allow pets, etc.). 

Yea the budgeting part was the thing I was most concerned about. You are completely right that I should probably get a feel for more work load. And I will definitely check in with roommates before making my decision.

[MathCat]

I adopted a somewhat old cat 2 years into my PhD (she was around 6). There's the obvious things to worry about: finding housing that accommodates pets, including roommates that you trust with your pet, and necessities such as food, litter, toys, etc. But you should also consider pet insurance, especially if you plan on adopting an older animal (which I think is a good idea, as younger cats require a lot more play time. I wouldn't ever consider a kitten as a graduate student.) Pet insurance does not cover routine costs, but is totally worth it for the unexpected emergencies - and older cats will have them at some point, and can easily cost over $1000 if tests like x-rays or ultrasounds are required. I've had good experiences with Healthy Paws pet insurance.

For routine costs, if you're in the US and there are any locations nearby, Banfield pet hospital has a wellness plan you can pay for which is really good value - I pay about $50 per month. For this, all visit fees are waived (about $60 saved per visit I think), vaccinations are free and flea and other parasite preventative medicine is included. They also include two comprehensive physical exams per year, as well as one tooth cleaning. I believe there is a cheaper plan that doesn't have the annual dental cleaning. 

As an advanced PhD student, it is somewhat inconvenient to have a pet, as I have to find somebody to care for her whenever I'm away at conferences. But overall she has been very good for my mental health, and I do not at all regret adopting her. I do spend close to $200/mo. on the cat, including the insurance and wellness plans, but I feed her pretty expensive food. If my budget required it, I think I could do it for under $125/mo.

I do recommend waiting a year to see how things are going before making any decisions.