Adopting a pet as a master's student?

[Puffer Fish]

I've seen some older threads on this, but they're all related to dogs. I'd like some newer inputs I guess. I'm hopefully going to start my program in Fall 2016 (knock on wood), and provided my life doesn't explode I'm looking forward to maybe adopting a cat to help keep me sane while I'm away at school. I already know I won't be adopting a kitten unless I find one on the street or something. Adult cats are the way for me to go right now.

 

Do you think it's a safe and sane idea to have a cat in grad school as a first time pet parent since childhood?

 

How does your schedule affect how you interact with it? How do you afford its care? Would you get one that does fine being an "only child", or adopt more than one? ...How do you even deal with having two or more cats at once if you live alone? I'd feel like a crazy cat lady if I got two, even if it would make me super happy.

 

If you're not a cat person, same questions apply but with your pet of choice!

[rising_star]

My advice to master's students (or really anyone doing it for the first time) is to see if you can foster for a rescue group so that you aren't fully responsible for the vet bills and food costs.

[WriteAndKnit]

I adopted my bonkers kitten last year, and we're doing quite well

 

My roommate is already owned by a six-year-old male cat, so my criteria was young and female. I fell in love with a tiny calico kitten who is full of sass.

 

Between the two of us, the cats aren't alone for more than a few hours at a time. They both have free reign of the house, use each other's litter boxes, and roommate's cat would eat my cat's food if we'd let him (he was a barn kitten and tends toward gluttony). She holds her own in a wrestling match. 

 

Expenses aren't too much, really -- both cats get a slightly pricier food, mostly because roommate's cat has to get a particular kind (and this way they taste similar enough that, if the human dishing out food drops a kibble or two, one of the cats will eat it), but that averages $10-15 a month. I make toys for both of them and will occasionally buy another package of crinkle balls or ping-pong balls; otherwise, they play with everything. The kitten LOVES crumpled paper. Vet checkups without vaccines are around $50, and with vaccines around $100 (a few times a year). What I do for vet visits (and the initial supply runs) is figure out the basic expected cost and double that as my limit. 

 

Tessie (the kitten) was my first pet ever. We've had some adjustments, mostly learning each other's language, but we do well. She'll snuggle sometimes and frequently stalks me. I usually wake up with a toy next to my pillow, even if waking up to a kitten purring next to me isn't a daily occurrence. Though, on the latter, it IS August. I pick on her, she tries to steal my food, we're pals. She's still kitteny enough to be bonkers, and sassy enough that we WILL sit and judge the neighbors together.

 

 

I would suggest going through the SPCA/county shelter. My SPCA has a cat "wing" -- four rooms connected by a closed-off hallway and another room across the open hall. 

[MangoSmoothie]

I'm in the same boat! I haven't started my program yet, but I'll be beginning this fall, and I've been petless since moving out of my parent's house 7 years ago. I love cats, and my childhood cats are still living with my parents, but it would be cruel to split them up and move them to a much smaller place, so this will be my first time as a pet-owner myself. I also don't want kittens but an adult cat, since they're a bit more mellow and can be more independent.

 

My concern is not with time, but with money. Monthly costs and annual vet bills are not too prohibitive, but I don't want to get my own cat now because if it falls seriously ill, I would be put through a lot of financial strain to afford vet costs. When I was 19, one of my cats suddenly became very ill, enough to warrant an emergency vet visit at 11pm on a Saturday night, and my parents didn't have the money to pay for treatment or even diagnostic procedures, so I ended up getting a CareCredit card for vet bills. This worked well, but the cost was high (almost a grand) for my guy and was creeping higher. Ultimately he had a very serious disease and didn't even make it to surgery. The vet at that point was not too optimistic it would have helped anyway. We were able to pay off the card within a year to avoid interest payments, but I'm not sure that's something I could do during grad school. Of course, I would do anything possible for a cat of mine that falls ill. Maybe a grand doesn't seem like a lot in bills for a cat, but it was for us, and I told myself that if I can't plan for a reasonable amount of unexpected vet costs (which to me would be at least a grand), I wouldn't get a cat of my own. I have many friends as well who have just not gotten care for their pets because of the expense, and I don't want to do that to an animal.

 

So, I have decided not to adopt because of this. It's not something I expect everyone to adhere too, but it's something I would think about.
However, like rising_star said, consider fostering! I actually applied to a local shelter and was accepted to foster! They're very excited to have me, because I want to foster older cats, and there's never too many foster "parents." I should be fostering senior cats that are having trouble finding homes because of their age (12-14+years old). Fostering is a great opportunity, because you're not responsible for vet costs, and you might not be responsible for food/litter. The center I'm going through will pay for food and litter costs, but ones I had considered in my current city only covered vet bills and asked fosters to pay for food/litter. Even if you think your apartment is small too, it's still much bigger than the cages they're housed in. All you need to do is provide a safe environment and socialize with the cat daily. I've seen at least an hour a day recommended, which I don't think is a problem. You may also need to transport the cat to adoption events. If you're nervous because of either the time/money of cat ownership, it could be a good start. If you end up falling in love with the cat you're fostering, you usually have first preference to adopt it as well. 

 

I'm in the same field as you, and between class and clinic, I'm planning on being out of the house for at least 10-12 hours a day. This is a lot of time for a cat to be alone, but older cats can be fine with it. If you adopt, the centers usually list bios, and you can see if there's a cat's bio that matches your lifestyle. And think of it this way too: cats sleep, a lot. But if you're really concerned about the cat being lonely, consider adopting an adult, bonded pair. They're typically harder to adopt out, because most adopters are not looking for two cats. I actually almost just adopted a bonded pair I came across recently, but knew my situation wasn't right for them right now (moving three times in a month, finances), so I didn't go for it. I think living alone with two cats is fine, if the cats get along; they'll keep each other company when you're gone. It's not crazy at all.

 

So short answer: yes, you can do it! It's not crazy, but I would look into fostering, and make sure you consider the financial costs (expected and unexpected) if you adopt a cat. I've lived alone for six years, and I'm excited to have a cat to keep me company in my apartment.

[shadowclaw]

There's lots of good advice here! I've personally never fostered, but it sounds like a good idea for someone who's never had a cat or hasn't had one since they were a little kid.

Cats are a pretty good choice for a grad student compared to dogs, since they can be left alone without you worrying if they are going to have an accident on your floor if you're out too long. They also do a lot of sleeping during the day, which means they won't be feeling lonely while you're in class and will be alert and playful when you get home. They also love free toys (foil balls, boxes, etc).

I haven't found cats to be very costly, either, but that's really luck of the draw. Food-wise, I think they're pretty affordable, and litter isn't too expensive, either. We probably spend $40 each month on food and litter for two cats, and we get pricier food and litter. Annual vet checkups will probably run you around $50, depending on where you live and the vet office you're visiting. A little more when you need to get a vaccine. The luck part is with their health. I've had cats since I was born, and in all those years, the only serious vet visits were for one urinary tract infection and one case of heat exhaustion (my indoor cat escaped from the house on a 90+ degree day), neither of which were costly. However, I know people who have had vet bills over $1000. So you never know.

[_kita]

I have two cats. I had them before my master's program began, and I wouldn't be okay without them. The money is less of an issue for me since it is maintenance and not the initial costs. 

 

Monthly costs:

Food: $30 (for the good stuff)

Liter: $20

Additional fun stuff for them: $20

Pet apartment fee: $15

 

Yearly: vaccine upkeep $35

 

Initial cost was a lot more though. Probably aboutt $1000. Cat tree (got a big one), brush, toys, all food and cat box stuff, automated water fountain (gets them to drink more), Initial vaccinations, etc.

 

Honestly, the time commitment is more of an issue. I adore them both, but have very socially needy cats. They need at least 20-30 minutes each to play, or else they'll keep me up all night. And, days I get home at 8 pm they're really wound up. Even right now, one of them has climbed onto my back to sleep because she hasn't gotten enough 1:1 time today. I love it, but when people talk about independence, still be sure you can give them the loving time and affection they need.

[random_grad]

If you have trouble sleeping, think twice before getting a cat. For me it has been a difficult balance to keep the cat happy so that he doesn t yowl at night. Sure, he s sweet and all during the day, but my sleep has never been the same. This will seriously be the last cat I have unless I own a house one day where I can separate cat and bedroom in a soundproof manner at night.

Vet bills can be very high but friends can help. We crowdsourced among friends for friends' cats in trouble several times. Otherwise monthly expenses are not too high.

The main issue as a master s student will be how you transport the cat once you re done. What if you get into a phd where cost of living in the city is so high that you d have to live in residence where they don t allow pets? Is the 1-2 years really worth getting into a long-term pet relationship? Maybe there are other means of relaxing at the same price? This is a huge commitment, surpassed only by kids.

Edited August 12, 2015 by random_grad

[MathCat]

I wouldn't get a cat in grad school at all, and definitely not in a masters when it's just a year or two. As random_grad says - what happens when you're done? There's too much up in the air still, you're not settled yet.

 

I've grown up with cats (2-3 cats in the house at at time for the most part) and really love having them, but I've also experienced a number of vet emergencies - as in rushing the cat to the vet late at night because he could hardly breathe. It can be extremely expensive. My family has vet insurance, so we get 80% of the costs back, but we still have to shell it all out upfront. I think it's irresponsible to get a pet that you couldn't afford to get care for if needed - and this can be in the thousands of dollars. Putting a pet down because you couldn't afford to treat it is terrible. There can also be significant time commitments in treating a sick pet. One of ours recently had an infection, and we had to give him antibiotics every 8 hours for a week. That would be pretty difficult on a student schedule.

 

It's also not just about expenses - cats tend to hide that they're unwell until they no longer can, so you tend to not get a lot of warning that you need to take them to the vet. It could happen in the middle of finals week or quals or something, which would be very disruptive and stressful. Also, as random_grad said, some cats can be hard to sleep with. Our youngest cat will sleep quietly if you let him on your bed, but starts screaming to be fed every single morning at 7. It drives me nuts and I would definitely not want this experience in grad school - and it's hard to tell how the cat is going to behave until you've adopted them.

[Puffer Fish]

The main issue as a master s student will be how you transport the cat once you re done. What if you get into a phd where cost of living in the city is so high that you d have to live in residence where they don t allow pets? Is the 1-2 years really worth getting into a long-term pet relationship? Maybe there are other means of relaxing at the same price? This is a huge commitment, surpassed only by kids.

 

 

I wouldn't get a cat in grad school at all, and definitely not in a masters when it's just a year or two. As random_grad says - what happens when you're done? There's too much up in the air still, you're not settled yet.

 

 

I was planning on getting cats even after grad school, actually. I am 100% a cat mom at heart. Cats, not human children, are definitely in my personal future whether it's when I'm in school or when I move in with my boyfriend after we're both done with school. This isn't a 'getting a cat because I'm in grad school' sort of issue for me; sorry if I didn't make that clear before! I am absolutely planning on moving the cat(s) with me if I have to move post-master's.

 

As for the whole PhD argument, my field does not require a PhD unless you plan on teaching at a college level. Since I plan on practicing, I don't need to bother with a PhD right now. My program is 2 years of a master's degree, then 1 year of clinical fellowship placement. It is possible that my CFY could be in the same city. So it would be 3 years instead of 1-2. Not much different but it's still significant enough for me.

 

I need to discuss finances more with my parents, I guess. I am extremely grateful and humbled by the fact that they're willing to help me pay for school. I need to find out what they're willing to pay for and if my own savings will cover a cat's potential emergencies and cat accessories.

[MathCat]

I was planning on getting cats even after grad school, actually. I am 100% a cat mom at heart. Cats, not human children, are definitely in my personal future whether it's when I'm in school or when I move in with my boyfriend after we're both done with school. This isn't a 'getting a cat because I'm in grad school' sort of issue for me; sorry if I didn't make that clear before! I am absolutely planning on moving the cat(s) with me if I have to move post-master's.

 

As for the whole PhD argument, my field does not require a PhD unless you plan on teaching at a college level. Since I plan on practicing, I don't need to bother with a PhD right now. My program is 2 years of a master's degree, then 1 year of clinical fellowship placement. It is possible that my CFY could be in the same city. So it would be 3 years instead of 1-2. Not much different but it's still significant enough for me.

 

I need to discuss finances more with my parents, I guess. I am extremely grateful and humbled by the fact that they're willing to help me pay for school. I need to find out what they're willing to pay for and if my own savings will cover a cat's potential emergencies and cat accessories.

I didn't mean that you're getting it because you're going to grad school. I fully intend to get a cat once I'm settled somewhere more permanently, but not while I'm a student (and probably not as a post doc either, assuming that works out). Whether or not you're going for a PhD after is irrelevant - the point is that you don't know what will come next, how your finances will be, and if it will be possible to bring the pet with you (glad to hear you plan to, but you can't control all factors). Abandoning a pet can really traumatize them, so I wouldn't get one unless I was quite certain that wouldn't happen.

 

I don't intend to get a cat as a student for the following reasons: 1) I can't be certain that I can afford the time and money to care for them if they get sick, 2) I can't be certain I can bring them with me wherever I go after my degree (may be another country, and bringing a pet across borders is not easy), and 3) They can be very disruptive and time consuming (I love them, but sometimes you wish they'd just go nap so you can work!). I'm sure I will miss having pets at times, but I really couldn't get a pet given the first two reasons.

[shadowclaw]

I didn't mean that you're getting it because you're going to grad school. I fully intend to get a cat once I'm settled somewhere more permanently, but not while I'm a student (and probably not as a post doc either, assuming that works out). Whether or not you're going for a PhD after is irrelevant - the point is that you don't know what will come next, how your finances will be, and if it will be possible to bring the pet with you (glad to hear you plan to, but you can't control all factors). Abandoning a pet can really traumatize them, so I wouldn't get one unless I was quite certain that wouldn't happen.

 

I don't intend to get a cat as a student for the following reasons: 1) I can't be certain that I can afford the time and money to care for them if they get sick, 2) I can't be certain I can bring them with me wherever I go after my degree (may be another country, and bringing a pet across borders is not easy), and 3) They can be very disruptive and time consuming (I love them, but sometimes you wish they'd just go nap so you can work!). I'm sure I will miss having pets at times, but I really couldn't get a pet given the first two reasons.

I think #2 is highly dependent on the person. You sound like you have a specific plan in mind to get to your career goal and that plan might involve living somewhere where you can't have pets. Other people (like myself) don't have a set plan and take things one step at a time... and if at one of the steps I have to choose between an amazing opportunity and my cats, I'm going to choose my cats. That's ok for me, because I love my cats and I love having companion animals. When applying to PhD programs, I made sure to apply to programs in places that I knew I could find pet-friendly housing. I also made sure they were places conducive to having children in case we decide to start a family during my program (or something happens... because sometimes they do). The same will happen when I go looking for a job.

To me, the OP sounds like he/she is fine with making those kinds of sacrifices for pets. If there is an opportunity in a city where pets just aren't an option, he/she will have to pass it up. As long as he/she is willing to do that, then there's nothing to worry about in terms of commitment.

Now # 1 and 3 are a different story, but as far as cat personalities go, if you are adopting, you can get a good idea of that prior to bringing the cat home and you can pick one that isn't too needy.

[Nanolol]

Ooooh, a question right up my alley! I'm starting my PhD at a vet college, because I want to become a researcher of pet health. Also, I work in the veterinary industry and have cats of my own. While I have no real opinion in any case (ie not going to tell you one thing or another), I hope the following questions can help the OP!
 

Re: getting a cat as a Master's student - consider:

 

1) Do you plan on relocating after you complete your studies? If so, how far? Cats tend to not adapt well to changes in their immediate and permanent environments (often manifesting in behaviour and/or physical problems). For this reason, many behaviourists/veterinarians recommend avoiding air travel.

2) Do you foresee yourself spending long hours on campus, including working overnight? While cats tend to be more independent than dogs, some do need to interact with their humans from time to time. As cats are nocturnal animals, this could work well for a student who will be home at night.

3) How much do you plan to budget per month for high-quality food? Initially the higher quality foods appear to cost a lot, but these diets tend to be more nutrient-dense so you need to feed less than the grocery store foods. And bonus, smaller poops.

4) Re: number of cats - by nature, cats have different ways of interacting with other members of their species. Some cats prefer to be singletons, and adding another cat will be a source of stress for the original cat (as well as you). They may fight, or one may protest in other ways by urinating in inappropriate places (a form of territory-marking). Even if they do get along, having more than one cat means you'll also be spending more on food and vet care (even the preventative stuff such as vaccinations and routine bloodwork).

 

Overall:

Cats are great companions; I keep saying that they must be the easiest housepet anyone can have. However, when things go wrong, they can go very wrong - not necessarily anyone's fault, but because of how subtle cat body language is. So by the time a sick cat's owner notices problems, the problems may be so far progressed that maintaining the cat's care becomes extremely difficult. For example, we saw a case last week where the cat had lost significant amounts of weight (despite eating excessively). The owners held off on bringing the cat to see one of our vets because they'd assumed that the cat was simply diabetic until it started vomiting. To rule out other conditions, we ran blood and urine tests. The results showed that the cat was suffering from acute kidney failure as well as inflammation of the pancreas. After a few days on intravenous fluids, the cat has been sent home with several medications (a laxative, and an appetite stimulant drug) plus the owners being taught to give fluids under the skin (using a needle and line) to make sure the cat stays hydrated. They will need to do this for their cat for the rest of his life. Additionally, they will need to bring him in periodically for blood tests to assess his kidney function, which will cost them as well. Moral of the story: if you have a pet, get pet insurance

Edited August 13, 2015 by Nanolol

[bsharpe269]

I have dogs but it is also a big time commitment so I can comment on the general topic of having animals in grad school. I just started my PhD a month ago. Half way through my masters degree I got 2 dogs. It wasn't planned in my case... One of the dogs was a stray and I took her in briefly until I could find her a home and we ended up getting attached. About a month later I realized how poor of care my sister was giving her dog who had been in the family for >5 years. I didn't want to see him getting such horrible care (his nails got so long that it was painful for him to walk, he wasn't on heartworm prevention, etc) so I took him. Luckily both dogs are under 20 lbs which greatly increases housing options.

 

I absolutely love having my dogs. It is definitely a lot of work but it is manageable, even in grad school. I get to spend nights and weekends working on the couch with a pup curled up on either side of me. In my opinion, the main things to consider (which many people have already discussed) are:

 

Housing: Your housing options will be slightly more limited but even with dogs, I was able to find a place for us near my new PhD school without a problem. My housing situation has involved compromises... I personally prefer to live alone and would rather live a bit further from campus since my school is in a city. I ended up finding a place right near campus so that I can easily let the dogs out during the day (so not what I would prefer). Getting a place so close to campus came with an increase in price so I am sharing a 2 bedroom apartment with a roommate. This living situation would not be my first choice but is definitely not horrible. The company of the pups is definitely worth the compromises.

 

Your time: If you will be at school or in the lab all day then you will need to make sure you are home most evenings so the pet isn't alone all of the time. You could get 2 animals who are able to keep each other company to help with this some. I find myself turning down invites to hangout with people if I have been away from the dogs too much. Since I am not a super social person anyway, I am fine with this. Sometimes I even appreciate having an excuse to say no. If you are the type of person who really values a busy social life though then this could be a problem.

 

Money: Animals are costly and you will want to make sure you savings in case of emergencies. Again, I don't mind the expense. I would rather cut back on eating out or other expenses to be able to afford the dogs.

 

I personally think that pets and grad school can mix very well! I love having dogs and might even consider getting a 3rd and some point during my PhD!

[Nanolol]

Forgot to mention, I highly recommend Think Like A Cat by Pam Johnson-Bennett.

[rising_star]

I think #2 is highly dependent on the person. You sound like you have a specific plan in mind to get to your career goal and that plan might involve living somewhere where you can't have pets. Other people (like myself) don't have a set plan and take things one step at a time... and if at one of the steps I have to choose between an amazing opportunity and my cats, I'm going to choose my cats. That's ok for me, because I love my cats and I love having companion animals. When applying to PhD programs, I made sure to apply to programs in places that I knew I could find pet-friendly housing. I also made sure they were places conducive to having children in case we decide to start a family during my program (or something happens... because sometimes they do). The same will happen when I go looking for a job.

 

At one point in time, I would've said something very similar about housing and my dog. I accepted an opportunity and then subsequently discovered that in order to live with my dog (who weighs 20-25 lbs), I would have very few options for where to live. Why? Smaller town with fewer rentals and, of the rentals, less than 10% allowed pets and even some of those didn't allow dogs.* A colleague with two cats went through something similar in trying to find a place to live. I was on the verge of sending my dog to live with relatives temporarily** when I lucked into a pet-friendly place. If you'd told me when I accepted the opportunity that it would be almost impossible to find a place to live with my dog, I would've looked at you like you were crazy. But some towns/areas are like that, in ways that even your colleagues may not realize or remember when you're trying to decide whether or not to accept the opportunity. 

 

*I should add that I'm talking about rentals in that town and within a 20 minute drive. Had I been willing to commute 45-60 minutes each way (longer in the winter due to ice and snow), then I would've had more options. Of course, that also would've meant that my dog would be left alone for far too long during the day... Tradeoffs are always a factor.

**Ultimately, I was planning to get my dog back in 6 months to a year, provided I could find either a new opportunity where I could have my dog or lucking into a pet-friendly rental.

[MathCat]

I think #2 is highly dependent on the person. You sound like you have a specific plan in mind to get to your career goal and that plan might involve living somewhere where you can't have pets. Other people (like myself) don't have a set plan and take things one step at a time... and if at one of the steps I have to choose between an amazing opportunity and my cats, I'm going to choose my cats. That's ok for me, because I love my cats and I love having companion animals. When applying to PhD programs, I made sure to apply to programs in places that I knew I could find pet-friendly housing. I also made sure they were places conducive to having children in case we decide to start a family during my program (or something happens... because sometimes they do). The same will happen when I go looking for a job.

To me, the OP sounds like he/she is fine with making those kinds of sacrifices for pets. If there is an opportunity in a city where pets just aren't an option, he/she will have to pass it up. As long as he/she is willing to do that, then there's nothing to worry about in terms of commitment.

Now # 1 and 3 are a different story, but as far as cat personalities go, if you are adopting, you can get a good idea of that prior to bringing the cat home and you can pick one that isn't too needy.

I actually meant that I have no idea where I will be after my PhD - I'd like an academic job, but who knows how that will turn out, or where I'll be if I can find one. That it might be in a different country is because I will be an international student, so I might end up returning to my home country. Of course this is just my situation, but that's why I wouldn't get a cat now - too much uncertainty.

 

Anyway, if you are committed enough to your pets that you will make such sacrifices for them and you can afford to care for them, then I say go ahead. I just see too many people who treat pets like objects and just abandon them if they become inconvenient, so I can't assume everyone would put their pets first. All of our cats are rescues that had been abandoned.

 

You also can't always know personalities when adopting, because they're often stressed out by the environment you're adopting them out of. I guess you might know if they are being fostered, but one of our cats was adopted out of a privately run rescue with a lot of cats in one house. He seemed like a very nice, quiet lap cat when we met him: he climbed right into my lap and went to sleep. Once he got settled into our house, he never sat on my lap again, and was anything but quiet. The vets frequently commented on how they had never met such a talkative cat before!

 

I just never want to suggest somebody get a pet unless they've really considered the long term aspects of it. If you can't expect to be able to care for it the rest of it's life, I think it's irresponsible and unkind to the animal to adopt it. Of course, circumstances might change beyond your control, but that's a different story.

[hernda01]

I'd like to point out that the issue is not necessarily time or sanity but money. Especially when adopting an adult cat, there will be incredible veterinary bills. Then consider food, litter, etc. another monthly bill of $100. Then there are the miscellaneous costs of toys and fixtures and grooming and pet sitting if you ever need to go away i.e. to a conference. I'm a doctoral student in a 6 year program and I can tell you that unless you have really rich parents or something, pets will be a hell of a budget drain.

[dr. t]

I was thinking of adopting a master's student as a pet in January - I'll let you know how it goes 

[Need Coffee in an IV]

I thought about adopting a cat as well for grad school. I like cats and I thought it would be great to rescue. But when I really thought of it, adopting a cat wouldn't work for me. There were several issues. One was money, and this included things I didn't even think about. For instance, the places were I'm applying, 9/10 times the pet friendly apartments were much more expensive than non pet apartments. I also thought that I get stressed easily and animals can pick up on that stuff. I wouldn't want to get over my head and have the animal suffer. The last main issues was my boyfriend. He isn't anti-cat but I've read that a lot of times cats don't bond well with new people. He and I will be long distance for at least two years due to grad school. So if I did get a cat, then my boyfriend would pretty much be a stranger.

So in the end, I've decided that I wouldn't get a cat. My boyfriend and I have talked about rescuing a beagle as a graduation present to both of us, so we will see! My boyfriend has two mice and that seems to be going ok. They are low matience and he pets/plays with them for 30 mins. After that they start squeaking and want to run on their wheels. They generally keep themselves entertain, so maybe pet mice might be a good idea!