Going away to college is a liberating time of life; you are finally on your own without parents and their accompanying rules. Leaving your parents behind is not all that heart-breaking, but leaving behind your pet can be, especially when most of the apartments near campus have a no pet rule, no exceptions. Even parrots.

Apartment owners have various reasons as to why pets cannot partake in the college life with their family members.

“It encroaches upon other people in the complex and the noise is the worst thing. People are bad enough, pets are worse,” said Jim Mason, owner of Mason Properties.

Mason has exceptions for what kind of pets he will allow into his complexes, but it only goes as far as birds and fish, nothing else. If you are caught with another type of pet, you will have to pay. For the most part, most tenants follow the rules.

“I would say only about 5 percent disobey, and they get fined through the nose, and then if they still don’t obey, they will get evicted,” Mason said.

If you have to leave your beloved cat at home while you attend school, look into renting from Lincolnshire West, whose owners do allow most animals, with the exception of the ever-popular dog.

The only downfall for having a cat as a roommate is the increased deposit, which is $200.

“We do not have many problems with cats, but that is why there is an added deposit – in case the carpet gets ruined so we have some money to use for that. A lot of students like cats,” said Michael Silk, Lincolnshire West Property Manager.

If you absolutely cannot leave your dog behind, Horizon apartments has 500 units, with 10 to 15 percent of those on-campus units allowing pets. But as always, they come with restrictions.

“Dogs have to be two years of age with an additional rent fee of $50, and cats must be at least 12 months old with an additional rent fee of $25,” Horizon Management President Susan McMaster said.