Companionship is something many people strive to have. Pets can be great companions and can be helpful to fight feeling homesick, but the reality is that college students have busy lives. If you’re a student looking to adopt a pet, here are some manageable options. 

Snakes: Corn snakes or sand boas

Snakes can be great pets for a busy college student especially due to the fact that they only need to be fed once every week and some even once every two weeks depending on the size of the snake and the size of the meal they last ate.

“Corn snakes are a good option for a variety of reasons; they don’t get very big, they come from temperate parts of the United States so maintaining the humidity and temperature of the enclosure is easy,” said Mark Herbert, the lead reptile keeper at the Brookfield Zoo. “They are really hardy and great snakes to start off with if you’re a beginner or someone that doesn’t have a lot of time.” 

While you don’t need to feed a snake every day, make sure you’re prepared to either defrost mice or feed them live ones. Frozen mice are much more manageable and you can buy weeks worth of food. Live and frozen mice can be found at any pet store and the price varies based on size and amount. If you start with a small adolescent snake, 50 frozen pinkie mice are less than $50 from Petsmart.

“Sand boas are another great option,” Herbert said. “You do have to make sure it’s consistently warm in the tank, but they are a desert species so humidity is not really an issue, which some people could find a little harder to maintain.” 

The rule of thumb for choosing the right size tank for your snake is making sure the tank’s perimeter is double the length of the snake. If you have a one-foot snake, you will need a tank that is at least two-feet long. Many reptile species only grow to a size where they can still fit comfortably in their enclosure so it might be a good idea to start off with a slightly larger tank so they have room to grow. A standard glass aquarium tank works just fine for snakes, just make sure the top is secure and has no gaps. A 25-inch long aquarium can be found at Petco for around $50.

Facebook marketplace or garage sales can also be a great place to look for tanks. They are usually much cheaper and are sometimes sold along with other supplies like light fixtures and heating mats, which are necessary for keeping a snake. 

Lizards: Bearded dragons or crested geckos

Lizards can also be a great pet for someone with a busy schedule. Bearded dragons have commonly been referred to as the “yuppie puppy” because of their personality and low maintenance. They do require a sizable tank with the right UVA and UVB bulb. Once you get the right supplies they are pretty manageable. Bearded dragons can get up to 24-inches long so it’s definitely a better idea to start with a larger tank, to avoid having to buy multiple as your pet grows. This 10-gallon tank from Amazon is waterproof, easy to clean and install and costs around $95.

If you’re trying to eat healthy foods but always have a hard time buying fruits and vegetables and eating them before they go bad, getting a lizard can be helpful. You can make salads for you and your pet.  

“Another great pet to keep is a crested gecko,” Herbert said. “They are a smaller species so you won’t need to get a huge tank for them.” 

Feeding can be easy as well. If you are on a budget or don’t have time to cut up a bunch of fruits and vegetables, pre-made crested gecko food can be found at pet stores with fruits, vegetables and vitamins for the gecko. This crested gecko meal replacement from Petco is around $10 and just needs to be mixed with water.

With lizards, you should give them some bugs once in a while, but if you get the right species you won’t need to constantly be feeding them bugs, Herbert said. 

Many pet stores sell reptile kits that include everything you need for keeping lizards. These kits are helpful since they are usually cheaper than buying everything separately. Lizards require slightly more supplies than snakes so buying everything at once could be the better option. If you decide to go with a gecko, Chewy has a lizard kit for less than $50, it includes everything you’ll need except food.

Again, before spending money on a brand new tank. Check to see if anyone in your area is selling a used one. Just make sure you wash it thoroughly before you put your pet inside. 

Ecosystem jar 

Contrary to popular belief, fish aren’t the best pet to keep as a college student. Even though they are the only pets allowed in the dorms, they require a lot of maintenance if you want to keep them healthy and happy. 

“It’s a lot more work than just getting a glass jar and filling it up with tap water, then throwing a fish in there,” said Sean O’Reilly, a former Petco manager and aquatics specialist. “You need the right size tank, filters, heaters, you need to treat the water before you can put a fish in there and you need to do regular water changes.”  

The rule for making sure you have the right size tank for fish is one inch per gallon, O’Reilly said. If you have two three-inch fish, you need at least a six-gallon tank. 

A great alternative to having a fish is making your own ecosystem jar. To make an ecosystem jar, go outside with your jar and head to an area with a pond. The lagoon on campus or the ponds behind the Stevenson and Grant dorms are perfect spots. Gather dirt, plants and water from the area, put it in the jar and close it. Once everything settles, you will be able to see all the little microscopic creatures in the water. You never have to feed it and only need to open the jar once in a while to let some new oxygen in. You still get to see creatures swimming around without the hassle of taking care of it. 

Tamagotchi

A Tamagotchi is a virtual pet. They were a popular toy in the ‘90s and early 2000s. The small electronic pet looks like a keychain and once it is activated you need to feed, play and discipline your “pet.” 

Tamagotchis are still available for purchase from companies like Walmart and Amazon. They typically range around $20 each.

A Tamagotchi has all the requirements of a regular pet without the real responsibility. If you don’t take care of your Tamagotchi, it won’t be happy or stay alive. 

“If you can’t keep a Tamagotchi alive that should be a sign to maybe refrain from getting a real pet any time soon,” said Theresa Napolitano, owner of Dogtopia LaGrange, 1416 West 55th Street. 

Napolitano works with many rescues and regularly fosters pets that have been surrendered. 

“I hate to say this but I have taken in many dogs from parents saying ‘my kid got this dog or cat while away at college and now can’t take care of it,’” Napolitano said. “It’s easy to get a pet like that because they have so much personality and you can cuddle and play with them, but they are a huge responsibility.”

Pets can be fun and loving, but every pet requires responsibility. Make sure you get one that fits your lifestyle and that you can realistically take care of. Make sure to always do your own research before making the commitment.