College students are often running low on two things: time and money. Pets can be an additional drain on both of these resources.

According to the 2013-2014 American Pet Products Association National Pet Owners Survey, the basic annual expenses for dog and cat owners is, on average, $1,629 for dogs and $1,271 for cats.

This does not include purchasing the animal or the additional fees some apartments have for pets.

Some apartments do not allow pets as a policy. A representative from Campustown, a local business specializing in academically-oriented student housing, said that it is policy not to allow pets besides fish. Also stated was that most students do not have the time to take care of pets and that noises from the animals may disturb other residents.

For students that are staying in apartments that allow pets, there are other things to consider.

Jill Haupts, sophomore at Des Moines Area Community College, decided to get a kitten with her two roommates last school year. 

“We knew someone who had a cat and they really loved it, so we thought we’d get one too,” Haupts said. 

Haupts and her roommates took in a kitten from one of her roommate’s farm. Although they were excited at first, Haupts said having a pet caused problems. 

“It was just a grumpy cat,” Haupts said. 

During break, Haupts would take the cat to her brother’s house. The costs of owning a cat was split between the three roommates on a rotation, she said.

Haupts also said that the smell of the cat was a problem because cats already smell bad and having the litter box in a small apartment added to the smell. 

The smell and the general unpleasantness of the cat led Haupts and her roommates to agree that the cat had to go back to the farm, she said. 

Haupts said the only pets she would get again would be a dog or a fish. 

For freshman Kelli Byriel things did not work out so well. After talking to her roommate she decided to buy a goldfish from Walmart.

“[I thought] it would be nice to have a little buddy in the dorm,” Byriel said. 

After one night in the dorm, the fish ended up dying.

“I had to flush it down one of the dorm room toilets,” Byriel said. ‘It was not a pretty funeral.”

Byriel said she is planning on getting another fish very soon.