College and Rabbits?

[Moonlight_Wolf]

Hi colllege is coming up for me in two years and I was wondering what you guys in college do with your bunnies when you get to college.

Ideally I will go to a college close to home and come home every day to care for Fern, but the colleges close to home are expencive even without the boarding fee.

I was also thinking about getting an apartment and living with Fern in there, but I would have to spend the first year on campus.

So what is your opinions on this, my mom is willing to care for Fern while I am gone but I am worried that she won’t get enough attention. I would of course come back for the summer and weekends but otherwise…

So what do you think and what have all you who are in college do?

Thanks!

[SirThumpsey]

I am currently in college and my dad’s wife takes care of my rabbits. I take over when I’m home for summer and other vacations. I was worried about this as well but he seems to be doing okay. The dog and Sir Thumps-a-lot get pretty excited when I’m home. I know he doesn’t get out as much as he’d like to (because he wants to roam free) but he doesn’t get out as much as I’d like him to either. You could leave the rabbit but makes sure your mom knows the how to take care of Fern.

I don’t know if I did the right thing but the animals seem to be dealing with it okay.

[Elrohwen]

I’ve been out of college for a couple years, and I would suggest living in the dorms for the first year, without Fern, and then getting an apartment the second year. Many many students get apartments, and if the school you choose has a “college town” with lots of apartments, you’ll have a great time living off campus. Many places will probably be no pets, but you could either sneak Fern in, or try to talk the landlords into letting you have her (my current landlord was willing to let us have Otto after I agreed to pay a little more per month in case he damages anything).

What schools are you looking at? My fiance is from Pittsford and I also went to school in upstate NY, so I may be able to give you information about specific schools.

[Sarita]

I would have your mom take care of her. College dorms are no place for a rabbit and I suspect you may not have as much time either to play with her while you are studying.

I would not suggest you try to sneak her in either to any no pets allowed apartment…you could face eviction being that is in your contract and you need to honor your contract.

[Elrohwen]

Sarita, good point on the eviction thing. I kept small pets that could be easily hidden (and could in no way cause damage), but I think a rabbit would be a little much. I know people who had cats and even dogs in college, so pet friendly apartments do exist.

ETA: And on the time issue, I would’ve had more time with a bunny while I was in college than I do now with a job. And I had a demanding major that required lots of study time away from my apartment. Plus, if you end up having roommates who are good with your bunny, they may be able to let her out when you’re not home. Just a thought. In my college experience, a bunny would’ve fit in nicely, but I know that’s not the case for everyone. At least you’d have some time in the dorms and in an apartment before you decided if your lifestyle there would allow you to have a bunny.

[Moonlight_Wolf]

Yea that is probably what I will do, I would probably not sneak her in (cause I am a wuss about breaking the rules) I would probably just convince the landlord to let me have her (I would play up the caged animal thing)

Elrohwen the colleges I was looking at were Cornell, Geneseo, Buffalo, or RIT. Thanks for the advice guys!

[RabbitPam]

I have always lived in apartments with my bunny, and you can be honest with the landlords. They have written the bunny into the lease, no extra charge, since they know they are caged and silent.

I would be sure to have a room you can keep her in that can be closed off if you have any parties – and screen your roommates for potential responsible people who will do well around her.

But frankly, if your mom knows and loves her, it is the least disruptive to leave her in her current environment.

[Elrohwen]

Good college choices! I went to Cornell and know people at Buffalo and RIT, so let me know if you have any questions. I know that apartments at all three are very popular and I’m sure you’d be able to find at least one that allowed pets (though budget is a concern if the pet friendly apartments were all very expensive or something). There’s still the question of whether or not you’ll have time to spend with your bunnies, but like I said, you’ll have at least a year at college in the dorms before you need to make the decision to bring Fern down or not.

[skunklionshow]

One thing that I believe most parents consider is caring for pets when their child goes  to college.  That’s something that any parent taking on a child’s pet needs to consider prior to getting the pet….w/ that said, I believe that your mom will be happy to provide for Fern.  College is an awesome experience!  I spent my first year in a dorm.  Back then the dorm had a sink in it w/ the cmmty bathroom down the hall.  We had a floor “louge” that had a small kitchenette set up w/ refrigerator, that everyone used.  I feel like a dinosaur saying this but now most dorms have bathrooms and everyone has a mini-fridge.  So I think you should definately experience your freshie year in a dorm.  It’s really a great experience!

I would then consider an apt for your second yr and locating an appropriate roommate and apt to bring your Fern.  PS I love the name Fern, that was my grandma’s name and I think it’s a great name for a rabbit.

[Elrohwen]

Skunklionshow, it depends how old the dorms are! I lived in one dorm that was 50 years old and one that was 30, so it was communal bathrooms for us 😉 Most people did have mini-fridges though.

[skunklionshow]

I believe that the dorm I lived in was from th 1950’s.  It was a women’s Catholic school.  Guests were monitored via a front desk and no boys could spend the night.  We also had a communal pay phone….actually 3 of them!  We didn’t have phone hook ups in the dorm rooms.  I know it sounds like a went to school in the 50’s/60’s, but this was 1990!!!

[sibley]

I agree with Elrohwen in that you should live on campus without bunny at first. College is for you, not for your rabbit… it’s a time to grow up. Leave the pets at home the first year, then see how you feel about it your sophomore year.

I got a foster rabbit the second year of school because I got stuck living in an off-campus dorm at U of R and I was lonely not being on the quad. It was good to have him, but I chose not to adopt him or another rabbit (I wanted to wait the two years to graduate and get out of school) because of all the other commitments and things I wanted to do during college

As skunklionshow said, your parents most likely expect to have to take care of your pets while you’re at school. I got a dog my freshman year of my high school and my mom insisted on having a say on the one I chose simply because she knew she’d be the one caring for it for the four years I was at school.

Cornell: good food
Geneseo: only go here if your only interest is pub crawling
Buffalo: I have friends who went to U of R then took a semester “break” at both Buffalo schools, and both of them have said the classes are boring/simple with looney/useless profesors
RIT: “the odds are good, but the goods are odd.” seems to be mostly dorky guys and butch-ish or super techy girls.

Did you look at Vassar? Or Pitt? A bit further away but still a car ride home.

[Binkles]

Just to throw in my two cents, after I get my associate’s next year I’m transferring to a larger college out of town and away from home, but Little-Bit is coming with me rain or shine. I think that whether you leave bunny at home or take her really depends on your relationship with her. Little-Bit is REALLY attached to me. It’s probably mostly my own fault that she’s so attached to me. I’m pretty much her world. :/ So I don’t think she would do well without me. (…nor I without her. xD)

THAT SAID..

It will be AFTER I get my AA, so I will have knocked all of my academic courses out of the way and will (hopefully!) just be studying in the work field I’m comfortable in, so it will be an easier load on both bunny and owner. I’m not sure how much harder moving away from home and just BEGINNING college is. Though I have to say that frankly, personally I don’t consider it to be nearly the time and life-eater I expected it to be.

RabbitPam -where do you live? Chances are I’ll most likely be going to a college somewhere in central/ southern Florida. Need some tips on good bunny-permitting apartments! My only dissappointment thus far is that even a lot of the pet-friendly complexes consider bunnies exotics and don’t allow them.   I’m just confused as to why some consider them exotics and disallow them while others write them into a no-pets contract because they don’t consider them a big deal. Is there really that big of a rift in opinion between pet-friendly and non pet-friendly places?

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