Perfect Apartment Pets And Why Student Tenants Should Be Allowed To Keep Them

By Melody Chi on March 20, 2015

Every landlord has been in this situation: you rent an apartment out to a few young college students and then find that they want to bring their pets along for the ride.

Then comes your dilemma. Do you allow their furry friends to live in your pristine residence at the risk of soiling your newly installed carpets or having claw marks on the walls? Or do you break the students’ hearts and forbid their animal companions from their rental abode?

Far be it from me to tell anyone what to do, but perhaps some overwhelming recent evidence regarding the positive health value of pets can help you decide.

First, according to The Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) website, pets can help alleviate loneliness, as well as lower one’s blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels (a type of fat in the blood that’s another indicator of heart health).

And while young college students may not be the group most at risk for heart disease, it’s never too early to start preventing poor health, especially if one can do so by cuddling up to a furry friend!

In addition, the CDC’s website declares that pets may also provide a stepping stone to being more physically active and sociable, both of which can improve your student tenants’ lives and health immensely.

Not only that, but according to PetPartners.org, the largest U.S. nonprofit that provides “animal-assisted” therapy for people in a variety of situations, interacting with an animal can help decrease one’s stress and anxiety levels. This could be crucial to student tenants, who often suffer from significant academic and personal pressures, both from school and due to living away from home for the first time.

The argument that pets are beneficial to a person’s health is the same concept behind the decision of many universities to host “pet therapy” days during stressful finals weeks. Such events allow students to relax by playing with trained dogs or similar animals that are brought to campus. And the popularity of these occasions seems to speak for itself: people love animals and feel good when they are near, no scientific quantifying of evidence necessary.

All of this goes to show that, although landlords are understandably wary about the cost-benefit of letting pets stay in the residences they rent out, student tenants should be allowed to keep their animals where they live.

The advantages for the student pet owner (the renter) are much greater than the risks of having a pet stink up the place or pee on the carpet, and with the following apartment-appropriate animals I list in this article, those two things aren’t really concerns anyway.

Don’t want cats or dogs in your apartments? Here are just a few of the pets I think are the best solutions for students living in an apartment, especially one they want to keep tidy.

1. Hedgehogs

Image via Pinterest.com

Hedgehogs?” you might ask a little incredulously, and I wouldn’t blame you. They’re not the first creature that comes to mind when you try to think of the fluffiest animals out there, but they’re surprisingly cuddly and actually perfect for small apartment living.

As a side note, however, these little guys are actually outlawed in some states, including California (my area of residence). But if you live in a state where you’re allowed to take these critters home, I would encourage you to let your tenants do so, and not just because Sonic the Hedgehog made them popular.

Why? Well, they’re easily enclosed, don’t make much of a mess, and are quiet housemates. They’re also not aggressive, despite the statement that their potentially pointy quills make. Think of them as large hamsters, if that makes it easier for you.

That being said, hedgehogs are slightly delicate and do need (or simply appreciate) somewhat specialized care, such as a heating lamp. But since it’s most likely the case that your tenants are paying the energy bill, this shouldn’t be a problem. In addition, the supplies necessary to care for a hedgehog are typically inexpensive, which is great news for a student budget.

Hedgehogcare.org provides a detailed guide for raising a hedgehog as a pet, so I highly recommend checking it out before discounting these little mammals as appropriate apartment companions.

2. Rats

Okay, I probably surprised you with this one too. After all, I’m sure you dread the hypothetical day when your student tenants call you screaming that they have rats in their apartment.

But these aren’t the nasty, invasive pests you see rummaging through garbage cans in dramatic movies about New York City. Instead, pet rats have been bred to be different from their relatives, the wild brown rat, and are actually clean, very intelligent and huggable.

I have a friend who owned a pair of pet rats, and those adorable critters loved interacting with her and being held. In fact, pet rats crave getting daily attention but are also self-sufficient, so they make great pets for every type of person.

The ASPCA has a wonderful guide on everything your tenants would need to know about caring for a pet rat or two here.

3. Guinea Pigs

Image via Wikipedia.org

Yes, I’m going to continue the trend of putting rodents on this list, but that’s because Guinea Pigs are so cute, cuddly, and (despite the word “pig”) clean! Now, while they’re neither from New Guinea nor are they pigs, it’s not a lie that they’re fun to watch and a pleasure to handle. They’re little bundles of soft fur and curiosity!

Now, the cautions: according to the ASPCA website, one Guinea pig needs at least 8 square feet of cage space. However, this still ensures that Guinea pigs are well within the acceptable range for small apartment living. In addition, they can emit a high-pitched squeak when excited, which makes them a little louder than some animals, but I wouldn’t say that this is loud enough to aggravate neighbors anyway.

The ASPCA website features a wonderful Guinea pig care guide here.

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