As a junior in college, the majority of my peers have moved off campus to escape the strict policies and restrictions that come with living on campus. Along with their new-found freedom, several of them have even adopted pets.

I absolutely love animals and completely support the adoption of pets, especially rescues who really need a home. However, the trend of college students adopting pets seems, in my opinion, extremely problematic. I could be wrong, but it seems as if these people aren't considering all that goes into adopting a pet.

A pet is not a toy that can be passed from one person to another every couple of months. College students, for the most part, only live at school for about eight months out of the year. There's even a month-long break within this period. Not every parent is going to be okay with the idea of their child bringing home some pet they adopted while at school. So, what are you going to do with this furry friend? You'll probably end up giving it to someone who can 'pet-sit' it, or adopt it out altogether.

Pets need a 'forever home' to be adopted into. Just as a child can develop anxiety and depression when being placed in and out of different foster homes, pets struggle with this inconsistency, as well. Because they get attached to their owners, it's very cruel to adopt a pet while knowing you'll probably have to give them away at some point.

Even if your parents welcome Mr. Whiskers for the summer, the real world hits you as soon as you graduate college. You're probably not going to have the time to take care of a pet. Truthfully, I don't see how current students who have pets while they're in college have the time to adequately tend to them. The idea of leaving an animal alone in an apartment for an entire day while you and your roommates are in class or at all work does not seem right to me. The idea of a poor, scared animal being subjected to a party you host seems even worse; all the loud sounds and people can really get to them.

Also, almost every single one of us can relate to the financial struggles that come along with being a college student. Vet bills are extremely expensive. There's always the option of not taking them to the vet. However, this doesn't only put humans in danger of contracting diseases from their pets, but it's also pretty harsh to deny an innocent creature of adequate medical care. Even setting aside the idea of vet bills, you're going to have to feed them on a daily basis. At the end of the month, you'll probably cringe at how much you spent on pet food (and how gross your apartment will start to smell because of this food).

I understand and support the idea of saving animals from hard situations. Donating money to charities or volunteering for an organization that saves animals are much better ways to help the cause than adopting an animal you can't decently take care of and may even give away in a matter of months.

I applaud anyone who has ever rescued an animal from a rough situation. I think it's amazing when students take in the stray cats found around their apartment. But, they'll probably be able to better receive the care they need if they were adopted by someone who has the time and funds to take care of them and who will take care of them in the long haul. This is why people should bring animals to trusted animal shelters that will adopt them out rather than taking them in themselves.

Cats, dogs, and other animals are more than just a cute picture to post on your Instagram story or dress up for Halloween–they're real creatures who are dependent on responsible people to take care of them and provide them with everything they need.

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