Taking Your Cat to College: 5 Things To Consider

If you’re about to leave for college, you may be wondering if you can bring your cat with you to the dorm or to your off-campus apartment. Alternatively, you may be wondering if now is a good time in your life to adopt a cat. 

As a general rule, cats aren’t typically allowed in college dorms or student housing. College isn’t the best place for a cat anyway. However, some colleges do allow pets, and cats registered as emotional support animals are protected under the Fair Housing Act.

In this article, I’ll take a closer look at five things you should consider before taking your cat to college. 

Table of Contents:

• Can You Take Your Cat to College?
• Can You Have a Cat in a College Dorm Room?
• Having an Emotional Support Cat in a Dorm Room
• Is a Cat a Good Pet for a College Student?
• Pros and Cons of Having a Cat in College

Below, you’ll find more information on taking your cat to college including how to find out if they’ll be permitted, how to make sure they’ll be permitted, and why you may still want to leave them home while you’re away for school. 

Can You Take Your Cat to College?

Whether you’re moving into a dorm for the first time or you’re moving into an apartment off-campus, you may be wondering if you can bring your cat with you when you head toward campus for the semester. 

In general, cats aren’t permitted in campus housing at most universities. However, there are a few pet-friendly colleges throughout the country. Even if you aren’t moving into a dorm on campus, there are a few reasons that bringing your cat to college isn’t recommended. 

While there are some circumstances that may require you to bring your cat with you while you’re away at college, it’s a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. 

Here are five things to consider if you’re wondering whether or not you should bring your cat to college with you: 

• Time. You’re going to be really busy while you’re at school. Even when you aren’t in classes, at study sessions, working potential jobs, and participating in clubs and activities, you may not have as much downtime as you’d think. Having your cat with you in college is going to be an additional time commitment as they’ll need taken care of regularly.

• Space. Cats don’t require a ton of space, but they’ll appreciate some room to run around, climb, see outside, and have their space. Plus, accessories like litter boxes, cat beds, and cat trees take up quite a bit of space. Specifically in a dorm or studio apartment, make sure your cat will have an ethical amount of space. 

• Money. It’s no secret that being broke is a college student cliche. No matter what your individual situation is, know that having your cat at college is going to be a financial commitment. They’ll need food and litter regularly, which isn’t cheap. Plus, if a medical emergency comes up, they may need expensive vet visits, surgeries, or medications. Be prepared to take care of your cat financially if you bring them to college with you.

• Emergencies. If your cat were to have a medical emergency, have a plan to get them to the vet quickly. Campus parking is usually a nightmare, and there’s a good chance you won’t be home during most of the day between classes and other activities. In addition to medical emergencies, consider the fact that you’ll likely have roommates, be coming and going a lot, and having friends over to hang out. This leaves a lot of opportunities for your cat to slip out, get exposed to something that isn’t safe for cats, and other emergencies that will be difficult to navigate while in college.

• Comfort. That leads me to my next point: your cat may not be comfortable in your college environment. Cats prefer routine and familiarity. However, college is a time for all-night study sessions, last-minute road trips, and meeting new people. While you’ll have a blast doing these things, your cat may not enjoy it so much.

Can You Have a Cat in a College Dorm Room?

Whether you’re a freshman moving into a dorm for the first time or a returning student hoping to make campus housing a little homier, you may be wondering if you’re allowed to have your cat in your dorm room. 

Most colleges do not permit cats in dorm rooms. Check your specific university’s pet policy to find out if you’re allowed to bring your cat to campus. If you are allowed to have your cat in your dorm room, make sure it’s the best fit for everyone living there (especially your cat).

You can find out if you’re allowed to have your cat in your college dorm room by looking up the pet policy of the university you’ll be attending. 

When I looked up the University of Kentucky’s pet policy, I quickly found that the campus “generally prohibits individuals from bringing animals on any university property.” 

Alternatively, when I checked out the University of Northern Colorado’s pet policy, I found pet-friendly housing options. If your university does allow you to bring your cat, there will likely be a short list of requirement that’s must be met including your cat’s age, spay/neuter status, weight, breed, etc. 

Even if your college does allow you to bring your cat with you to college, be sure to consider the best interest of your cat. Is a dorm room big enough for a cat? Will you have the time and financial resources to take care of them while they’re with you? Will the dorm be crowded, loud, and full of new friends? 

Having an Emotional Support Cat in a Dorm Room

While most universities don’t allow domestic pets in dorm rooms, an emotional support animal (ESA) is not considered a “pet” by definition. Further, any animal can become an ESA, including cats.

You can have your cat in a dorm room if you have a compliant ESA letter from a mental health professional. This right is protected under the Fair Housing Act. Your college may require additional registration, but they cannot deny you and your emotional support animal student housing.

To find out the exact steps required to have your cat approved by the university as an emotional support animal, visit your university’s website or contact the school directly.

Before you’re able to live with your cat in your dorm room, you may be required to show a valid ESA letter from a therapist. If you already have a therapist, you can talk to them about whether or not your cat is a good emotional support animal for you. If your therapist agrees, their recommendation letter on official letter head with a signature is all that you’ll need.

Your therapist does not have to include the specific mental health condition that your cat helps support you through. Your university cannot require this information.

If you don’t already have a therapist, or if your therapist isn’t comfortable writing an ESA letter (if this isn’t in their field of expertise, for example) you can book a consultation from a qualified mental health professional online and obtain an ESA letter this way.

While this option may be best for you, be sure to also consider what’s best for your cat.

If you’re still looking to register your cat as an emotional support animal for student housing, here are three legitimate websites that you can use:

Pettable

Pettable is great because they offer a full refund if your letter doesn’t work. To get your ESA letter, you’ll have to take a three-minute assessment before consulting with a therapist. Then, you’ll receive your official letter within 24 hours of approval. 

Pettable is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and has a 4.5-star rating (excellent) from 368 reviews on Trustpilot.

CertaPet

CertaPet is another option to choose from when it comes to legitimate online ESA consultations.

Like Pettable, CertaPet works by starting with a free screening test followed by a consolation with a licensed therapist. If you qualify for an ESA letter, you’ll be able to have one printed or have CertaPet mail you a copy.

CertaPet is also accredited by the Better Business Bureau and maintains an A+ rating. On Trustpilot, CertaPet has a 4.7-star rating (excellent) based on 903 reviews. 

US Service Animals

Finally, US Service Animals is a legitimate online option to consider. Once you register for an account, you can schedule a consultation with a licensed mental health practitioner. 

Like Pettable and CertaPet, US Service Animals is a Better Business Bureau-accredited business, and it maintains an A+ rating. On Trustpilot, US Service Animals has a 5-star rating from over 4,500 customer reviews. 

Unfortunately, US Service Animals isn’t as transparent about pricing until after registration.

Is a Cat a Good Pet for a College Student?

If you’re wondering whether or not you should get a cat as a college student, many people recommend waiting until you graduate. 

In college, you’ll have to balance hard work and a demanding schedule while also experiencing new things. If you have a choice, try not to add the responsibility and commitment of adopting a cat right now. 

While cats may not require as much time and attention as dogs, they do require adequate attention and care, especially kittens or newly-adopted cats. In addition, they need lots of space and a consistent routine. And quite honestly, cats can get expensive between healthy food, fresh litter, toys and other accessories, vet visits, medical emergencies and more. 

However, circumstances may require you to take on the responsibility of cat ownership during your college years. When I was in college, I moved into an off-campus house with some friends where the previous residents had left their cat. 

Fortunately, one of my roommates volunteered to take care of him, and everyone in the house was okay with it. He lived in the house with us during our junior and senior years of college, and we never had any major issues. When we graduated, my roommate took Nugget with her, and I still get a Christmas card from her with that fluffy orange cat in the family picture every year!

As you can see, sometimes it works out great having a cat in college. Of course, we weren’t living in dorms and all of our roommates were incredibly mindful of having a cat in the house. 

Additionally, if you have a mental health issue and your cat is registered as an emotional support animal, you may need to have your cat with you in college.

If you’re wondering whether or not a cat would be a good pet for you in college, ask yourself these questions: 

1. Will you have enough space, time, and resources for a cat in college?
2. Are you allowed to have a cat where you’ll be living?
3. Will you have a relatively regular routine?
4. Will your roommates be responsible with your cat?
5. Are there circumstances pushing you to have a cat now instead of waiting until you graduate?

If you can answer “yes” to all (or most) of these questions, then a cat may be a great pet for you in college. Otherwise, consider waiting until you graduate if possible. 

Pros and Cons of Having a Cat in College

Taking your cat to college or adopting a new cat while you’re in college is a big decision. 

There are countless reasons why you’d likely prefer to have your cat with you while you’re at school. However, your cat may or may not enjoy college as much as you.

Before you decide whether or not to take a cat to college with you, consider these pros and cons: 

Ultimately, there’s no right answer when it comes to whether or not you should have a cat in college as everyone’s individual situation varies. 

For more helpful tips, check out these related articles: 

• Can Cats Live in Two Houses? Sharing a Cat Between Homes
• Taking Your Cat to a Friend’s House: What You Need to Know
• How To Make a Cat Feel Comfortable in a New Home