When you’re bringing a pet into your life, take a bit of time to think about how you will fit into one another’s lifestyle. If you’re a busy person, low maintenance pets are the best bet. Choosing low maintenance pets involves weighing up the best option for both your sake and the animal’s. If you lead a stressful life, having a pet is a great way to relieve stress. Spending time with your pet can be calming, and bring a lot of joy into your life.

Top Picks for Low Maintenence Pets!

CertaPet does not discredit the emotional support people get from weird and wonderful species of animals. However, the most common ESAs are dogs, cats (and the occasional rabbit). However, anyone looking for a pet other than specific dog and cat breeds, you may want to consider the following:
  • Lizards
  • Hamsters
  • Guinea Pigs
  • Fish
Emotional support animals make living with a mental or emotional illness much easier. We’ve gone ahead and made the process of getting your ESA as hassle-free as possible. If you believe you need an emotional support animal, all you have to do to get started is take our 5-minute pre-screening test for free. If you qualify, we’ll put you in touch with a licensed mental health professional.

Low Maintenance Pets – Animal Lovers Can’t Be Blamed for Wanting Their Pets with Them

It’s kind of a no-brainer when you love animals and have a pet that you want to be able to have your chosen animal live with you. Obviously, a pet the size of a horse is not always going to work! If you’re a student living in campus accommodation, an apartment dweller, or a busy mom with a houseful of kids, your time and space may be limited. Where you live influences the type of low maintenance pets that can work for you. Think about how much space the animal needs and how much you have. If you have limited time that you will be able to spend with your pet every day, look for low maintenance pets that are okay spending periods alone. Animals, like people, need attention to various degrees. Some like to be constantly by the side of their human companions, others prefer a little more independence.

3 Benefits of Pets for Stressed-Out Moms, Students, and Workaholics

Here’s the good part. There are plenty of studies that show pets and animal companions have a positive effect on mental health. If you find you are susceptible to stress, anxiety, depression, and so forth, low maintenance pets can help!
  • Pets are a distraction. If you need to take your mind off the stressors in your life – be that juggling a busy workload at home, the office, or school – the time you spend with a pet offers a respite from what’s on your mind.
  • Pets are calming. The physical and tactile act of stroking and petting a pet, such as a cat or a dog or other small animal, has a positive effect on stress levels. Pet owners also generally have lower blood pressure, which is a win-win for health risk factors associated with stress.
  • Pets love you unconditionally. Pets come with few expectations. Their primary needs are food, water, and shelter. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the demands or expectations of the demands on your life, a pet will love you for who you. Pets are all about living in the moment, no questions asked. A pet is a very real form of social support that interacts with you and provides companionship.

Pet-Friendly Colleges and Universities Exist

The transition of moving away from home to live at college or university is a big one. You’re adjusting to living away from family members. But you still need the companionship of those you love while you become more independent. Many colleges and universities recognize this adjustment period and have pet-policies that allow you to have a pet on campus with you. You will be busy with studies, so low maintenance pets are usually best on campus. Colleges all have different types of pet-friendly policies, especially for small animals such as fish, hamsters, and even hermit crabs. Here’s a selection of 10 of them:

Eckerd College – St. Petersburg, Florida

Eckerd College on Florida’s Gulf Coast has been welcoming pets on campus since the 1970s. Students’ pets even also get their own graduation ceremonies! There is a registration process for both large and small pets which includes cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, ferrets, chinchillas, fish, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, rats, amphibians, and reptiles.

Stephen’s College – Columbia, Missouri

Stephen’s College in Columbia, Missouri is a Women’s College that has two options for living with a furry friend while you further your education. Their pet-friendly policy allows you to bring your pet from home. Or, you can participate in their animal fostering program in partnership with a local shelter.

Stetson University – Deland, Florida

Stetson University in Deland, Florida has animal-friendly policies and areas on campus for pets brought from home. They also participate in the training of service animals with local organizations. Students can apply to become trainers of service animals while they are on campus. They later re-home the animals to help people with disabilities.

University of North Colorado – Greeley, Colorado

You can apply to have your dog or cat live with you in your accommodation at the University of North Colorado. Applications are taken on a first-come-first-served basis, and there are restrictions on sizes and limitations around dog breeds considered “aggressive”.

Harvey Mudd College – Claremont, California

At Harvey Mudd College in California cats and dogs aren’t allowed – but small caged or contained pets are. You can request permission to set up a fish tank in their residential accommodation, or keep a small caged pet such as a hamster.

University of Illinois – Champaign, Illinois

The University of Illinois offers one residential living facility for you to apply to live on campus with up to two companion animals on campus. They allow small fish tanks, have restrictions on the size and breeds of dogs.

Canton State University of New York – Canton, New York

You don’t have to have your own animal to live in The Pet Wing at the Canton State University of New York. But if you do have a small caged pet, you can apply to bring it. CUNY does not, however, allow dogs, birds, snakes, or spiders on campus.

Sweet Briar College – Sweet Briar, Virginia

If you’re a horse lover, the liberal arts Sweet Briar College in Virginia is a unique women’s college in that only allows horses. Their academic curriculum includes formal programs for equestrian pursuits – or your horse may be housed for pure pleasure and companionship.

Lees-McRae College – Banner Elk, North Carolina

Both staff and students are encouraged to incorporate their pets into their daily lives and activities at Lees-McRae College in North Carolina. Their pet-friendly policy allows for dogs, cats, and fish in designated residential halls.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Cambridge, Massachusetts

It’s all about cats at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This institution has cat-friendly areas in designated dorms that you can apply to bring your cat to. They only allow cats, and your roommate has to be ok with Mittens sharing your space.

What the Best Dogs for College Students Have in Common

If you’re set on having a dog by your side while you complete your diploma or degree, there are a few characteristics to make sure your pooch has.
  • The pet-policies of all institutions outline requirements for making sure your pet is housetrained and sociable.
  • Consider breeds that are easy to train and friendly towards other people, aren’t going to get bored and destroy the carpet in your dorm room, or seek out their own hidden corner to poop in!
  • Look for breeds that are appropriately sized for your living space on campus – and that you can afford to feed. Being a student means living on a budget, so make sure you can take care of your dog’s dietary and health needs while you study.

Understand the Difference Between Colleges that Allow Pets and Those that Allow ESAs

There are differences between emotional support animals (ESAs) and pets. Colleges that allow emotional support animals on campus recognize the therapeutic value that an ESA offers. They require documentation such as an ESA letter to support your application.

Best Dogs for Busy Moms and People Who Work All the Time

If you’re a busy mom with small kids or tend to be a bit of a workaholic, you’ll definitely need a dog or cat or other types of animals that are easy care low maintenance pets!
  • Look for dogs with coats that are wash-and-go, and don’t need frequent brushing or untangling.
  • Unless you have a big secure yard that a dog can explore on their own during the day, consider a breed that has low or medium exercise needs.
  • The term “Velcro dog” exists for a reason – they prefer to stick by the side of a human all day. Unless you have a companion animal for your companion pet, look for a dog that is okay spending time alone while you are doing your own thing.

If You Don’t Need an ESA, Don’t Get One

There’s no doubt about it, pets can be beneficial to the mental health of everyone. They can help us feel good in many ways. But don’t be tempted to obtain an emotional support animal or designate your pet as an ESA to be able to take them on a plane or live in rental accommodation under the emotional support animal laws.

Taking an ESA Out In Public is a Big Responsibility

If you do have an emotional support animal, be mindful of how and where you take your animal in public. Be aware of places you can and can’t take your animal. It is your responsibility to ensure that you don’t put anyone in danger because of your animal’s behavior or lack of training.

ESA Legal Protection 

There are two laws that offer some protection for people with emotional support animals. These are the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA). These both have provisions to protect your rights to have your emotional support animal by your side to help you with your condition. However, they also have limits to protect the business interests of air carriers and accommodation providers, and the health and safety of other people.

If You Do Need an ESA to Improve Your Quality of Life: CertaPet Has You Covered

Here at CertaPet, we can guide you through all the questions you may have about emotional support animals. We can also help you get your (legitimate) ESA letter. Emotional support animals can be part of a treatment plan for people with a wide range of emotional and mental health conditions.

How to Get Your ESA Letter with legal buy legal clenbuterol in australia tasty CertaPet’s Help!

We offer a simple free 5-minute pre-screening to check whether you may qualify for an emotional support animal. From there, if you decide to proceed, we will connect you with a licensed mental health professional (LMHP) in your state

Common Questions

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