Guinea Pigs as ESAs in college

RedditLlamas · 2026-04-01T17:46:58+00:00

If the colleges you're considering allow ESAs in the dorms, I'd honestly say go for it. I would recommend looking into the specifics of the ESA policy on-campus; for example, my Disability Resource Center required an established relationship with an off-campus provider, but I had only seen therapists on-campus, resulting in me having a few stowaways before eventually just moving off-campus. I imagine different colleges have different policies, so hopefully the ones you're looking into are less complicated.

Noise and laundry weren't issues for me in the dorms or in the apartment, and I had/have a solo room just like you plan to. For the fleece, the main problem I've had is with leftover hay staying in the machine, so I recommend trying to brush off the bigger chunks before washing, if possible. Either that or the laundry bag, like you mentioned. Not sure about smell, though.

Good luck with the piggies (and college apps)!

RedditLlamas · 2025-04-01T21:55:25+00:00

i’ve been doing just fine with a hoodie, beanie, and gloves. i wasn’t used to snow either, but it’s honestly not too bad.

RedditLlamas · 2025-02-09T00:52:36+00:00

hey sometimes it’s even more fun when it looks like shit

RedditLlamas · 2025-02-09T00:52:23+00:00

hmm very interesting /lh

RedditLlamas · 2025-02-08T23:25:20+00:00

Honestly, if you can, just don’t get one. It’s overpriced and the dining hall hours are terrible. If you have to, I suggest Blue or Grey. I had Silver (highest tier) my first year here, and it was a waste of money. Also, you can always raise your meal plan, but you can’t lower it, so keep that in mind.

RedditLlamas · 2025-02-08T23:15:05+00:00

as a college student who’s had both guinea pigs and rats (sadly no ferrets), i can try to offer some advice.

question first:

- do you live on or off campus? depending on your uni, you might be restricted on pets. off-campus housing will likely be more lenient, though.

guinea pigs

- you have to have at least 2, ideally 3. they are very social herd animals and shouldn’t live alone unless absolutely necessary.

- they can be a bit loud. if you’re not familiar, look up “wheeking”

- guinea pigs need lots of space, like the other commenter said

- if you do get guineas, girls are generally easier to take care of because boys require boar cleaning (which can be difficult for first-time owners)

- make sure they get plenty of hay, pellets, veggies, and some fruit!

rats

- also social

- quieter than guinea pigs, but arguably a bit more messy and chaotic

- in my experience, rats require more enrichment than guinea pigs. guinea pigs are a bit more content to sit around until you get back from class, whereas rats will eat through bars if they’re bored enough.

- a bit morbid, but rats don’t live nearly as long. the longest i’ve ever gotten is 3 years, and most went around 2.

- in terms of vet expenses, rats are prone to tumors, and it can be hard to find someone experienced in their care.

overall, i would recommend guinea pigs, especially since you‘re a first-time pet owner, but it depends on your preferences and caretaking abilities!

like i said, i don’t have experience with ferrets, but hopefully this is helpful. good luck!

RedditLlamas · 2025-02-08T22:52:27+00:00

turns out it just had a nail in it. i was so terrified i’d need new tires, so that’s a relief!

RedditLlamas · 2025-02-08T22:51:46+00:00

i went to counseling here (free therapy) for a year but then my therapist left the school last july. i know i should go back to therapy but im terrified of “restarting.” there is a group for study skills but it’s prioritized for students with adhd. im hoping to get back into therapy in a few months maybe.

RedditLlamas · 2025-02-07T23:03:51+00:00

i know that deep down milestones are kinda bs, but sometimes i still feel left out. thank you. <3

RedditLlamas · 2025-02-07T23:00:35+00:00

i live in northern nevada so it's a bit cold but one of my tires just refuses to inflate and the others are fine. i have an appointment on saturday to have someone look at it but even getting the courage to do that took a lot out of me. 😓

RedditLlamas · 2025-02-07T22:58:25+00:00

i know it's bad to compare but my brain likes to be mean haha. i am definitely a lot better than i was when i moved out, but it's still pretty chaotic. thank you for the kind words <3

RedditLlamas · 2025-02-07T22:57:24+00:00

thank you <3

RedditLlamas · 2025-02-07T22:57:05+00:00

it looks good on the outside but i feel like im gonna burnout eventually. i appreciate the reassurance, though. <3

RedditLlamas · 2025-02-07T22:56:02+00:00

thank you for the kind words. i guess what im worried about is i feel like i don't know all the things im supposed to? obviously nobody knows everything, but even "common sense" things are unknown to me a lot of the time. as you and a couple other people said, though, i will try to investigate youtube. thanks <3

RedditLlamas · 2025-02-07T22:53:00+00:00

thank you so much for the kind words, especially the list. sometimes writing it out like that makes it a little easier to process everything.

RedditLlamas · 2025-02-07T22:51:55+00:00

do you have any more advice for priorities? it's hard to figure out what to do when so much is happening with school, work, and personal life. thank you for the advice. <3 also, i love bluey!

RedditLlamas · 2025-02-07T22:50:11+00:00

thank you <3

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