College has been amazing, but if I could make one complaint, I would say I desperately need my cat Jasmine out here with me.

Not everyone is a pet person. Some people are allergic, or they just don’t have a heart and hate all good things in this world. But I think most of us can agree that pets are amazing, no matter the shape, size or color.

From the yellow lab to the orange tabby to the tan hamster to the white horse, they all offer you different levels of companionship.

Remember Jasmine? Well, she’s amazing. She’s soft and cuddly and has the cutest, grumpiest meow. But, I cannot have her here at WSU because my apartment does not allow pets. So, to compensate I got a hamster with my boyfriend. We both wanted something to take care of, something to come home to, that needs you.

However, a dwarf hamster is nothing like a cat. First of all, I’m pretty sure Sam (the hamster) hates me, and she’s also not very cuddly. I worry I’ll crush her. But, she has filled the hole in my heart a little bit, and I suppose that’s all I can ask from an animal so small.

I have always considered myself a cat person, I just feel like I identify with them: kind of mean, aloof, likes to knock things off shelves, likes to be warm and cuddly all the time, sleeps most of the day, lays in random places.

In fact, I almost detested dogs. Growing up, my family had a mut named Sheba who was the loudest dog ever, all she wanted to do was bark and chase cars. Granted, she was stranded out by our house as an adult, so her bad habits were difficult to break at that point. But I blame her for my annoyance with dogs.

This all changed, though, when my parents brought home Dory. Dory is an absolutely precious yellow lab puppy my family got as a companion for our old black lab, Lucy. Although I think it’s more because my parents missed having me and my sister at home, they wanted a new kid to take care of.

Dory is the cutest little land shark you’ve ever seen, and I fell completely in love. I got to bond with her over spring break, before I was wrenched away to come back to school. You could say I’m missing home a lot right now.

So, what is a girl to do when she misses her furry companions? Well, there’s always the humane society. There’s also the option to become a service dog trainer, which would be better than being a bystander, because you can’t pet the service puppies while they’re training. Sad.

So, how can you get your kitty or puppy fix when you’re away from home? The Whitman County Humane Society or the Humane Society of the Palouse are great places to give some of your extra love and affection to animals in need of some TLC. Just be careful of getting too attached, unless you’re fine with having six cats in your apartment with your two roommates and three dogs.

Or, if you miss your pet, find a friend who has a substitute dog or cat and make yourself their honorary roommate. Just tell them you really like to hang out with them, they’ll never know.

Jennifer Ladwig is a senior communication major from Washougal. She can be contacted at [email protected].