Can You Manage a Pet During Physics Grad School?

[dkotschessaa]

I have a cat, and I presume that she'll be elderly right around the time I defend my PhD (I'm still doing pre-reqs at a CC). I certainly wouldn't trade her for the world but I do have to make time for her in the morning and evenings. She loves the attention, and is noticeably upset when I ignore her or miss "tea time." Every morning I get up, have a cup of tea and cuddle her.

Then again, she also demands I turn the faucet on for fresh water and loves to lay over any work I have.

But, she's worth it. It's extremely relaxing to me to have a cat. I wouldn't trade her for anything.

If I can be a tad philosophical... I think its a myth that any kind of study requires 100% uninterrupted focus - this tends to backfire and lead to burnout. I think one actually needs distractions, interruptions, etc. during ones studies in order to stay grounded.

 

[HayleySarg]

I see, so she's attempting to prevent me from burnout.

This cat is mostly comically relief. She is at least 1/4 ferret. She'll sleuth out any sort of fun object and make a mess of it. Recently victims include a bag of cotton balls, the poof from the shower, various pens and caps, and various USB cords.

 

[Ben Niehoff]

I also have a cat. She is fairly young (2.5 years), so I think she demands more attention than an older cat. But I think it is less effort than caring for a dog...I grew up with dogs, and I remember them being prone to making messes. This cat is remarkably well-behaved as long as I give her some play-time.

I adopted this cat during my 4th year of grad school. Not sure I'd recommend getting a cat earlier...the first three years were pretty busy with classes and TA duties. A cat or a dog can also be expensive. Make sure you get pet insurance (which is fairly cheap).