Given the pressures of school and the emotional strain of being far from home, many college students are defying school policy and keeping pets in their dormitories.
Small animals such as hamsters, turtles and spiders are favored as college pets. A junior from the Haikou College of Economics surnamed Shi keeps a Chilean rose tarantula in the dorm.
"He's quiet and shy so my roommates like him. It's amazing to see him grow," said Shi.
"Our school policy forbids having pets in the dorm mainly due to health concerns, but students still hide them during inspections," a dorm manager surnamed Wu at Jilin University told the Global Times. "I've witnessed several sad events when a pet died because of negligence."
An official surnamed Qiu with the Hainan Center for Disease Control and Prevention also cautions students not to keep pets in their dorm. "Bites or scratches from rodents can cause viral hemorrhagic fever. Animal hair and parasites can trigger allergies or lead to infections in such small rooms where hygiene is not necessarily guaranteed," said Qiu.