It’s not surprising that we, as humans, have such a unique connection with animals and need their companionship to remind us of the simple pleasures in life.

I recently talked to many student pet owners to see which pets they have and even grab some recommendations for easily cared-for animals.

Senior Savannah Herbst is a proud owner of Inly, who happens to be a corn snake. Inly’s name is actually an acronym.

“It stands for ‘I’m not lost yet’ because he’s my fourth snake,” Herbst said.

Snakes are extremely easy pets to take care of. They only require food, water and cage-cleaning once a week. Herbst said she highly recommends a pet snake for a college student because of the low cost.

Josh Kent keeps a rose-haired tarantula, cleverly named Rosy. He says they are the easiest pets to have.

“As long as you’re comfortable with them inside your house, they’re comfortable,” Kent said.

Tarantulas are low-cost pets because they only eat about 10 crickets every two weeks.

Junior Bri Palmer lives with three cats: Draco, Luna and Khaleesi. Taking care of all three cats is a joint effort and commitment of her and her two roommates.

“I would absolutely recommend having cats as a college pets — the more the merrier,” she said.

Senior Emily Groover has a hedgehog named Beatrice.

She feeds Beatrice cat food and cleans her pen about every four days.

“Upkeep for her is less than $10 a month,” she said. “The only thing is that you have to keep up with their temperature.”

Beatrice requires a heater to keep her from balling up and going into hibernation.

Getting a pet is a win-win situation: the pets gain a loving home, and the students will have a new friend to keep them company.

However, no matter which pets a students might consider purchasing, they all require a dedicated owner who will to take care of their needs, as well as someone who will give them time and attention. Keep that in mind when deciding to get a hedgehog, tarantula, snake or cat as the next household pet.