{"id":394011,"date":"2026-09-08T20:28:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T20:28:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/394011\/"},"modified":"2026-09-08T20:28:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T20:28:14","slug":"why-some-usf-students-are-turning-to-cats-for-companionship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/394011\/","title":{"rendered":"Why some USF students are turning to cats for companionship"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/a>USF students say cats provide companionship, comfort and a sense of home during college. ORACLE GRAPHIC\/AMARIS BAEZ<\/p>\n

For some USF students, coming home from a long day of classes means more than just returning to an empty apartment. It means being greeted by a cat.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Alejandro Velez Lizasoain, a junior health sciences major, never planned on adopting a cat. His cat first appeared outside his apartment in January and followed him around before he eventually took him inside.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After taking the cat to a shelter to check for a microchip, Lizasoain kept visiting him for several weeks before deciding to adopt him.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, he said, having a cat gives him another reason to come home.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to go home now because I have my cat,\u201d Lizasoain said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lizasoain is not the only one turning to cats for companionship. Cat ownership increased 5% in the United States in 2025, with 53 million U.S. households owning a cat, according to the American Pet Products Association. <\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

The organization reported that Gen Z and Millennials propelled the growth.<\/p>\n

For some students, cats can provide companionship, comfort and a sense of home during a period of college life that often involves living alone, managing schoolwork and adjusting to a new routine.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dr. Stephanie Circuni, a licensed clinical psychologist at the USF University Counseling Center, said college can be a period of major transition as students adjust to new environments, people, responsibilities and experiences.<\/p>\n

Having something familiar and consistent can help students feel grounded during that transition, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnimals can provide that contentment, that predictability, that companionship,\u201d Circuni said.<\/p>\n

Related: Meet the \u2018Star\u2019 of USF Police<\/a><\/p>\n

Giovanna Barci, a junior criminology major, adopted her first cat, Tigress, in May 2025 after wanting an animal to help her manage her stress with college.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI just wanted an animal that I could take with me back to college that could help me de-stress,\u201d Barci said.<\/p>\n

Barci now has three cats: Tigress, Raja, and Salem.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She said her cats have become a part of her daily routine and give her something to look forward to when she comes home from classes or work.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t make my home feel like a house,\u201d Barci said. \u201cThey make my home feel like an actual home.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Barci said her cats have also helped her when she feels lonely.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I\u2019m asleep, they\u2019re sleeping with me. If I\u2019m awake, they\u2019re always around me,\u201d Barci said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For Brian Bobeica, a junior biology major, adopting a cat was also about finding an animal that fit his lifestyle.<\/p>\n

Bobeica became interested in cats after spending time with a friend\u2019s cat. He initially tried to foster one but eventually decided to adopt.<\/p>\n

He said he considered how much responsibility different pets would require before choosing a cat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not super responsible enough to walk a dog every day,\u201d Bobeica said.<\/p>\n

Instead, taking care of his cat has become part of his routine. He feeds the cat every day and cleans the litter box almost daily.<\/p>\n

While the students had different reasons for adopting their cats, each described the animals as a source of companionship.<\/p>\n

Circuni said interacting with a pet can also provide students with a break from other stressors. Petting a cat, hearing it purr, or simply sitting with it can help students focus on something immediately in front of them rather than the demands of school or other parts of their lives.<\/p>\n

She said cats can also give students a sense of routine and responsibility.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPets are a responsibility, and so it does allow you to maybe feel like you\u2019re taking care of something, not just yourself.\u201d Circuni said, \u201cThen that hopefully helps create a bit of structure, a routine to your day and to your experiences that can be very grounding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related: USF\u2019s Botanical Gardens welcomes Beren the dog<\/a><\/p>\n

For Lizasoain, caring for his cat has changed his own routine. He said he now looks forward to returning home, checking that his cat has everything he needs and spending time with him. He also said his cat has made his apartment feel less lonely.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I have a family now,\u201d Lizasoain said.<\/p>\n

Circuni said that cats can also provide companionship without requiring the same type of care as some other pets.<\/p>\n

However, Circuni said students should consider the responsibilities that come with owning an animal before adopting.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to remember that cats are a responsibility,\u201d Circuni said. \u201cSo we have to be able to have the finances to properly care for them, properly treat them, properly make sure they\u2019re getting all their medical needs.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Students should also make sure their housing allows pets and understand any applicable housing policies, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust deciding to get a cat is step one,\u201d Circuni said. \u201cBeing able to actually hold onto that cat is a big part of it as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Barci, the responsibility has become part of what makes having her cats meaningful.<\/p>\n

She feeds them in the morning and at night and spends time playing with them when her schedule allows.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like it\u2019s a nice change in schedule,\u201d Barci said. \u201cBecause instead of just having my own thing, I have someone to take care of, and they\u2019re always gonna be there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lizasoain said adopting his cat has made him more interested in staying home and spending time with him. While he originally never intended to become a cat owner, he said the bond he developed with his cat made the decision worthwhile.<\/p>\n

Unlike dogs, which he said can often be more immediately affectionate, Lizasoain likes that cats require trust to build a relationship.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to earn their love,\u201d Lizasoain said. \u201cAnd when you earn it, it feels more genuine.\u201d<\/p>\n

For these students, adopting a cat has become part of their routines and lives in their apartments. Their cats have become a presence in their day-to-day college lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"USF students say cats provide companionship, comfort and a sense of home during college. ORACLE GRAPHIC\/AMARIS BAEZ For…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":394012,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[135,137,136],"class_list":["post-394011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=394011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394011\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/394012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=394011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=394011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=394011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}