My cousin just called me. She said she wants to take her cat to college when the semester starts and asked me how she should explain it to her mom. Isn't that a bit ridiculous?

Actually, it's not. Schools in Chongqing, Kunming, and Xi'an have started pilot programs this year. They've designated pet-friendly areas on campus and even set up places for pet boarding.

Keeping a cat in the dorm? Would her roommates be okay with that? I have a student in my class who starts sneezing whenever they get near a cat.

Pets aren't allowed in dorms, classrooms, or libraries. They have to stay in designated areas, and students go there every day to feed them and clean up.

Then how many times would she have to go back and forth every day? And have they made it clear how much boarding costs and how many pets they can accommodate?

That's exactly the problem. There's been a lot of publicity, but details like the fees and who is responsible if something goes wrong are still vague. And most of these announcements have come from private universities around their admissions period.

It sounds like a gimmick to attract students. I understand that having a cat for company can help when she's studying far from home, but what happens to the cat if the university suddenly ends the program halfway through?

That's why you shouldn't agree to it just yet. Have her ask the university about the specific rules, especially what happens during school holidays, and then decide whether to bring the cat.

All right, I'll call her back now. Better to sort it out before both she and the cat end up in a difficult situation.