Cats

[xjustquietx.livejournal.com]

I was wondering if I could get the opinion of some of the cat owners in the area who've had similar experiences. I live in an apartment where pets aren't allowed, but everyone assured me it would be no big deal if I brought my cat. Kind of a "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Well, people have been coming in, doing a lot of repairs lately, and I've been staying home to make sure they don't see the cat. Actually, I'm concerned if she runs out when they come in. Not only do I not want to keep her locked in the bathroom for 9 hours while I'm at work, the door doesn't exactly stay closed. I'd drop her off with friends, but they all have cats too, and they don't typically get along. I don't like the idea of dropping her off in a strange house (to her) and then leaving her for hours at a time... I might as well just stay at home with her. But due to all the repairs and their crazy schedule, I'll be home for days at a time, and it seems to be happening every few weeks. I don't think working from home a couple days a week every other week is very impressive to my bosses.

Anyone else with not-so-legal cats in the area? How do you handle repairs? What's your experience? Any suggestions? Other than "don't break the rules."

Thanks.

Comments

[swingchickie.livejournal.com]

when that happened in my last apartmernt (same exact situation), i'd board my cat at the vet for the day. not great, but i knew he was safe.

[mrpet.livejournal.com]

We had a no pets policy on the lease and when we asked they said, "of course you can have cats, we just don't want dogs in the house" We got them to write an amendment to the lease and now we have two legal kitties!

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

I did something similar. My landlord had had a bad experience with cats. I created a pet resume (http://www.sfspca.org/opendoor/petresume.shtml) with photos and letters of reference from former landlords. He was swayed (especially with the sizable pet deposit I offered him), and I got to move in with my kitties.

Later on, he told me he loves my cats, "They're wicked sweet," he said. He loves that when he comes over to repair something, they follow him around.

pet resume!

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

That is the best idea ever.

Re: pet resume!

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

It really is. I used to live in San Francisco and the SF-SPCA is pretty huge. They advocate it everywhere...and, nicely, there are more and more apartments allowing pets because of their lobbying.

[four-thorns.livejournal.com]

my lease originally said no pets allowed, but after living in the apartment for two months and showing my landlady that i was a good tenant, i asked about getting a cat and she said that would be fine with her (she had a cat herself, so it probably helped that she was a cat person to begin with)

[four-thorns.livejournal.com]

oh and also we had mice in the apartment and i think she preferred us getting a cat to her paying for an exterminator

[othniel77.livejournal.com]

I'd lived in a few anti-pet apartments, and the first thing I always did upon move-in was to change the locks so that no one could get in, unauthorized, while I was at work (keep the orig. lock in a drawer, and re-install it when you move out.)

[aspasia02.livejournal.com]

that's really risky, though - maybe it's depending on your lease, but making sure the owner of the building doesn't have access to your apartment could get you evicted. There's a reason they legally have to give you warning before they enter - to prevent situations like this one.

[xjustquietx.livejournal.com]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I love the pet resume too, and I'd probably do the vet thing if I had a car (I usually taxi to Fresh Pond Animal Hospital). Maybe I should search the archives for a closer vet... but I am a good tenant, so I'll just take my chances and if I get confronted I'll bring that up, and the pet resume.

Thanks again!

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

Porter Square Vet comes highly recommended and is right near the Rosebud.