# asking landlord about getting a cat



## Azurah (Jun 29, 2006)

I rent a 2 bedroom apartment and I have a great landlord, except no pets was part of the rental agreement. To fulfill my need for fur-friends, my boyfriend and I have two cats at his place.

This morning a co-worker announced that there's very big chance she might move back to the mainland and she asked if there was any chance I could adopt her cat. Her cat is a 7 yr old calico female, totally declawed (by the owner before her). She's really sweet, mellow, and affectionate. I once cat-sat while her owner was away and she was great. I'd love to adopt her. Do you think I could convince my landlord? She has no claws and she's quiet.


----------



## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Good luck! Landlords usually have that rule because of a past bad experience (extensive damage, etc.). Also, I'm not sure how many units are in your building, but if he lets you, he's going to have to let the other tenants. I'm not sure what the practice is there, but here, they require a deposit in most cases AND charge "pet rent." In fact, this is the first place I've lived in over 15 years of renting that allows pets at all.

But it won't hurt to ask - you could even offer to introduce them to each other. 

I *do* wish you good luck!


----------



## moggiegirl (May 15, 2005)

You can try but often Landlords don't allow it because cats can ruin carpets with their vomit and urine. I remember when I was living in a no pets apartment and although the apartment manager had cats I was forbidden to have cats, so I started looking for an apartment that allows pets. Then I inherited my own condo. Could you move to another apartment or maybe marry your boyfriend? Of course marriage involves other considerations besides having pets but I'm just trying to come up with ideas. :wink:


----------



## Sky Eyes Woman (Feb 26, 2006)

You could try. Make sure you stress that this cat will be kept indoors at all times and there will be no problems with fleas, and that the cat is already spayed. Be prepared for him to possibly say that if he lets you have a pet in his "No pets" apartment he would have to let other tenants have pets too. IME, most landlords just want to avoid damage caused by careless people, it's not that they hate animals or something like that.

ETA- pwned by F5!


----------



## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

moggiegirl said:


> Could you ....maybe marry your boyfriend?



:lol: :lol: :lol:


----------



## Zalensia (Aug 25, 2003)

moggiegirl said:


> You can try but often Landlords don't allow it because cats can ruin carpets with their vomit and urine.


Just wanted to say there, thats only if it is not dealt with. My poor old (new)(now burnt) carpet has seen plenty of cat pee, spray, vomit, poop and the dogs contribution! But none have ever ruined the carpet.


----------



## Azurah (Jun 29, 2006)

It's a townhouse style apartment and he only owns the until I'm renting, not the whole apartment. Lots of other people in the complex have pets, it's just up to each unit owner whether they're allowed or not.

My boyfriend's cottage is out of the question. It's owned by his grandmother and it's in really bad shape. I also have my son and my mom who live with me and their wouldn't be any place for them.


----------



## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Then I think your chances are *much* better!   Especially with her being declawed (I know - not a good thing, but landlords like that).


----------



## Azurah (Jun 29, 2006)

We had to clean the carpet because my son made all kinds of messes on it when he was 2. If he lets us have a messy child, he has to let us have a cat. She can't do anything worse than my son did.


----------



## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

That's always been my issue with not allowing pets - kids do MUCH more damage! :?


----------



## Azurah (Jun 29, 2006)

Exactly. The most she could do is urinate or vomit on the carpet.


----------



## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

NOTE TO SELF: Read these posts _*after*_ lunch. :?


----------



## Sunshine'sMeowmie (Jul 12, 2006)

Good luck with asking your landlord. i hope he lets you!!


----------



## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Also stress that the cat is older and has no history of causing damage. And promise to pay for anything if damage does occur.


----------



## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Well, my landlord just called and is probably going to kick me out because I still have Cinderella. This whole thread has jinxed me. She said I told her Cinderella was only temporary, which is a lie. She said "rescued her" means temporary. long story, so depressed. going to go home and cry.  


Edited to add: don't want to hijack this thread so no more discussion of MY problem here, o.k.?


----------



## SneezerCallie (Aug 29, 2005)

My apartment was no pets too-but after about 6 months of being a good tenant I asked if I could get a cat and they said yes. When they saw the second they didn't care a bit. Good luck


----------



## gsc4 (Mar 27, 2005)

When I rented my apartment I talked my landlord into my cat. I got a pet reference from my old landlord saying that I had been a good tenant and that my cat never caused any damage in the 3 different apartments I rented from the first landlord. Initially she asked for double the usual no-pet secutiry deposit but after a couple of uneventful years she actually refunded some of it. 

Now my landlord allows cats in any apartment. A good landlord realizes that how much a pet harms the apartment is really up to the tenant. Shoot, I have done more damage to my apartment then any of my cats have. 

Point out that this cat is already declawed and spayed and healthy. Offer up front to increase your security deposit. Offer to have the carpets steamed cleaned at your expense once a year. You need to show the landlord that you are taking all the responsibility and he will not increase his risk. 

And you already have probably the best argument going for you ... No sane landlord wants to lose a reliable tenant who pays on time and does not cause any trouble. If that is you, you have a good bargainig chip. 

Good luck.


----------



## Azurah (Jun 29, 2006)

Hey everyone. I called my landlord yesterday and explained that my coworker is moving and asked if I could take her cat. I said that she was a 7 year old female, TOTALLY declawed, quiet, and has always been an indoor cat so she has no fleas. 

He said that he'd be okay with an outdoor only cat, but he doesn't want any pets indoors. I mentioned again that she has no claws so she couldn't go outside and he said that the previous owner of the unit had a cat and it destroyed the place and in his own words "just doesn't want any cat's in the unit". 

I'm completely crushed. I didn't argue further because I don't want to be on bad terms with my landlord. We're good tenants, have been there at least 2 yrs and haven't once paid rent late. I have a feeling he just isn't a pet person. 

I told my coworker and she pleaded with me to take the cat to my boyfriend's house. We just adopted a new cat last week and he and Momo aren't getting along yet and we just don't have the space. This is so depressing.

And Marie, that's terrible. I cried when my landlord said I couldn't adopt my coworkers cat, but your situation is even worse.


----------



## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

See? One bad experience and it ruins it for everyone. Thanks for the nice words. I'm getting Keesha this weekend, and I'm just going to move into a pet-friendly place. I'm so sorry you can't take the cat, though.


----------



## Azurah (Jun 29, 2006)

I wish I could move to a pet friendly place. Our rent is a steal compared to rent costs on similar units. I can just barely cover rent now that I'm going to school and working less hours so I have no choice but to stay here for now.

I pay $950 for a 2bed/1bath and nowadays it's nearly impossible to find even a 1bed/1bath under $1300 on this island. :? I wish I had the option of living rent-free with parents.


----------



## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

That rent *is* a steal! I'd stay, too. I'll be hard-pressed to find that good of a deal for one bedroom (sorry, Jeanie). But I really want two bedrooms....


----------



## nklincoln (Aug 2, 2005)

Aloha Azurah,
Does you landlord live off island? If so how often does he visit? Do you have a lani that you could maybe enclose?
I live on the BI wish I could help. 
They do have a no kill shelter on Maui look into that. East Maui Animal Refuge - Non-profit no-kill refuge
Good Luck


----------



## Azurah (Jun 29, 2006)

My landlord does live on the island and he comes around every month or so to trim the grass. We live on the ground floor so we don't have a lanai and there isn't any way to enclose the yard. 

I do know about the no-kill shelter and if anything that'll be my co-workers last resort. Right now, as crazy as it would be, I'm seeing if my boyfriend would be willing to keep her at his place along with our other 2 kitties. We're still in the process of introducing the new cat to our old cat and it's not going so well which is why I didn't want to take her initially.


----------



## OrangeJulius (Aug 23, 2006)

*keep*

Just keep the cats, you can just say they are outdoor but they come in every now and then. Just take care of your place.


----------



## sefaleth (Mar 8, 2006)

If you landlord is concerned about damage, how about trying out a kitty hutch like this one?. You would let them out when you are home to supervise them, of course.


----------



## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I just emailed someone on Craigslist to ask if cats were allowed (the ad didn't say), and he responded that yes, they are, but *I *would have to pay to replace the carpeting and padding in the entire place when I leave. So, basically, he was saying "no" because who would agree to that?? :?


----------



## nklincoln (Aug 2, 2005)

Azurah how did you survive in the earthquake? I am on the Hilo side two story house swayed alot. Kona got it pretty bad.


----------



## Azurah (Jun 29, 2006)

My boyfriend and I were in bed and it woke us up. We were both pretty stunned, but nothing fell down and our apartment building was fine. We live pretty much at sea level so it wasn't so bad, but some of our friends who live up higher had things fall off shelves and break. 

Did you lose power over there? We lost power for about 3 hours.


----------

