Help me sneak the kitties into my new building...

Ok guys, here's the situation. I am moving SOON and the complex I'm moving into doesn't take pets (except birds and fish). Now I am NOT leaving my babies and I have snuck my cats into complexes before to avoid the pet deposit, but this is kind of different, ya know? I was thinking that I would wait for about a month after I move in and get settled (I have someone who is kind enough to cat-sit in the meantime) and then sneak them in one night in the middle of the night. They are pretty quiet and really good cats, but I was wondering if you guys have any suggestions.

I couldn't pass this place up - it is SO great (except for the pet policy) and the only affordable place, too, but I won't give up my kitties, either. It's not like I'm bringing in 2 huge dogs - my kitties are small short-hair breeds...

I am open to any and all suggestions!

Help!!

Jadekitty,

My daughter did that. Her cat Callie was living at my house and my daughter missed her terribly. The policy was no pets. BUT...they had some tenants that were grandfathered in meaning they had pets before the policy went into effect. Therefore, they really couldn't tell which people were there before the policy took effect and which weren't. So it was pretty easy.

I'd be afraid to get caught. Besides, if the maintenance had to come into your place to do anything that was of emergency in nature, they can go in without giving you notice. I know how it is.

One suggestion would be to get some kind of sun tinting that easily goes on the windows where you can see out but people can't see in. This way your cats can enjoy the scenery without being seen.

Another thing you might want to think about is how much running around your cats do (alot?) and what floor you're on. If you're on the first floor you should have no problem. If it's the second or third floor, the neighbors might complain if they hear it. I have 7 cats and live on the 2nd floor. My cats do alot of running around and my neighbor has mentioned it to my landlord. Fortunately I've been there 5 years (3 years more than her) and my landlord is very understanding, although he's not sure how many cats I have at this point (I had 2 when I moved in).

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

Well normally I would totally agree with you, but I think I can pull it off because I will be on the 2nd story (which is the top floor) and no one can really see in my wondows. Also, I have a private entrance to my apartment, so it's not like there would be a hallway outside my front door where someone might potentially see the cats when I go in or out of the apartment. Personally, I can somewhat understand why they would't want dogs in apartments as they can be far more destructive to an apartment than a cat (most times), but not only are cats quiet (for the most part), they are also pretty clean and easy to take care of, besides which my cats are STRICTLY indoors cats.

I am open to any suggestions, though, so if any of you have snuck in a pet in a place where the policy is no pets, let me know how it went!

You're welcome.

JadeKitty....As long as they can't see in your windows, to see the cats sitting there....you would probably be okay....as long as noone hears them meowing. I am excited for you...I feel as if I am on a mission myself to sneak in the kitties!!!! Please keep us posted on how it goes!!!!!!!!!!!

PS....I think Donna meant to put a happy face there....but sometimes we all get the wrong similie!!!

Instead of trying to sneak the cats in, maybe try talking to the new landlord? Maybe give him a chance to observe the cats while your friend is cat sitting so he can see how good they are? If you get caught with them for some reason, you would be risking getting all of you kicked out with nowhere to go.....

I know these policies are a pain, and usually I would agree that they are ridiculous. Sometimes. if you talk to the landlord, you can be surprised at how reasonable they can be...

If all else fails, sneak them in.

LOL, I am just going to wish you luck on your mission. I have only snuck the cats into hotel rooms. Thats what I did, when we checked in...we took one at a time very quietly. GOOD LUCK

Well, I am determined to sneak the babies in. The complex is brand-spanking new and no one has lived there before. I wish I knew why they don't allow pets, but it is a complex run by a management company which I'm sure is not going to be lenient for one tennant. It isn't a private owner, otherwise I would go ahead and sit them down and convince them that there is no reason to worry about the cats. I'll only actually have one cat there and she is awfully quiet. Rarely, if ever, meows. And she's just a really great cat. I can't leave her behind. The only reason that I took this place is because it's got great features for the least amount of rent of any of the places I've looked at. Normally I would never move somewhere that didn't take cats, but seriously, this place is almost too good to be true.

Anyway, I'm thinking that I'm going to try it, afterall, what else could I do? She's my baby!!! I figure I'll wait about a month or so first, though. I'm nervous, but convinved that I can have her without problems!

Still, if any of you have had to do this, I am SO open to suggestions!!

Thanks, my cat-loving friends!!

Since you're determined to go ahead with Project Feline, have an emergency plan at the ready and rehearse it!

1. Where and how to hide the cats.

2. Where to hide the litter box.

3. How to hide any cat-related odors.

And the plan has to be executed within the time it usually takes you to go and answer the door.

Once you've mastered that, I mean really mastered that, be absolutely sure nobody — and I do mean nobody — who lives at the complex or could be in any way connected to the complex (through acquaintance, business or relation) knows you've had cats or now have cats living with you. Remember the old saying, "A secret is something you tell one person at a time." Tell the wrong person — no matter how innocent or understanding they pretend to be — and you're out on your ear!

Never, ever, count upon landlords or property-management companies to have a scintilla of humanity when it comes to tenants. They don't. It's their nature to value money over human beings, especially tenants; and "you can't change a leopard's spots." (My apologies to leopards everywhere.) You're nothing but a money machine to them! They've the law, which they bought and paid for via legislative lobbying, on their side. Never forget that.

Although it was mentioned with the best of intentions, bear in mind that artificially-darkened windows attract immediate attention in this age of big-money gun-toting drug dealing. Putting a film on your windows is like shouting, "Hey, there's something going on in here I don't want you to see." Similarly, cats perched on window sills is a death wish vis-a-vis your new living situation. You'll have to keep the window sills strictly off limits to your cats, via lots of stable nick-nacks or other seemingly-decorative window-sill objects. It doesn't matter if you live on the twenty-second storey, a cat in a window is visible from a long way off.

In short, you've moved into the wrong place. All your being there does is reward the anti-cat landlords and management companies. Until such time as those of us who pay for Mr. Landlord's kids to go to college stand against the inhumanity and narrow-mindedness of "no cats" policies, the oppression will spread. And the only way to stifle its spread is by witholding money from the landlord policy-setters who own the government.

That's just the way it is. So, good luck! I hope things work out for you and your cats, but be prepared to move into a cat-friendly environment on a moment's notice — because that's all they'll give you. I'm sorry, but there's no "up" side to this situation.



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I hear all of your concerns - believe me, I have gone over all of them myself. That is why I won't be bringing my baby in until after I've been there for about a month or two and my neighbors think I have no animals. As for the maintenance crew and all that, we ARE allowed to have birds and fish, so worst comes to worst, when they come to do anything in the apartment (which may not happen too often as the place is brand-new and never been lived in before), I'd put her in the bedroom and by law they are not allowed in the bedroom if the door is closed (at least that is the way it is here). They will most likely assume that I have fish in my bedroom... She is the quietest cat I have ever had, so I'm not worried that she would meow.

As for where to put the litterbox and stuff - I have an enormous walk-in closet, part of which will be reserved just for her. She sheds very little and I am very particular about cleaning any hair up because of my allergies. Also, I have never had a problem with cat odors because I have this fabulous "rolling" litterbox - if you haven't seen it, you should check it out, it's the best investment I have ever made for the cats and you never have to manually scoop! Also, she has NEVER been outside and apparently has no desire to as I've mistakenly left the front door open before and she never even made a move for it, just sat there and watched. So at least I won't have to worry about her potentially scurrying out the door one morning when I'm on my way to work.

It is a mission of mine to convert them to allow cats. Seriously, if I had to give them a deposit for having the cat, in this case, I would do it in a heartbeat. I am on a VERY limited budget right now and this was really the ONLY place I could find within my budget and still in a very nice, safe neighborhood. Hopefully next year I will have the means to move somewhere else that accepts cats, but in the meantime, I won't be without my baby for too long! I can't imagine my life without a cat as my companion!

The way I feel about cats, it's well worth the risks...

Wish me luck!!!

Well, I could explain it, but then this post would get a little lengthy, so I'll give you the link to the site I bought it from and you can check it out - it shows you with pictures exactly how it works. It's not automated, but it works just as well and is a whole lot cheaper, which was the only reason that I didn't get the LitterMaid system.

Check it out:
http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/p...SPNHGTDL3W2G2A

It works GREAT!

I give it 8 paws up from my 2 kitties!

Jade:

First, if you have weighed all the potential problems and know what COULD happen, then I say "go for it".

Second, that litter box looks fabulous! Thanks for the link to the site!

Deb 25 is absolutely correct: Go for it! My lengthy and stern post was an attempt to make sure you'd taken all contingencies into consideration — and as you've done so, there's no point in not going forward with your plan.

Several years ago, when I was homeless, I lived for a short time with the father of a lady-friend of mine. He lived in a "no pets" apartment complex. He knew I had cats, so he agreed to allow one (Guido) to come with me. The tragedy was that the other two (Camille and Rita) went to the "Humane" Society where they were almost immediately killed. I've never been able to forgive myself for their deaths.

Nevertheless Guido survived not only that, but subsequent unfamiliar room-and-board situations — until finally he realized a stable home environment, replete with many cats, during the evening of his life.

Best of luck to you and your feline buddies!



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just wanted to say good luck! I've had no experience in anything of this sort before, so all I can do to help is offer my blessings! I'll pray for you!