My babies may have to go to a new home

Over the next month, the people we rent our home to are going to start showing our apartment. Not only do I feel like I'm being HUGELY invaded by all of this, (I mean, really? I'm packing my stuff to leave, and that's when the house is the biggest wreck possible) but we're not actually allowed to have cats here.

I know, I never should have brought them here if I wasn't allowed to have them. But it was only supposed to be Prissy, and she's easy to toss outside and hide her things should someone come over. But then Loudmouth showed up, pregnant and in not-so-good health, having her babies while there's snow on the ground. There's no shelter or rescue here that would have taken her without euthanizing her, or at least the kittens. So I took her in, planning on getting everyone healthy and to new homes, vac'd and spayed/neutered.

But you guys know how it goes. You get attached. I did get most of everyone new homes (for two sets of 7 or 8 kittens, plus mom, that's no small feat) and everyone was either already spayed/ neutered, or had certificates for the procedure where I had already paid half of the procedure. But Cuddles got so attached to me, No one wanted to adopt Ginger, and Smudge got super attached to Cuddles and Ginger -- he's a very very nervous cat, and he would not rehome well at all. All the time that Ginger was gone, Smudge was depressed and upset.

So here I am, trying so hard to find somewhere for the cats to go for just 3 weeks. I can't leave them outside. I asked a friend to keep them but she wants 200 a week. My sitter can't keep them at her place because she can't have pets either. I've called the local pets stores to see if they could board them, and they've said no less than $60 per cat per week. Boarding them is even more expensive.

I don't have anywhere to keep them for the next 3 weeks, and I don't know what to do. My only last option is to find them new homes and this is making me cry. I couldn't sleep last night because I was so worried and upset, trying to wrack my brain and find some alternative.

Can anyone think of something that I've missed? Please, I'm looking for any other possible option.

If that friend is reliable I'd find some way to get $600, be it delivering pizzas, selling stuff or budgeting more strictly. You could also offer your friend something like housecleaning services for X amount of time, or lawn care or something in exchange for all or part of the care of the pets. Honestly, the price she's asking is very fair. It is a BIG deal to care for someone else's pets.

Good luck.

We've already super-tightened our budget to afford the gas for two trucks and trailers and two cars to each drive the 800 mile round trip it's going to take to get us to our new place. That's like $500 alone, right there.

We are really really tight on money. We've shut off our TV, our Home phone, canceled our Netflix, cut back on our cell phone plan, we're barely using any water or electricity so the bills will be lower. We're not going out to eat and we're living off Ramen here at home so that we can save some money on groceries too. We sold our two smaller analog tvs, dvd player and vcr that were in the closet. I even sold some of my artwork so that we'd have a little more money. Any money that can be scrounged has been.

At any other time, what she's asking would be somewhat ok by me. However, we're trying to move and if we run out of gas then we're screwed. Not to mention that one of the cars is on it's last leg (er, tire) and we're half expecting it to break down before we get to where we're going. And I have to rent a storage unit to put our stuff in at least temporarily.

She wants the money up front, too, and I just don't know how we could possibly do it. Like I said, we're down to our last 100 in the account until the 15th. I'd offer to exchange services but she wants cash. Neither she nor her live in boyfriend have a job right now, so they've got plenty of time to do their own cleaning and housework and yard work.

Ironically, I did apply at the dominoes here about delivering pizzas, since they had a "driver's wanted" sign up. They called me in for an interview but when I said I'd be leaving in a month they said nevermind, they didn't want to hire me after all. No one wants to hire someone who's going to be gone in 3 weeks.

Originally Posted by CatMom2Wires

You could also offer your friend something like housecleaning services for X amount of time, or lawn care or something in exchange for all or part of the care of the pets.

Click to expand...

Have you considered this idea? I've been unemployed for way too long, and for the past couple of years I've given "gifts of time" for birthdays and holidays. Babysitting, painting, yardwork... everyone has little things they need done around the house, and if you could provide services for your friend in lieu of money, that could be a good option for both of you.

I hope it all works out!!

Well, I would think it would be impossible to rehome all of them on a moment's notice unless you are planning to surrender them to a shelter. You could always try the honest approach with your landlord and tell him/her you have some cats but I suppose then he would charge you for "damages" although it might be less than what your friend would charge.

I'll keep thinking on it!

Cally

I don't know what the rates would be, but you could try asking local shelters for temporary foster care options. I know some places do short-term care of pets when families facing foreclosure need time to find a new place to live.

Either that, find a new and willing friend/family member, or take out a credit line...


You certainly sound like an extremely caring, passionate 'volunteer' who has worked tirelessly to save their lives and deserves better. Here's hoping for a workable solution !

Good luck -- let us know how it goes.

I think asking the shelters for temporary care is a sensible solution and worth a try.

If they can't help perhaps one of the pet shops that offers boarding or even one of the actual pet boarding kennels in the area would accept a trade of boarding for work (exchange)?
It's worth asking, they could only say no.

Could you ask a family member and trade babysitting or house/ yard work - they may be more willing to help.
OR maybe your friend who wanted the money for pet sitting would accept it in installments?

Good luck

Couldn't you just put them in the car during inspection times? Or take a short drive with them.

When I moved out of a rental even though I was allowed cats I took a drive with them, this was to ensure they weren't accidentally let out.

Originally Posted by missymotus

Couldn't you just put them in the car during inspection times? Or take a short drive with them.

Click to expand...

http://www.ehow.com/how_4817342_sell...e-of-pets.html
How to Sell Your Home in Spite of Your Pets

And I noticed also that the Clarksville 'shelter' is apparently more a rescue organization of volunteers and foster homes than a physical location. So after explaining the circumstances, aren't there two or three ready made families that would accept one or more for such a short period of time ? Provided of course you guarantee the food, supplies, medications and veterinary treatments if needed, etc.

The upside is they can't become too attached knowing it is going right back to a great home ... !

What can they do if they see you have cats, throw you out? You are moving.
Dont worry about it. Keep them with you and make sure you take pictures or video to document that there were no damages caused by the kitties and if there are, you would be responsible for that whether the landlord knows about them or not.

You should have laws that govern how much in advance the landlord has to give you before he/she can enter your home. If you can make excuses about how that day isnt convenient for the next 3 weeks, that would be good. What would be even better is that no one comes to look at the apartment.

Thank you thank you THANK YOU for all the advice. I'll start tracking some of this down.

Mystic Spiral: No, I TRIED offering services already. The friend is an ambitious photagrapher and I offered to make her several high end couture outfits for her models for photoshoots, but she turned that down. She LITERALLY wants cash in hand. She said it would not be worth "the trouble" for less than $200 a week. They have automatic feeders and waterers, and the litterbox that you roll to remove the clumps. It's not like it would be that much trouble.

Catmom2wires: I was paying rent when another renter was "outprocessing", and I've seen what happens when they discover someone has a pet here. It's not pretty. Any little tiny thing that could POSSIBLY be attributed to a pet is billed to the renter, including replacing carpet. No, I really really can't afford that.

elayman: I really really wish I had someone else to turn to but I don't. In the 3 years or so that I've lived here, I've only made 4 or 5 friends, and they've either moved away or can't take pets. We have absolutely no family here. The closest family is honestly and seriously 400+ miles away. My parents do not have anywhere they could isolate my pets from theirs, and they don't treat their pets for fleas or worms or anything. My mother-in-law is a German Shep "Breeder" (of the backyard puppy mill variety) and has a pit bull and pom-a-poo in the house at all times -- my cats are going to be traumatized enough without dealing with my worthless in-laws and their ignorance of proper pet care. And you're right, there is no shelter of any sort here. Any animals taken to the "shelter" are put to sleep within a few days because they literally don't have anywhere to put them. Clarksville needs a REAL shelter so badly it's ridiculous. I will ask but I don't know what they can do for me. They wouldn't even come get Loudmouth when she was having complications with birthing, although they offered to euth her and the kittens.

KittymcG: I've thought about the pet-store option, but the pet stores I've been to around here are pretty disreputable and I'm afraid my cats will catch something incurable there. I can try to trade boarding for work. Like you said it's worth a shot. Not even the vets office would accept my offer of work for boarding though. --sigh--

Missymotus: That's not too bad of an idea. Although trying to get all four of them out there in the 10 minutes of warning time I would have would probably not be easy. It may be my last-minute defense though.

Since my hubby is Army, I tried getting their emergency pet-care assistance, but they said it's only for things like when a soldier deploys unexpectedly, etc, and since the Army is kicking Hubby out (medical retirement) they really don't want to devote any resources to us anyway. Thanks again though for all the replies. I just can't figure out what to do, but I'm feeling a little less stressed and a little less hopeless.

Is the concern any might escape through doors and windows that visitors leave ajar ? Stick all three in a dog-size cage or crate with litter and water and a sheet over the top during the time of a showing. Find a secure location in the car or whatever if leaving them inside is not a realistic possibility.

Not exactly free, but still for a fraction of the cost of your friend.

They already have a dog-size kennel that I keep their litter box in. It's both for the transport of the 3 that can handle cages/crates, and it cuts down on the spread of litter when they exit the pan, since they have to walk the length of the kennel before they hit the carpet.

The concern is that I need to "hide" the pets and all of their accessories because I am not supposed to have pets in this home. --sigh-- Why do I have to have such a soft spot for the weak and helpless?

Did you see my response above?... I thought maybe by the timing of your post that maybe you didnt.

They legally cannot bill you to replace carpet or anything for that matter that is not normal wear-and-tear.
They can only bill you for actual damage.
Now they can try to bill you, but it is not legal and you can fight it.
For all they know, the kitties just just came into your apartment today.

Look up your tenant laws in your area.

Thank you Pami -- no I didn't see your post. I had opened the reply box by then and was reading the link that elayman had posted.

We've been here for almost 3 years -- what do you think would constitute normal wear and tear? And I'm not sure I could afford to fight it. Like I said, we're doing good just to feed ourselves and the kitties right now. I didn't realize that moving would cost us so much.

Originally Posted by SamhainBorn

And you're right, there is no shelter of any sort here. Any animals taken to the "shelter" are put to sleep within a few days because they literally don't have anywhere to put them. Clarksville needs a REAL shelter so badly it's ridiculous.

Click to expand...

That is beyond obscene. My area is in no way a progressive or innovative community for addressing animal welfare but we are maybe 60% the population of Clarksville and boast two county Humane Societies plus a No-Kill working in league with various rescue networks. You could always try Nashville if all else fails...

I agree with Pami on this one. The landlord can't throw you out - you're moving anyway.

If you're worried that the landlord might bill you for "damages" then don't leave a forwarding address.

Tracing you would cost him/her a lot more.

I'd tell him it's not convenient for the next three weeks as well. I don't think a landlord has any right to let prospective new tenants view the property while you still live in it. Would the landlord be liable if any of your personal possessions went missing while prospective new tenants were viewing the property?

When I rented private some years ago, my landlady decided to sell the house. We were given first option but because we are older and weren't in the best paid jobs in the world, and didn't want a huge mortgage round our necks, we reluctantly had to say no - pity as I really liked the house although I prefer the one I'm in now much more.

She wouldn't have dreamed on even having a surveyor in, let alone prospective buyers until we had moved out. I had many cats then too and they had done some damage to the back door but she never billed me for it - she was an animal lover too

However, we are in the UK so I don't know what the laws are like in America.

Clean your apartment really well before they go in so there is no cat smell and tell the landlord you are just fostering them for a family member for a couple of weeks while they are on summer vacations. Take all the cat furniture out before they start showing - make it look like it is not a cat house.
If they throw you out, you are already leaving...... I would not worry about it and no way I would give up on my babies since I am leaving the place anyways...

Originally Posted by elayman

That is beyond obscene.

My area is in no way a progressive or innovative community for addressing animal welfare but we are maybe 60% the population of Clarksville and boast two county Humane Societies plus a No-Kill working in league with various rescue networks. You could always try Nashville if all else fails...

Click to expand...

I've tried Nashville. They are full to bursting with the overflow from the surrounding areas. Kitten season, after all. I've been in contact with some of the "private" rescues, too, which are really just people like me with a bit more land, money, and freedom to do what they want. NO ONE has room for extra cats right now. --sigh -- this is so complicated and it's pathetic. The first time I brought a feral cat into a Clarksville vet's office and asked if they did TNR, they looked at me like I was crazy. The stray and especially the feral population out here is horrible.

Python: I wish there was some way for us not to leave a forwarding address, but we've got to file a change of address with the post office in order to receive the next few checks that the Army is going to pay my husband, as well as get his final discharge paperwork, etc. Anything that gets sent to this address in our name will then be sent to our new address, including any bills from our Landlord.

I definitely feel like my privacy, my safety, and the safety of my personal belongings is being put into jeopardy by them letting other people in to view the apartment. I think I am going to call them on Monday and ask them what right they think they have to let others into my home while I'm still here.

The thought HAS crossed my mind to be sitting Skyclad (naked) in my living room meditating with incense burning when they come in, with pagan symbols chalked onto my area rug. I figured it would give them enough of a shock that they'd go away.

If they tried to blame you for anything, reading up on the rental laws, you could actually respond to them yourself. With the right info written, they would know, you know your rights.

Any damage that is caused whether by your babies or someone else, you are responsible for. So it doesnt matter whether the kitties are there or not.

Just make sure you have the place as spotless as you can, when you go. If you have had any issues with any kitties spraying, you will have to clean that up with an enzyme cleaner.

Normal wear and tear is usually worn carpet, faded paint, etc. Things that just naturally happen with age. Damage is something that was damaged other than a natural progression of age.