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Roommate Dilemma

post #1 of 6
6/6/11 at 7:03pm
Thread Starter 
First, the background:
Moved in with my roommate about 5-6 months ago.
Everything was copacetic, besides a few issues with sharing chores at first.
Nice place to live, rent is the cheapest I've ever had.
Originally moved in because roommate was a friend of a friend, going through the fight for cancer and needed some help around the house.

Now, the problem:
Roommate is allergic to cats.
Wasn't an issue to begin with because the roommate was taking allergy meds. Now she can't because there may be a possible interaction or some other medical hobunky that means "really bad things could happen when you mix prescriptions with OTC/allergy meds".

So, her solution? Kick my cat to the curb.

Details:
My cat is normally an indoor cat. As of lately, he was indoor and outdoor. But I like sleeping with him and he likes eating inside.
So now he's not eating and I'm not sleeping.

What am I supposed to do?
The rent is really cheap and I'm having a VERY hard time finding another place to live that I can afford without starving to death.

Now I'm constantly worried he's going to get hit by a car, catch a disease, get into a bad fight (especially bad if it's with one of the raccoons or possums that populate the area), etc etc etc.

Any advice?
I could really use anything at this point.
Thanks.
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post #2 of 6
6/6/11 at 7:08pm
Is it possible to just keep him in your room only? That way his hair and whatnot would be contained to only one room, she would have no reason to go in there, so it shouldn't bother her too much.

She could also talk to her doctor and see if there are any allergy meds that she could be taking, either natural or OTC/prescription. I have heard that putting a small amount of vaseline inside the nose can help tremendously with airborne allergens, although I have not personally tried it.
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post #3 of 6
6/6/11 at 7:13pm
Allergies can be really horrible and bad for your health, and if she legitimately can't take meds for it, you can't really blame her for wanting the cat out. Its the only true way to eliminate allergy symptoms is to get rid of the source.

The only other solutions minimize the allergies, they don't fix them, and that may not be sufficient for your roommate.

Keep the cat in your room w/ a *real* HEPA filter such as the Rabbit Air BioGS w/ ionization that can cycle the air at least twice an hour to be effective can help: http://www.amazon.com/Rabbit-Air-Bio...7412617&sr=8-1

Combine that with furminating, vacuuming, dusting, and wiping the cat down with a wet microfiber towel, and you can definitely reduce the allergen load.

Probably want to bump up the central AC filters w/ a high enough MERV rating for pet dander replaced every 2-3 months would be wise as well. Cheapest is usually at http://www.filtersfast.com/.

Problem though is that this all costs $$$ MONEY $$$ and if the point is saving money on rent, that's hardly a good solution. Its the only other truly effective one I know of though.
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post #4 of 6
6/6/11 at 7:16pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by nerdrock View Post
Is it possible to just keep him in your room only? That way his hair and whatnot would be contained to only one room, she would have no reason to go in there, so it shouldn't bother her too much.
Good idea and we tried this solution at first.
This is when he became an indoor/outdoor kitty - which was very difficult for me, because through experience indoor kitties live longer, healthier lives.
It worked for about 3 months, then she came home and flipped out because she found cat hair in the living room. (Could've come from anywhere, he only stayed in the room or went straight outside.)

Quote:
Originally Posted by nerdrock View Post
She could also talk to her doctor and see if there are any allergy meds that she could be taking, either natural or OTC/prescription. I have heard that putting a small amount of vaseline inside the nose can help tremendously with airborne allergens, although I have not personally tried it.
This is where I become truly frustrated. She won't compromise. It's her house and to hell with her trying to bend her lifestyle. She refuses to do anything that she wouldn't normally do because it's her house, her life, etc.
I can understand her point, but at the same time it feels like she doesn't care what she's putting me through. She's not a cat person and is very stubborn.
Any solution that involves her putting in any effort is out of the picture.

I truly appreciate your post however. It's nice to know someone cares and is willing to suggest something. Not to mention how quick this reply was! Thank you.
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post #5 of 6
6/6/11 at 7:20pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducman69 View Post
Problem though is that this all costs $$$ MONEY $$$ and if the point is saving money on rent, that's hardly a good solution. Its the only other truly effective one I know of though.
True dat. (lol)
I would be willing to go through all that effort, but honestly I'm not very good at carrying things through either. If only I were a trust fund kid.

These responses are helping though.
Maybe it's time to bite the bullet and take a hit for my furry friend.
Looks like my only option is to move out?

Oh, bah humbug on non-cat people and allergies.
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post #6 of 6
6/6/11 at 8:47pm
What about posting an ad on Kijiji or Craigslist stating exactly what you're looking for, something along the lines of, "Female seeking room to rent in cat friendly house/apartment." Then add a bit more about your personality and your cat's personality. I've had extremely good luck with that in the past. Include your maximum rent in there as well. I would also suggest not signing a lease per say, incase things do not work out.

I'm honestly not sure what else to suggest - if she's not willing to budge on anything, and it's going to be more expensive to live there and cater to her (by buying a filter, etc), is it really worth it to live there?

If your answer is no, see if you can come to a compromise for a month or two and live as tightly as you can money wise so you'll have a bit saved up. If there is a college or university where you live, also check their housing listings on their website (or by calling them) and see if they have something - usually they're much cheaper and not all of them are scummy, bad places, lol.

Also, if you post on Kijiji/Craigslist, you may be able to find someone that's older that you could live with and trade some yard/house work for a bit off rent. It might be worthwhile to contact any seniors centres in your area and see if they know of anyone.
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