Housing Rant

melorix

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Why is it so freaking difficult to find a decent place I can afford that will allow two cats that aren't declawed but use Soft Paws?! I just got off the phone with a place that was absolutely perfect until I asked if they would accept Soft Paws as an alternative to their declaw-only policy. They wouldn't even consider it. Then the lady told me, "Just get your cats declawed; it makes life so much easier."

Yeah, maybe for humans, but not for the cats. There is absolutely no way I would put them through that kind of physical and emotional torture just to have a place to live.

It's not like where I am is horrible. I'm actually pretty lucky. But I cannot stand my roommate, or any roommate, really. But especially her for many reasons. So I desperately want my own place. However, I keep running into brick walls -- no pets, one cat only, declawed and no Soft Paws accepted, or the place is a dump, or it's way out of my price range.

GAHHHHH!!!!! I am SO frustrated right now!
 

darlili

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You might look into renting a condo or townhouse - but make sure you read the association bylaws and regs yourself before committing. My association allows two pets per unit and no questions regarding claws - since it's the individual owners responsibility to keep the unit in good shape for themselves and/or resale value.
 

Draco

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I never understood the declaw policy in most rentals.. it's not like the cats can destroy the apartment like dogs.. just the furniture, if at all, which (usually) does not belong to the landlords but to the renter. Also, isn't that what the security and pet deposits are for? to cover any damages?

I hope you can find a place for you and your babies.
 
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melorix

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The problem with a townhouse/condo is that they are way out of my price range. $800/month for EVERYTHING is my absolute maximum. That's really stretching my budget, but if it's a great place, I'd pay it. And I'm talking rent, utilities, and internet for everything. Most condos in my area go for at least $900 plus utilities.

For the place I just contacted this morning, she said something about this wooden wall (?????) that cats seem to love and costs like $1500 to replace. And she said they've "just had too many problems with cats that have claws." *sigh*
 

catlover19

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I've never heard of not allowing cats because they have claws. I've rented an apartment and a condo with cats and the apartment was more laid back. Condos have way too many rules. The one I lived in had a 1 pet policy, but I had 4 (2 dogs, 2 cats). In Ontario, even if your lease says no pets, they can't evict you or make you get rid of the pet unless it is causing problems.

I understand what you mean about condos being expensive to rent. I paid $935 plus utilities (was about $1200-1300 total) and now that I moved out, they raised the rent to $975 plus utilities.
 

nerdrock

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Originally Posted by catlover19

I've never heard of not allowing cats because they have claws. I've rented an apartment and a condo with cats and the apartment was more laid back. Condos have way too many rules. The one I lived in had a 1 pet policy, but I had 4 (2 dogs, 2 cats). In Ontario, even if your lease says no pets, they can't evict you or make you get rid of the pet unless it is causing problems.

I understand what you mean about condos being expensive to rent. I paid $935 plus utilities (was about $1200-1300 total) and now that I moved out, they raised the rent to $975 plus utilities.
They've changed that, pet policies are allowed now. It was recent, within the last year to 6 months, my old building manager told me because I was talking to her about how we want to move.

I wonder how they would verify that your cat is declawed? Would they ask to see? If not... maybe just tell them they are?
 

catlover19

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Originally Posted by nerdrock

They've changed that, pet policies are allowed now. It was recent, within the last year to 6 months, my old building manager told me because I was talking to her about how we want to move.
It is still the same. I just moved into a new rental 6 days ago and I looked at the landlord tenant board website. A landlord in Ontario can refuse to rent to someone who has pets, but they cannot evict you or make you get rid of the pet unless it is causing a problem.

"Even if the tenancy agreement has a ‘no petsâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji] rule in it, the tenant cannot be evicted just for having a pet unless the Board decides in an order that the pet is causing a problem, or that the pet is inherently dangerous."
 

yosemite

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I live in a condo near London and it is great here. Several folks in here have 3 cats each and several others have dogs.
 
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melorix

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Originally Posted by Draco

I never understood the declaw policy in most rentals...
Because while Iowa is progressive in many ways, it's still dumb as a box of rocks when it comes to animals. Declawing should be banned in the US -- period.
 
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melorix

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So remember how I said I couldn't stand my roommate for many reasons? Add one more to the list.

On Friday, I came home and could not find my cats. When I called, I heard Cosette chirp from behind my roommate's closed door. (She was at work at this point.) I opened the door, and voila, my cats were in there. I was irked and texted her about it. Her response was that the wind must have closed the door on them.

That I can kind of roll with. It was very windy that day and we had the house open. However, my cats don't really venture into her room much, so I still had my misgivings. But I shrugged it off as just that.

This morning, I woke up around 9:00 and was bewildered that neither cat was banging down my door demanding breakfast. I rarely shut them out of my room, but I had to last night because they were being rambunctious. I poured each of their bowls and only Cosette came to eat. Very odd, considering McGee loves food above all else. I called and called and shook the bowl to get the kibble to rattle, but no McGee. Out of desperation, I checked her room. No McGee. Her bathroom door (master bedroom) was shut, so because I was out of places to look, I opened it. McGee came slinking out as if he'd done something horrible. I'm sure he probably ate the crap kibble my roommate feeds her cats since that's where she keeps their dishes.

I have yet to confront her again. This time she absolutely cannot blame the wind. Her room was shut up -- no windows open. I can't think of any other way he got shut up in her bathroom other than her doing it. Maybe I just have target fixation, but unless somebody here can point out a logical explanation, that's just one more reason for me to move all the sooner.

You DO NOT. MESS WITH. MY CATS! Even something as innocuous as confining them to her room/bathroom. I don't freaking care. Unless there was some emergency (in which case she needed to wake me up), I can't imagine there would be a call for it. PAWS OFF!


Signed,
A Raging Mad Cat Mom
 

mrblanche

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I don't know about Des Moines, but I know that if I had ever wanted to buy a condo, I would be looking right now. I've seen some going for less than the price of new car.
 

dusty's mom

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Originally Posted by mrblanche

I don't know about Des Moines, but I know that if I had ever wanted to buy a condo, I would be looking right now. I've seen some going for less than the price of new car.
I was thinking the same thing. If you have decent credit and a steady job, I'd be talking to a realtor about buying something.
 
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melorix

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The steady job I have. What I don't have is any credit history or enough money in savings for a decent down payment or to cover closing fees, inspection fees, etc. I really don't make enough to own a place. Couldn't cover repair expenses in a pinch.

My boyfriend and I went over my budget and expenses and we came to that conclusion. I wish living with him were an option, but he's a Navy Ensign who's soon going to be stationed at either Honolulu or San Diego -- very far away from any of my family. Plus he'll be gone so much that I'd probably end up resenting him. So for now, we're long distance.

But anyway, buying isn't much of an option for me right now.
 

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A lot of rentals around here won't even allow pets, esp cats, whether declawed or not.

My mother got a cat a couple of months ago (long story; suffice to say my sister and I are not happy about it at all....some of you might remember me talking about the possibility of mom getting a cat quite a while back and why we feel the way we do about it) and the first thing she did was have it declawed. She is living in an elderly community and according to her lease, the cat had to be declawed....that's the way it was. And she still (or rather as it turns out, my sister and I) had to pay the security deposit for the cat. Funny thing....had she gotten a dog, there would have been no security deposit. But because it's a cat? It cost her.
 

mrblanche

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Originally Posted by Melorix

My boyfriend and I went over my budget and expenses and we came to that conclusion. I wish living with him were an option, but he's a Navy Ensign who's soon going to be stationed at either Honolulu or San Diego -- very far away from any of my family. Plus he'll be gone so much that I'd probably end up resenting him. So for now, we're long distance.

But anyway, buying isn't much of an option for me right now.
Marry him, and let the Navy sort out the housing problems.

Yeah, I know, that's just not how it's done these days. More's the pity.
 
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melorix

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Hah, yeah...he's not at a good point in his career for that, and neither are we at that point in our relationship. Not to say I haven't thought about it...
 

mrblanche

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Well, I know when I was in the Navy, a posting to Hawaii was considered a "hardship" tour for junior officers, because below a certain rank, you couldn't get permission for housing for your wife and/or family. They had to "live on the economy," as the term goes. However, I guarantee that they won't give concurrent orders to an unmarried partner, no matter what rank.
 

white cat lover

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Try posting on Craigslist looking for housing - say you have two cats not declawed who wear softpaws, trying to find reasonable housing. Your best bet will be an independently rented place, rather than apt complexes, etc.
 
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melorix

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UPDATE: I'm going to go look at a place tonight. It seems perfect -- it's in my budget, it's one mile away from work, has a dishwasher, central air, loads of free off-street parking, low utils, and best of all, they will accept my clawed cats and my rats! The only downside is no washer/dryer in unit, but they do have laundry in the building, so I'll check that out.

Fingers and paws crossed!
 
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