So angry! Rant!

Sorry no advice here, but will send best wishes and good vibes to you and your family that all works out for all of you. Will keep fingers and toes crossed to.

I'm so disappointed to read this. I remember reading about your big move and I was so heartened that you found this wonderful place where the landlord was ok with all your cats, and I was really happy for you.
You do have the law on your side, but at the end of the day you need to be comfortable with we're you're living with no acrimony between you and the landlord.
I'm wishing you lots of luck in resolving this situation. Keep us updated!

Sue, that sucks!!

Sue, I'm sorry this had to happen when things were looking up for you. All I can do is wish you a lot of luck, and advise you not to waste a thought on the obnoxious PETA member.

Sue that just plain sucks!! I would guess the freak already has dealt with the Boulder AC many times, and they know who and what she is.

A fellow shooter who lives and works in Boulder would give this description about where he lives, "Go to the edge of reality, and take a Left."

Good luck in finding another rental! If you need to vent out loud, you know where to find me.

Hi Sue! Just wanted to add my good vibes for all to work out for you, your fam and kitties.

39 is WAY too many cats for most, and it takes a dedicated, conscientious, caring and loving person/people to manage, successfully, that many animals. People don't understand it can be done, so I don't think they're nuts for thinking it's nuts - it IS nuts - it's just a kind of nut we can understand and love.

I sure hope the PETA lady does no harm - if she's been arrested, she can be trouble, so I'm sending up vibes for you on that front too.

I had 23 at one time and that was way over my comfort zone. Now I have 14 and that is my limit. I have had to turn down cats already this year. I have six up for adoption right now. The "campground kitties" are doing well, and hey, guess what? That rumor about older feral kittens not being able to be socialized is nonsense! These cats who came here at 7 months old, never having been touched by human hand, are now the biggest love bugs of my bunch! It took several months, but now when you start petting, Dash, Chaplain, Tipster or India, they can't get enough of you. Tip now follows me around the house meowing for "pets."

Sue, I know you do right by these cats, and you would eat ketchup and hot water rather than deny them vet care. I did talk to one of my sources and this is what she said:

No, there's no specific connection between cat litter and human leukemia patients---OTHER THAN folks being treated with chemo or otherwise immunocompromised must avoid exposure to any sort of bacterium/infectious organism.

Cat litter, being the toilet, might contain potentially infectious agents especially if the cat is sick. But a healthy cat, with another family member handling the litter cleanup duties, should pose very little risk.

OMG, I'm so sorry this has happened to you. Why can't things get good and STAY good? Life is so unfair. I'm hoping for a positive outcome for you...

I don't know your entire sitution, but is there any way you can purchase your own place? If you could get a trailer in rural Indiana, it would probably cost the same as renting in Boulder. And the neighbors wouldn't look at you sideways for having 39 cats, because they might have almost as many! LOL!

Of course earning an income in Indiana can be a challenge...

I am so sorry you are going through this. I think the law is on your side, and you may need to stand your ground for the duration of this lease. Take some cookies to the old man, and see if you can sweeten him up!

Maybe you could report the PETA woman for Harressment

Two things occur to me...

1. It may be that the father who owns the property is not thinking rationally, either because of the dementia that often comes with age and illness, or because of the many drugs he must be taking to fight his leukemia. If so, it's not likely that any amount of documentation regarding the cat litter issue will ever change his mind.

However, you might be able to meet with the son and at least reassure HIM that there's no more danger to his father from cat litter (especially if you truck it out) than from sitting in a doctor's waiting room or walking through a grocery store. That might at least keep him from trying to evict you before the end of your lease.

2. If worse comes to worst and this turns into a huge issue, now or in the future, you may be able to use the media to educate whatever community you're in:

You could invite the local animal control people to come visit you and see how well you're caring for your cats; then, once they have agreed that you are NOT a "hoarder" and your cats are NOT being abused, you could ask them to be present when you invite a local TV station out to your place. You could tell them about your commitment to animal rescue, and about the special arrangements and efforts you make to ensure that your cats are well cared for.

You could talk about the importance of spaying and neutering, and the animal control representative could step in to promote whatever program they have for that. You could get a lot of education done, and also demonstrate to your community that you are a responsible and thoughtful person... not the whacko they imagine.

I suggest this because I fear that your cats will draw attention almost anywhere you go, and it might not be possible to "lie low." If the day comes when you're so under attack that you have to fight back, I think this might be a good plan for how to do it.

But I surely hope it doesn't come to that... and I pray nobody gets the idea that they ought to do something to your cats... and I'm so sorry about that PETA woman. I'm sure they start out as well-meaning people, but like so many PETA members, that woman is two sandwiches short of a picnic...

Don't despair... you'll find a way.

I would email the lady back and ask her if she thinks a better alternative would be to dump your happy, healthy, well-looked after and well-loved cats on a shelter, or better still, out on the street, since apparently having a home full of loved animals means you have a psychiatric disorder!

Oh, and then I would mention that I'd be more than happy to undergo the psych exam, as long as you can compare the results to the multiple tests she obviously must have had.

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

It may be that the father who owns the property is not thinking rationally, either because of the dementia that often comes with age and illness, or because of the many drugs he must be taking to fight his leukemia.

Click to expand...

That was one of my thoughts as well. I want to find a new place, rather than stay somewhere where there's animosity (no matter the cause), I just want more than a month to do it!!

Love your idea about involving the media. If it gets to that point, I may very well do that!


As far as buying a place, we're in no shape to do that, we both have crappy credit.

Either its dementia from the father, or since the father is the OWNER of the house, he could be very uncomfortable having so many cats. A couple of years ago there was a guy that either died or had been forclosed on his house in the Detroit area...I forget which. But he had 40 guinea pigs running loose in his house (which they used as a toilet as well). The father could be making stuff up because he thinks that 39 cats are unmanageable and fears that the house is "being ruined" by all of your cats. Getting animal control out to prove that you're a capable cat owner will help. I don't know if going as far as televising it is a good idea, as the landlord could be highly embarrassed by that and at fear of loosing business he might boot you anyway.

As for the PETA lady, so sorry to hear about that harrament from her. You may want to again call AC, and also put in a report to the police. If she does have a record and she's already threatening, then you probably want to give her a warning that you don't take harrassment lightly.

My BF used to be active in PETA and Green Peace organizations. Until they found out that he had served in the army and began asking him to do military activism. He got so much pressure (i.e. one branch of a GP-type org that was against lumbering and the detruction of forests wanted him to go out to these sites and saw off trees and hurt the workers). Once they started requesting this type of stuff, then he quickly got out of the orgs.

Sue, we're sort of in a situation like yours.

Landlords selling our house we have a month to get out. We can spend up to $400 a week renting our house, but nobody wants to rent to someone who has a dog. Poor thing, she's 13 and riddled with god knows what. We're searching every newspaper and internet website we can to find somewhere to live. Good vibes coming at ya.

Beckiboo- She could buy a nice sized house in rural or suburban Indiana for less than what she pays for rent in Boulder! We had looked at living there- the cost of living is high in Colorado and extremely low in Indiana.

I'm so sorry about the unhappy living situations, for all of you.... here's vibes to your finding a good place to live with your babies (both cats and dogs). I also think going ahead and filing a report with the police about the PETA woman is a really good idea. At least if anything else comes up you will already have the documentation to back you up. Good luck.

<<<<<<vibes>>>>>>>>>>

OMG....Un :censor::censor::censor::censor::censor::censor::censor::censor: believeable.
America, land of the free, home of the brave. (Yeah, right)
I'm sorry, I have no advice for this one, but just had to include my 2 cents by saying that & by wishing you luck. I often wonder why some have to make life for others such a royal pain in the a$$-sometimes it seems like you can't do anything right, but this is ridiculous.
I send good vibes for your fight!

if you have it in writing and as a part of your lease agreement you should be able to bide more time. make sure you do follow through with the attorney and go online and get your basic rights as a renter who leases. that should tell you alone what your rights are. as for the PETA person if she does turn you in you can always do the same and say that she is harrassing you, etc. i hate to say that but i can't stand it when paranoid and extravagent people try to boss others around. of course you have not heard my opinion on the Environmental Protection Agency........i love animals and believe they deserve to be treated with love and respect, but some people are just too extreme for me. i have to admit i don't agree with keeping that many cats, but if you have managed to keep your environment healthy and have positive/valid references you have my respect. anyways, i really hope things work out for you! good luck!

I would be very reluctant to call the media. They could come to your home, tape, and act all nice, then edit to make a newsclip about the crazy cat lady. 39 is just over what most people will support, whether or not you take good care of them. I think many people consider themselves accepting of others, but they are mainly only accepting of others like themselves.

Having been in the home of a person with about 80 cats, I believe it is possible to keep that many. But I don't think you would get much support from the general public.

I am so sorry you are in such a position. I hope you find an answer soon.