Please Help--roommate/kitten Issue

[anonEmoose]

I'm a Junior in College. Roommate found sickly, starving 3-week old orphaned feral kitten right before winter break and took him back to our apartment to get him out of the cold.
Her attitude was "Let's just see how he does overnight"...I literally had to INSIST on bringing him to the vet for an exam, which we did, and I paid for it (just 30 bucks because the vet did very little, just examined him and gave us some advice and special food which he refused to eat, so we took turns force feeding KMR/pedialyte and stimulating him to eliminate every 2 hrs).

He survived that last week of classes, so I took him home for the break (she lives farther away, had to fly home, and couldn't take him on plane).
Though he survived the 5-hour drive (I stopped to feed him along the way) I'm pretty sure he would have died soon without proper medical care, so my family and I took him to the vet once I got home. Vet prescribed meds ($$$$$$$), gave him subcutaneous fluids, and advised round-the-clock feedings every few hours. Yes, even throughout the night.

Fast forward to today: Kitten has made full recovery. I couldn't have done it without my sisters' and parents' help. We have even started socializing him a bit with our other cats! And of course we have become very attached, having saved him from Death's door. In fact, the whole family has fallen in love with him, and wants to keep him! We have already put hours of care and hundreds of dollars into this cat.

NOW FOR THE PROBLEM---She expects me to bring him BACK to University at the end of winter break, which is fast-approaching, to live as an apartment cat for the whole semester and probably into Summer. Obviously, I love cats, especially this kitten, BUT:

Issue 1. Our apartment has a STRICT NO-PETS POLICY! She wants to get around it by registering him as an "emotional support animal" but I'm skeptical about this working. We will lose our deposit if the realty people find out.
Issue 2. I have known this girl for some time and she is NOT very responsible.She hardly even does dishes, is very forgetful, and I KNOW I will end up taking care of this cat 90 percent of the time. And REALLY I need to be focusing on school.
Issue 3. He is VERY young still---like he should still be with his mother (but she is dead or gone). He is too young not to be in the company of other cats. I've read that orphaned kittens who are not socialized with other cats generally have issues later in life.

I love the kitten and want what's best for him. But I feel bad because she IS the one who found him in the first place, and I know she likes him. But the apartment thing just seems like a terrible idea. I cannot make her see reason, or understand the responsibility of raising an animal, or see things from the animal's perspective. All she thinks about is "Kittens are cute! I want one!"

He'd be so much better off staying at my house. My family would take great care of him; we have had cats since before I can remember and we understand their needs. How do I make her see this? I know she found him...but with all the money and time my family has spent, aren't we technically his owners? Am I just being selfish?

 

[StefanZ]

Yes, you are his owners. If necessary, tell a little white lie your parents, when laying out the money, demanded he be your family cat, or else!

If your room mate fancy a cat, she can always adopt another one. There is surely more in need of home. She must of course solve the problem, what to do with the cat when she is taking leave to fly home....

 

[GlitterKittie]

You are right, he'd be far better off staying with your parents. So far you have made his needs paramount, after all the effort you and your family have gone to it would be fool hardy taking him back to a place where his mere presence could see you all evicted and all because your room mate thinks "kittens are cute". Well in a few months he won't be much of a kitten and then would the novelty wear off? You have taken all the right steps to protect this kitten, who without you and your family would have perished. I'm so glad he has you on his side. What is the worst that can happen if you don't take the kitten back to uni and what is the worst that could happen if you did? Thank you so much for all the love and care you and your family have shown the kitty, sounds like he has fallen on his paws with you guys. Good luck with your course

 

[maggiedemi]

You are the rightful owners of this kitten now! Keep all of the vet records to prove it. He is much better off with you and your family. Show her the receipts for all the money you paid and ask for immediate repayment. This will change her mind fast!

 

[talkingpeanut]

Leave the kitten with your parents. It’s the right thing to do for him; he will have a really happy life with your family.

Your roommate will get over it. Tell her your parents insisted.

 

[lavishsqualor]

I totally agree with what's been said so far. Use your parents as an excuse. Another thing to consider: By falsely claiming your pet is an ESA you open yourself up serious financial liability.

I work as a regional manager for a large property management company that owns over 700 apartment complexes nationwide. I deal with ESA issues all day long. Your complex will most likely require written documentation from the medical or psychiatric professional who prescribed your ESA. Certificates purchased online are not sufficient and do not hold up in a court of law. We require not only the ESA prescription, but also a letter of continued treatment from a practitioner in a local city. In other words, if you are living in Denver but have documentation from a Los Angeles practitioner it is insufficient. Additionally, your ESA documentation must show that you are in ongoing treatment. No psychiatrist or medical doctor is going to give a patient a lifetime supply of Xanax without that patient being in continued treatment. My company holds ESAs to the same standard.

Also, should you falsely claim your cat is an ESA and then later get caught, your apartment complex can legally charge you for any deposits and past pet rent that should have been paid all along. These fees can quickly escalate into the thousands of dollars.

Play it safe and smart, and do what's best for the kitten. Leave him with your parents!

 

[LTS3]

There is no organization where a pet can be "registered" as an emotional support animal. There isn't any organization for service animals to be registered either. For a an ESA, all that's needed is a letter from a doctor. One can also buy fake "certification" letters and such online in order to pass off a pet as an ESA.

Some people do have a pet even wtih a "no pet allowed" rental policy but there's always the risk that someone will find out, like a neighbor telling on you or a maintenance person who enters the apartment for an emergency repair.

Please leave the kitten with your parents. At least there he will be well taken care of properly. You are not being selfish at all.

You can suggest to the roommate to volunteer her time at a shelter or rescue so she can be around cute kittens and other pets.