Source
r/Portland•
AutomatonFlux

Help, please! My cats desperately need a home.

UPDATE: The kitties found a home! I put a post on my facebook and a relative I haven't spoke to in quite some time said she would take my cats. I'm so relieved, I can't believe it. To everyone that responded, thank you so much, sincerely. Your thoughts and suggestions were really helpful/comforting.

~

We aren't supposed to have cats at the place we recently moved into and our landlord found out today that we have been keeping cats here. So, naturally he's a little upset with us. He said the cats have to go ASAP or we're getting evicted. I've been sick to my stomach and crying about it all day. I don't know what to do. I love my cats, I've had them since they were kittens and I don't want to give them up, but I also don't want to be homeless. If there is anyone here on r/Portland that could possibly take them in, or knows a good home they could go to, please please please contact me. Even if it's just for a few months, that would be HUGELY helpful. In fact, if there is anyone out there who could take them for anywhere from 1-10 months, I'd be happy to offer you some compensation. I would take them back as soon as my lease is up next March. I can pay $50 a month to whomever to take them both.

Here are some pictures: http://imgur.com/a/1Z4hO

Nashi is the white and gray one, Piper is the brown and black. They're both about 8 years old, both spayed and have their shots. They are indoor kitties, but I give them and oral flea medicine monthly that I still have 5 months worth of just in case. I have 2 litter boxes and about a months worth of food. I live in SE, but I can transport them anywhere up to 30 miles. My name is Kelly, btw.

Please, if anyone can help... I'm just so lost.

Thank you.

Posted Apr 30, 2014, 3:00 AM UTC · edited

722
any_rockSE•

Check with local animal rescue organizations like Pixie Project. They may be able to get you in contact with a foster family that can take care of your babies until you find a kitty-friendly place to live. Sorry I can't take them, my two wouldn't take new housemates well.

7
AutomatonFluxOP•

Thank you so much! I've not heard of the pixie project. I will most definitely check out a kitty foster family

2
BusterSkeetin•

Pixie Project is a great place, and they do wonderful things. More people need to know about them.

1
TripFox•

Hi Kelly,

I feel like you should be considering more options that don't involve giving your 2 semi-elderly cats that you've raised since kittens to some redditor (that you would have to trust with them) just because your landlord saw them.

Possible solutions:

Tell your landlord you have gotten rid of them - allow them to inspect and stash your cats at a pet day care during that day. Remember that LL has to give 24 hours notice to inspect in the future.

Prevent LL from seeing your cats in the future - close blinds or buy new blinds that cats won't poke through (not very easy but well possible)

Break your lease and move to somewhere cat-friendly (in retrospect you should have gone to a cat friendly place initially since you...well you know)

6
AutomatonFluxOP•

Thanks for the response. I've definitely entertained those ideas. Unfortunately I'm renting from an individual who thinks he's entitled to come in when he wants. We are boarding the cats for the day so we can pass inspection tomorrow, but I know he'll be stopping by unannounced again in the future. Getting them somewhere else until things cool down is kind of mandatory right now.

1
TripFox•

He is not legally allowed to stop by whenever he wants. That is trespassing. He is required by law to give you 24 hour notice of entry to enter your apartment. He can walk in the yard all he wants (hence my post of why you need curtains). Although excess might be considered landlord harassment.

Know your rights as a renter. If you need me to look up the law for you, I can do it later tonight. Some simple googling of oregon rental/tenant rights should get you there. Remember this is a legal issue. You can threaten litigation or legal action for trespassing.

1
BusterSkeetin•

I want to. I want to so bad.

4
AutomatonFluxOP•

Just want to clarify, you want to BUT you can't, right? Which is cool, I understand. Just wanted to make sure.

3
BusterSkeetin•

Yes, sorry. I really would like to, but I can't. :(

3
SairakashSW Hills•

I already have three :(

3
AutomatonFluxOP•

That's okay, I totally understand.

1
[deleted]•

[deleted]

2
AutomatonFluxOP•

Aw, thanks for the kind thoughts.

1
[deleted]•

Say they're service animals, then tell your landlord to eat a dick

-4†
AutomatonFluxOP•

Ha, if that would work, I would be so happy. Thank you for making me smile today, though.

4
merrythoughts•

This guy used the wrong term of "service animal" and sounds kinda goofy, so got downvoted.....but you can actually look into getting your doctor to agree to call your cats "companion animals."

I work in mental health and many of my clients have companion cats and dogs that live with them in no-pet apartment complexes. Of course you do have to actually have a condition like depression, PTSD, or anxiety to get the ok from a provider, but for mental health purposes, having pets is very important for many individuals and low-income housing downtown is almost always a strict no-pet policy.

Just another option to consider which may or may not be applicable.

5
[deleted]•

I'm not joking. http://www.fhco.org/pdfs/articles/CommonQsServiceAnimal.pdf

Q: What if a housing provider has a “no pets” policy. Scenario: A deaf renter requests that the provider allow him to keep a dog in his unit as a reasonable accommodation despite a “no pets” policy. The dog is an assistance animal that will alert him to several sounds, including knocks at the door, sounding of the smoke detector, the telephone ringing, and cars coming into the driveway. A: The housing provider must make an exception to the “no pets” policy to accommodate this renter.

Maybe you're very hard of hearing and need the cats to wake you up if the fire alarm goes off. Who knows. The landlord may hate you and do all he can to get you out once your lease is up, but at least you'll have your cats.

-3
sacmanPowellhurst-Gilbert•

You should be joking.

There's no such thing as a service animal that's not a dog.

You might be thinking of an "assistance animal" as provided for under the Fair Housing Act. But unlike a restaurant, the landlord can demand that you prove your disability, and can further require you to prove that the animal assists you in this disability. That usually means getting a health professional to state (sometimes in open court) that the renter has a disability AND that the cat somehow assists in that disability.

The landlord will toss them out if they keep the cats. Stop giving them shitty advice.

7
merrythoughts•

See my above comment but there is also a "companion animal" which is usually for mental health diagnoses like depression or anxiety and can be approved by providers who treat individuals with mental health diagnoses. I haven't seen any problems with my clients who have companion animals in no-pet apartments. But I also only work with clients who live in low income housing....

2
[deleted]•

Agreed 100%

-1
[deleted]•

Well, there is such a thing right there on the page you linked.

-1