Alas, Rita has to stay alone...

I went to the shelter yesterday to see the kittens. Of course, I
wanted to take ALL of the cats home. They all looked desperately in
need of loving slaves. *sniff*

Problem is, I filled out reams of paperwork and went through an
interview process, only to find out that they needed proof that my
landlords would allow two cats in the apartment. So last night I dug
out the lease.
"Only one pet per household" The kiss of death.

I'll still call on Monday, but my hopes are not very high. Oh yeah, I
could just get a kitten from one of the millions that will probably be
advertised in the paper, freecycle, craigslist and just keep an
illegal cat, but that's really not me. I tend to be obnoxiously
honest.

This is just another reason to start looking into buying my own home.

Jane
- owned and operated by the lonely Princess Rita

"Jane" wrote in message
ups.com...
I went to the shelter yesterday to see the kittens. Of course, I
wanted to take ALL of the cats home. They all looked desperately in
need of loving slaves. *sniff*

Problem is, I filled out reams of paperwork and went through an
interview process, only to find out that they needed proof that my
landlords would allow two cats in the apartment. So last night I dug
out the lease.
"Only one pet per household" The kiss of death.

I'll still call on Monday, but my hopes are not very high. Oh yeah, I
could just get a kitten from one of the millions that will probably be
advertised in the paper, freecycle, craigslist and just keep an
illegal cat, but that's really not me. I tend to be obnoxiously
honest.

This is just another reason to start looking into buying my own home.

Jane
- owned and operated by the lonely Princess Rita


Check with your landlords. Sometimes you can get a modified lease if (1)
you can show that your current cat has not done any damage, and/or (2) you
agree to pay a pet deposit for the second pet.

MaryL

On 6 May 2007 05:07:32 -0700, Jane wrote:

I went to the shelter yesterday to see the kittens. Of course, I
wanted to take ALL of the cats home. They all looked desperately in
need of loving slaves. *sniff*

Problem is, I filled out reams of paperwork and went through an
interview process, only to find out that they needed proof that my
landlords would allow two cats in the apartment. So last night I dug
out the lease.
"Only one pet per household" The kiss of death.

I'll still call on Monday, but my hopes are not very high. Oh yeah, I
could just get a kitten from one of the millions that will probably be
advertised in the paper, freecycle, craigslist and just keep an
illegal cat, but that's really not me. I tend to be obnoxiously
honest.

This is just another reason to start looking into buying my own home.

Jane
- owned and operated by the lonely Princess Rita

So see if the landlord will give you permission to have a second cat.
Ours doesn't care HOW many felines we have as long as they don't do
any damage to the apartment (I'm sure he knows that if they DID go
beserk and start destroying stuff that as responsible pet-owners we'd
pay to fix it...)

On May 6, 8:09 am, "MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER
wrote:
"Jane" wrote in message

ups.com...



I went to the shelter yesterday to see the kittens. Of course, I
wanted to take ALL of the cats home. They all looked desperately in
need of loving slaves. *sniff*

Problem is, I filled out reams of paperwork and went through an
interview process, only to find out that they needed proof that my
landlords would allow two cats in the apartment. So last night I dug
out the lease.
"Only one pet per household" The kiss of death.

I'll still call on Monday, but my hopes are not very high. Oh yeah, I
could just get a kitten from one of the millions that will probably be
advertised in the paper, freecycle, craigslist and just keep an
illegal cat, but that's really not me. I tend to be obnoxiously
honest.

This is just another reason to start looking into buying my own home.

Jane
- owned and operated by the lonely Princess Rita

Check with your landlords. Sometimes you can get a modified lease if (1)
you can show that your current cat has not done any damage, and/or (2) you
agree to pay a pet deposit for the second pet.

MaryL

That's exactly why I will be calling them tomorrow anyway. You never
know.
After all, the original pet lease said that the cat must be declawed,
but I asked
them to remove that line immediately. I have been a model tenant for
3 years.

IF they say yes, then I have an appointment to bring Rita to the
shelter on
Tuesday at 4, when they close. They want to see how she reacts with
the
kitten before he comes home with us. (I told them to have the men
around - she'll love that. She loves guys.)

Jane
- owned and operated by Princess Rita

Jane wrote:
I went to the shelter yesterday to see the kittens. Of course, I
wanted to take ALL of the cats home. They all looked desperately in
need of loving slaves. *sniff*

Problem is, I filled out reams of paperwork and went through an
interview process, only to find out that they needed proof that my
landlords would allow two cats in the apartment. So last night I dug
out the lease.
"Only one pet per household" The kiss of death.

I'll still call on Monday, but my hopes are not very high. Oh yeah, I
could just get a kitten from one of the millions that will probably be
advertised in the paper, freecycle, craigslist and just keep an
illegal cat, but that's really not me. I tend to be obnoxiously
honest.

This is just another reason to start looking into buying my own home.

Jane
- owned and operated by the lonely Princess Rita

I don't know what your landlord is like, but can you ask him about
adding another cat? Some landlords will make exceptions, in spite of
what the lease says.

Ginger-lyn

Ginger-lyn wrote:

I don't know what your landlord is like, but can you ask him about
adding another cat? Some landlords will make exceptions, in spite of
what the lease says.

I agree with Ginger-lyn on this. But I'd also ask for a change in
writing, if he does agree to let you (Jane) have another cat. Otherwise,
if you should ever get into a conflict with your landlord, he'd have
the perfect excuse to evict you, and it would be your word against his
that he'd agreed to let you have a second cat.

I hate to be paranoid like this, but renting is business, and you have
to protect yourself (and your kitties!).

Good luck!
Joyce

On 2007-05-06 07:09:36 -0500, "MaryL"
-OUT-THE-LITTER said:


"Jane" wrote in message
ups.com...
I went to the shelter yesterday to see the kittens. Of course, I
wanted to take ALL of the cats home. They all looked desperately in
need of loving slaves. *sniff*

Problem is, I filled out reams of paperwork and went through an
interview process, only to find out that they needed proof that my
landlords would allow two cats in the apartment. So last night I dug
out the lease.
"Only one pet per household" The kiss of death.

I'll still call on Monday, but my hopes are not very high. Oh yeah, I
could just get a kitten from one of the millions that will probably be
advertised in the paper, freecycle, craigslist and just keep an
illegal cat, but that's really not me. I tend to be obnoxiously
honest.

This is just another reason to start looking into buying my own home.

Jane
- owned and operated by the lonely Princess Rita


Check with your landlords. Sometimes you can get a modified lease if
(1) you can show that your current cat has not done any damage, and/or
(2) you agree to pay a pet deposit for the second pet.

MaryL

Mine did. I had three cats though the policy was 2, but they just wrote
it into the lease.

On May 6, 6:48 pm, wrote:
Ginger-lyn wrote:

I don't know what your landlord is like, but can you ask him about
adding another cat? Some landlords will make exceptions, in spite of
what the lease says.

I agree with Ginger-lyn on this. But I'd also ask for a change in
writing, if he does agree to let you (Jane) have another cat. Otherwise,
if you should ever get into a conflict with your landlord, he'd have
the perfect excuse to evict you, and it would be your word against his
that he'd agreed to let you have a second cat.

I hate to be paranoid like this, but renting is business, and you have
to protect yourself (and your kitties!).

Good luck!
Joyce

Well, good news. I talked with the Community Relations person, and
she said that I was
indeed allowed to have two cats. However, I have to do the whole pet
lease/money thing
for the 2nd cat, too. So I need to get vet papers, a pet lease, a
picture, and pay an extra
$150 deposit and $25 a month for the 2nd cat. Phew. They don't even
have a picture of
Rita yet, because I never got around to changing over from Fin to Rita
when the cats
changed. I guess I'll take care of them all at the same time.

Now to call the shelter at 10am and let them know.

Rita's getting a kitten! I hope, anyway. (Depends a lot on how she
reacts when
she sees him at the shelter.)

Jane
- owned and operated by Princess Rita

"Jane" wrote in message
ups.com...
On May 6, 6:48 pm, wrote:
Ginger-lyn wrote:

I don't know what your landlord is like, but can you ask him about
adding another cat? Some landlords will make exceptions, in spite of
what the lease says.

I agree with Ginger-lyn on this. But I'd also ask for a change in
writing, if he does agree to let you (Jane) have another cat. Otherwise,
if you should ever get into a conflict with your landlord, he'd have
the perfect excuse to evict you, and it would be your word against his
that he'd agreed to let you have a second cat.

I hate to be paranoid like this, but renting is business, and you have
to protect yourself (and your kitties!).

Good luck!
Joyce

Well, good news. I talked with the Community Relations person, and
she said that I was
indeed allowed to have two cats. However, I have to do the whole pet
lease/money thing
for the 2nd cat, too. So I need to get vet papers, a pet lease, a
picture, and pay an extra
$150 deposit and $25 a month for the 2nd cat. Phew. They don't even
have a picture of
Rita yet, because I never got around to changing over from Fin to Rita
when the cats
changed. I guess I'll take care of them all at the same time.

Now to call the shelter at 10am and let them know.

Rita's getting a kitten! I hope, anyway. (Depends a lot on how she
reacts when
she sees him at the shelter.)

Jane
- owned and operated by Princess Rita


Jane,

I have a major concern with what the shelter is requesting (not your
decision, I know). That is, I think it is a very poor idea to ask someone
to bring a cat out of her home environment and ask her to act "normal" at
the shelter. It is even a very poor idea to introduce the two cats in your
own home until they have each had time to be acclimated to the other. The
new cat should be in a separate room for awhile, then slowly and carefully
introduce them. So, don't be surprised or disappointed if Rita or the new
kittend don't "take" to each other at the shelter -- adopt whatever the
outcome, and work on the slow introduction. Thanks for doing all this!!

MaryL

"MaryL" -OUT-THE-LITTER wrote in message
...

"Jane" wrote in message
ups.com...
On May 6, 6:48 pm, wrote:
Ginger-lyn wrote:

I don't know what your landlord is like, but can you ask him about
adding another cat? Some landlords will make exceptions, in spite of
what the lease says.

I agree with Ginger-lyn on this. But I'd also ask for a change in
writing, if he does agree to let you (Jane) have another cat. Otherwise,
if you should ever get into a conflict with your landlord, he'd have
the perfect excuse to evict you, and it would be your word against his
that he'd agreed to let you have a second cat.

I hate to be paranoid like this, but renting is business, and you have
to protect yourself (and your kitties!).

Good luck!
Joyce

Well, good news. I talked with the Community Relations person, and
she said that I was
indeed allowed to have two cats. However, I have to do the whole pet
lease/money thing
for the 2nd cat, too. So I need to get vet papers, a pet lease, a
picture, and pay an extra
$150 deposit and $25 a month for the 2nd cat. Phew. They don't even
have a picture of
Rita yet, because I never got around to changing over from Fin to Rita
when the cats
changed. I guess I'll take care of them all at the same time.

Now to call the shelter at 10am and let them know.

Rita's getting a kitten! I hope, anyway. (Depends a lot on how she
reacts when
she sees him at the shelter.)

Jane
- owned and operated by Princess Rita


Jane,

I have a major concern with what the shelter is requesting (not your
decision, I know). That is, I think it is a very poor idea to ask someone
to bring a cat out of her home environment and ask her to act "normal" at
the shelter. It is even a very poor idea to introduce the two cats in
your own home until they have each had time to be acclimated to the other.
The new cat should be in a separate room for awhile, then slowly and
carefully introduce them. So, don't be surprised or disappointed if Rita
or the new kittend don't "take" to each other at the shelter -- adopt
whatever the outcome, and work on the slow introduction. Thanks for doing
all this!!

MaryL



One final point...If shelter staff do not absolutely require you to bring
Rita to the shelter, then decline the invitation and simply bring the new
kitten home. In addition to what I wrote earlier, this policy asks you to
bring Rita to an environment where there could be contagious diseases (UTI
is very common -- indeed, rampant -- in even the best-run shelters). That
is another reason why the new kitten should be quarantined in a separate
room of your home for awhile (even a bathroom, if you are short on space) --
with food, water, litter box, lots of toys, plenty of attention from you,
etc.

MaryL

Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o'
http://tinyurl.com/8y54 (Introducing Duffy to Holly)
http://tinyurl.com/8y56 (Duffy and Holly "settle in")