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Old 09-04-2012, 02:19 PM
 
4 posts, read 13,877 times
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Hi everyone. I am a 23 year old guy who recently took on a new roommate to live in my house with me and my other roommate. The new roommate told me that she had two cats and asked if it would be ok if she brought them with her. I've never lived with cats before but I'm generally an agreeable person so I thought it would be fine. I had two Golden Retrievers but chose to leave them with my parents when I moved. My house is perfectly suitable for a Golden Retriever but my parents have a lot more land and it only seemed fair to the dogs to allow them to keep what they were used to. Anyway, I loved having my two dogs around so I figured two cats shouldn't be any different...


Simply put, I can't believe how disrespectful cats are. No sooner than she moved in they were jumping on the counters (yuck!!!!!!), furniture, window ledges... They don't understand commands and have no training. My roommate is a complete slave to them. One of the cats goes out at night and sometimes he will come back to the door at 3 AM and start crying and wanting back in. Not only does she get out of bed to let him back in but then she also goes and feeds him. Both of the cats sleep in the day and then they are up all night. One of the cats is seriously co-dependent on my roommate. Whenever my roommate is gone the cat will walk around the house crying and nothing will make it be quiet. The cats are not allowed in my bedroom reason and for whatever reason whenever they see an opening in my door they try and run in.

The litter box also stinks. I have tried every kind of air freshener but nothing seems to work. I am a very clean person and constantly cleaning up after the cats is no fun. One of the cats is extremely messy and litter goes flying whenever it goes to the bathroom. Oh yeah, and there is the puking. The cat's will puke on the floor and often.

My roommate will also pick up, pet, kiss, etc. the cats while she is eating or cooking. This is disgusting and unsanitary. Do people not realize the cat's feet have been all over the litter box?

My Golden Retrievers would never act in such a manner. They are well trained and listen to what they are told. In short, they aim to please. Something has to be done. Anyone have any suggestions? I refuse to let my house be taken over by these animals.
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Old 09-04-2012, 02:26 PM
 
7,329 posts, read 16,339,298 times
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Your Goldens behaved as they were trained to do. Your roommate hasn't taught them not to get on counters, etc, so how would they know not to? They aren't disrepectful. They don't know that these things that they do don't please you. It sounds more like an issue with your roommate than the cats. The differing attitude toward what's acceptable or not may just mean you're incompatible. There may be things you can compromise on but your roommate isn't likely to stop kissing them, etc.
How often are the litterboxes cleaned? They really shouldn't stink if they're kept up properly.
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Old 09-04-2012, 02:41 PM
 
3,670 posts, read 7,133,800 times
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lol disrespectful cats
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Old 09-04-2012, 02:49 PM
 
Location: Northern Illinois
2,186 posts, read 4,544,809 times
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Cats are not "wired" like dogs are. They do not respect commands, they love to jump up on things because they can, they are generally more active at night. You cannot compare a cat and a dog - they are apples and oranges. The only thing I see that she needs to address is the litter box issue - there is absolutely no excuse for litter boxes to not be clean and not stinky. All the deodorant spray in the world will not help a litter box that needs cleaning and scrubbing. She can buy "scat mats" to keep the cats out of the kitchen (and thus off the counters), but my gut tells me you need to evict your roommate. Sometimes you just gotta say no. You are obviously never going to be converted to a cat person, and she is not giving up on her cats. I think it's time to say goodbye and find a new roommate. If she is a mature and respectful friend she will understand this and not hold it against you. You gave it a shot.
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Old 09-04-2012, 02:54 PM
 
Location: Colorado
4,306 posts, read 13,422,243 times
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Your first mistake was in assuming cats are just like dogs. Your second is in blaming the cats. The cats are not to blame for your problems - their owner is .

If the cats are jumping on the counters or furniture it's because she hasn't taught them not to.

You can definitely get litter that has built-in odor removers so either she isn't cleaning it often enough or you might be very sensitive to the smell because you're not used to it.

If the cats are vomiting then she needs to take them to the vet - there could be a medical issue here. Or change their diet. It could be the brand of food she's buying for them.

The only way you can fix this situation is by doing yourself and your roommate and the cats a favour and ask her to move out. This isn't going to get any better.
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Old 09-04-2012, 03:29 PM
 
4 posts, read 13,877 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CFoulke View Post
The only thing I see that she needs to address is the litter box issue - there is absolutely no excuse for litter boxes to not be clean and not stinky. All the deodorant spray in the world will not help a litter box that needs cleaning and scrubbing. She can buy "scat mats" to keep the cats out of the kitchen (and thus off the counters), but my gut tells me you need to evict your roommate.
Yes, I agree. When she does clean the litter box the smell goes away. She does not clean it frequently enough.

I think the whole issue is that she does not have time for them. She is a junior in college and is away most of the day. She tells me the reasons they "act out" is because they haven't been getting as much attention from her. After she graduates she will be an airline pilot. I just don't think having that sort of career and having pets is compatible.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am glad there are people out there who love cats. I'm just not one of them after this experience.
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Old 09-04-2012, 03:51 PM
 
Location: Northern Illinois
2,186 posts, read 4,544,809 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by readywhenyouare View Post
Yes, I agree. When she does clean the litter box the smell goes away. She does not clean it frequently enough.

I think the whole issue is that she does not have time for them. She is a junior in college and is away most of the day. She tells me the reasons they "act out" is because they haven't been getting as much attention from her. After she graduates she will be an airline pilot. I just don't think having that sort of career and having pets is compatible.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am glad there are people out there who love cats. I'm just not one of them after this experience.

This is not your fault. You did try, but this is your home and your decision ultimately. She obviously does not have the time and resources at this point in her life to give these cats the attention and love they deserve. After she becomes a pilot she will still not have a stable home life and she needs to find another loving and suitable home for these cats asap. She may love and care for them but she is young and she is simply too busy for them. She would be doing them a huge favor - they will be happier and content with another "forever" family. DO NOT misunderstand me - my husband and I have 23 cats (long story), but it does involve a committed routine, money, and patience (with lots of love) to keep it running smoothly. I do not advocate giving up animals for no good reason - but in this case they are clearly being neglected and I do not see that getting any better for them. Talk to her about it - she may know someone who will take them, and she needs to be realistic about her feelings toward them and what she wants from her life. They are not toys to be brought out to play with when you have the time. If she can't see that - I think you have no alternative but to ask them to leave. Good luck, and remember - you tried.
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Old 09-04-2012, 04:59 PM
 
Location: Manhattan, Ks
1,280 posts, read 6,961,606 times
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It sounds like you, she and the cats will all be much better off if she finds a cat-loving roomate.
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Old 09-04-2012, 07:28 PM
 
Location: Near Nashville TN
7,201 posts, read 14,882,033 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by readywhenyouare View Post
Hi everyone. I am a 23 year old guy who recently took on a new roommate to live in my house with me and my other roommate. The new roommate told me that she had two cats ....
Brevity snip.

If you feel that strongly about the cats, you may want to ask her to leave. Roomies quite often have disagreements over pets.

Cats will be cats and they love to jump and climb, and yes, they use litterpans. Litter scatters. The pans shouldn't stink. You could get after her to scoop them twice a day. She may not be scooping them often enough.
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Old 09-04-2012, 07:33 PM
 
Location: Near Nashville TN
7,201 posts, read 14,882,033 times
Reputation: 5448
Quote:
Originally Posted by readywhenyouare View Post
I think the whole issue is that she does not have time for them. She is a junior in college and is away most of the day. She tells me the reasons they "act out" is because they haven't been getting as much attention from her. After she graduates she will be an airline pilot. I just don't think having that sort of career and having pets is compatible.
How sad. Another two cats to end up on Craigslist because the owner "doesn't have the time to give them that they deserve." They all use the same old excuse. It doesn't seem to occur to these people that the cats will still be around when they graduate, get a job, have a baby............ they adopt them anyway, then look to unload them when they become inconvenient or the novelty wears off.
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