I've been offered a cottage and yard to rent, BUT I cant take my cats!

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Dexter

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What do I do??

I've been offered a yard, 5 purpose built brick boxes in a small barn, tack room, feed room and hay barn. Rubber matting and hay thingies in the corner, automatic water, 4 acres split into 3 acres and 1 acre, with water and post and rail fencing. I can also have a 1 bed cottage. The whole package will cost me £100 more than I currently pay in flat rent alone. My front room window would over look the field. Its ideal. Cottage is small,but big enough for me, its clean and neutral and I could easily live there. The horse accommodation is fab! The ponies would have to come in over night in the winter as theres not enough grazing for 3 out 24/7 I dont think. But it would be easy as they would literally be on my door step. There is even a lock up container where I could store my motorbike. Its also 2 miles from work, so in theory walkable. Its 1/3 mile from the gym and local Tesco,nice pub etc.

I currently live in a housing association flat on the edge of a hell hole area. The flat is damp and despite being here for a year there are still repairs outstanding, its damp and costs me over £100 a month in electric in winter. The ponies are in a field 6 miles down the road, work is 3 miles in the other direction. There are no facilities at the field, and last year we had rugs stolen off their backs and hay taken, even down to the hay they were eating in the field. I'm not sure I can handle another winter like that!

Only problem is I cant take my cats. The owner is a pensioner and has had chew in the past from pets, so its catergorically a no.

I feel sick at the thought of not having them, and coming into an empty house, I've had them for a year and they have made me soo much happier But how the hell can I turn down the chance of a lifetime like this Would I actually miss the cats soo much if I had my ponies? I could feasibly get another horse so I actually had something to ride, and that combined with my youngsters would surely fill the gap left by the cats

I logically cant believe I'm even considering turning this down, but I just cant seem to get my head around rehoming the kittens
 
Would they allow the cats as outdoor cats? Cats would be fine in one of the stables - and it's a compromise. Once owner knows you and cats, then they may allow them to come in?
 
I guess it depends on how attached to them you are? I couldn't consider it if I couldn't take my cat, but he has been with me for 8 years and he is part of our little family. But if you feel you could part with them and ensure they are found good homes then perhaps it's the best option.

I personally would try to find them good homes rather than take them to a rescue centre, but that is just me.

It does sound like a fantastic opportunity for you. I am sure if you found them good homes it would put your mind at rest. You will probably miss them, but you would soon adapt to life without them.

Good luck :)
 
I'd try to find out exactly what the landlords past history is with the cats, whether it's soiling or fleas etc, and if possible advise that you are happy to write into the contract that you will routinely de-flea them, and pay to replace any damage they may cause. If this doesn't work then I'd argue that with horses and feeds etc come the in-evitable mice, would they be happy to have the cats kept on the yard to keep this population down? Then move them there and keep a bed in the tack room area etc? Another option is to say you're happy to put a bigger deposit down to cover any damage caused? Good luck with the decision must be a hard one to make, if you choose the house you'll never forgive yourself rehoming the cats, but if you don't you may resent the cats long term? good luck x
 
Definitely see can you take them as yard cats but equally perhaps use the mice control line for the cottage too!
 
Reading back my post, the part where is say" You will probably miss them" Doesn't sound right. You will definitely miss them. But you will addapt. Is what I meant. Guess I didn't want you feeling bad, but saying you 'probably' would miss them suggests you may not care. I know you do.

:)
 
wow what an amazing opportunity, prehaps think about having stable cats as the others have said or maybe try and rehome locally so you can still have contact?
 
As said above offer a bigger deposit. Landlords dont want cats/dogs in case they make a mess/damage things which cost the landlord money. A flat empty for a month whilst the decoration gets fixed = lost rent plus decoration costs.

If you can throw money at the problem (and say the cats will live outside)

Hope it works out for you.
 
idx said:
As said above offer a bigger deposit. Landlords dont want cats/dogs in case they make a mess/damage things which cost the landlord money. A flat empty for a month whilst the decoration gets fixed = lost rent plus decoration costs.

If you can throw money at the problem (and say the cats will live outside)

Hope it works out for you.
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This ^^^ my son rents a house that said absolutely NO Pets. He offered a £500 extra deposit and all was fine :D landlord has just put new carpets down too:D

Two other things to consider not to do with the cats is

Although the flat you are in is in need of repair it is permenant if you want it too be, this wouldn't be. She could give you a months notice and you would have to find somewhere else!!

Also how is it heated, you say your flat was expensive but I bet not as expensive as calor gas stuff
 
Its all a bit complex, its not a damage issue, its a nuisance issue. A current tenant has snuck a dog in and then taken the piss! I have just found out historically, they have had a yard cat, so maybe its doable!

I'm now curious as to what you would do? Would you sacrifice your cats for your horses? what about your dogs? I've made peace with my decision I think, I'm just curious as to other peoples decisions!
 
my cats i would never compromise for - but i have had them for 17 yrs! since they were kittens and they are still going, they are my family. Same goes for dogs. I have always said I will pay for any damage they cause. To be fair cats dont really cause many issues - unless you have boisterous cats that scratch doorways wood or carpets then theres not that much damage cats will do. Dogs can cause way much more damage.
 
No to sacrificing my dogs. Full stop. However I do think dogs are different as cats are more self reliant. My dogs come with me to the yard/events/pub and I now have 3, one I have had for 7 years, 1 for 3 and one for .. 1 week.!
 
I'd offer to pay for an extra months rental (possibly in the form of an extra deposit so he knows you are serious) and to cover any reinstatement costs resulting from damag by the cats (which is unlikely tbh)

My cats are too important to me to re-home them, plus I wouldn't like being in a house without them :)
 
I wouldn't give up my cats - I would try to find a way around it though, I second the heftier deposit idea. Sounds like a great place, good luck.
 
Oldmare, thats how I feel, but its not really about money. Hes an older man in poor health and cant deal with the hassle. Its easier for him to do a blanket no pet thing and maybe loose out on a few months rent, than have to deal with grief caused! And I am not prepared to pressure him, other than to SUGGEST the one yard cat thing. If it was dogs I'd feel different, but as it stands, it would be selfish of me to move the cats it the nice neighbour would take them, and he practically snapped my hands off when i told him about my dilemma!
 
if you've got a possible home lined up for the cats i think you should go for it, when we lost our house a few years ago i had to rehome one of my dogs as i had 2 and landlord would only accept one, my sister took her and altho i missed her the dog really didn't give 2 hoots!!! disloyal creatures lol, as long as they are fed and loved they don't really seem to care who's offering it:rolleyes:
 
I totally couldnt be without my cats!

Id try everything possible to get them there - i paid an extra deposit on my house, and its in my contract as an extra that the carpets get cleaned professionally every 3 months as opposed to the standard 6 months.
 
Well.know what I would do. When I take pets on, it's for life. I also wouldn't want to have a stable yard without cats - I can't be doing with rodents.
So, in your position I would ask about letting the cats live outside and if that's not possible say 'Thanks but no thanks'.
As someone else said, you also need to take into account the permanence of the arrangements. What would happen if the pensioner passed away?
 
Bit of a cynical/pessimistic post, but ... you say the LL is an older man in poor health. Do you know what would happen to the property if anything should happen to him? How long do you intend to stay there - is it a realistic dream for the future or a riding for the next few years and then you, your horses and maybe your cats, will be on the hunt for new accommodations.
 
Dexter said:
I'm now curious as to what you would do? Would you sacrifice your cats for your horses? what about your dogs? I've made peace with my decision I think, I'm just curious as to other peoples decisions!
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No way, because I wouldn't be able to live with myself.
 
Offer to have a contract drawn up for the cats covering cleaning carpets, fixing anything they damage etc. I had to do this for the first place I rented :)
 
I have sold many horses in the past but would never get rid of my cats unless I was homeless and living on the streets and rehomeing was in their best interests. Some people its the other way around though and I can understand that. However, I would be wary.

As others have said this old guy may pop his clogs next week. He sounds quite unreasonable and you may find him being unreasonable over other things too. In which case he may serve you notice to leave the cottage. If it was a luxury penthouse fair enough but its a county cottage with horses about. If he simply does not like animals - and he doesn't sound an animal lover! - then could he throw a hissy fit when he sees your dungheap or something else he doesn't like around the horses????? The resnt sounds very, very cheap and it could be becuase he is a nasty, unreasonable old git and no-one else will rent from him.
 
I agree with asking if you can keep them as yard cats. Brilliant for keeping the rodent population down!

If not, and they are young cats, then I would rehome, especially since you have had an offer from a neighbour :)

The yard sounds too good to turn down!
 
My neighbours are only supposed to have one cat - so when Housing NZ call around to inspect - if more than one cat shows up they fingers crossed say that its adopted them!

You could be a bit cheeky and sneak them in and then - adopt them!
 
I wouldn't give up my cats for anything, even though one woke me up at 4am this morning eating a mouse next to my bed!

I would offer the extra deposit as has been suggested and maybe suggest a trial period, too. I once rented a flat that said no pets and talked him round to saying yes.

Don't sneak them in. This will only confound the problem that previous tenants have already caused. Outdoor cats is a possibility.
 
I look after four cats...

...only one is actually mine and he isn't even a year old yet!

The other three (Siamese 18yrs, Burmese 8 yrs and B&W moggy 2 yrs) belong to my sister. She wanted to move to Leeds and couldn't take them with her due to 'no pets' rule, plus the Burmese is not good with traffic.

She does miss them, but they always remember her when she comes to visit and even when the burmese was very ill recently, she said that she knew that he was in good hands.

I agree that it would be worth asking about having them as yard cats. It would be a good solution for all. :)
 
I don't have cats but I wouldn't part with my dogs, parrots or pigs. I would try to find a way around the problem, wither in paying an extra deposit to cover any damage, signing a contract agreeing to pay the costs of putting the damage right or agreeing to keep the cats outside. To be honest dogs can cause a heck of a lot more chew damage than cats and cats serve a purpose in keeping rodents down.
 
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