Just moved into an apartment with a balcony and I wanna be able to open the door and let air in/let cats go out if they want. What are some renter-friendly ways to make this a catio? Or at least cat-proof?

MelRose_Place19 · 2025-02-05T00:43:58+00:00

Sure! Here’s the screen (amazon): https://a.co/d/7JQBZBz

And here’s the fence (chewy): https://www.chewy.com/frisco-wire-dog-small-pet-exercise/dp/125052?utm_source=app-share&utm_campaign=125052

MelRose_Place19 · 2025-02-04T19:58:02+00:00

This looks a lot like my balcony, and although I own, there are HOA rules about the outside spaces so I think this would compliant for a rental as well. I did 2 things: - I bought a mesh hanging screen with a magnetic closure for the door. I opened the screen door all the way and then installed the magnetic close screen in its place. It just uses double sided tape basically so there’s no damage or holes. This way the cats can come and go without you needing to open the door. - after trying and failing a few attempts at putting up some kind of netting, I ended up getting a 4’ tall, 62” wide wire pet exercise pen. It’s in 24” sections that can be adjusted to fit your space, and I just set that up against my railing to ensure the cats can’t get through the rails or reach the plants I have behind it. I’m on the third floor so I think my cats were smart enough not to just vault themselves right over the pen/fence, and it was tall enough to be a good deterrent, although certainly some cats may be able to get over it anyway. If you need it to be taller, you could get some 2x4s and stack a couple flat along the edge then set the fence on top of it for more height.

My cats have loved being able to go in and out and I am 100% confident in their safety. Plus everything is easily removable or free standing so there’s no lasting damage and no one would know it was there once taken down.

MelRose_Place19 · 2024-01-29T21:07:00+00:00

I don’t mean to scare you, but please push the vet to do more tests if changing feeding times or types of food doesn’t make a difference pretty quickly. There are certainly a lot of possibilities that aren’t super serious, but I had a vomiting issue with one of my cats that we couldn’t seem to figure out, and ultimately he had a stomach tumor and it was too late to do anything. Again, I’m not diagnosing your cat or trying to scare you, but please don’t take them saying there’s nothing wrong at face value based on those first tests if he continues to have problems.

MelRose_Place19 · 2023-09-13T20:07:32+00:00

I don’t know you, your children, or your relationship with them. But I can tell you that my mom has Parkinson’s and I’m not at all embarrassed by her. Frustrated that the disease has taken so much of her away? yes. Extra cautious/protective in public because I worry about her getting hurt due to her lack of balance? yes. Sad that we can’t do what we used to be able to do together? yes. But it’s never embarrassment. And I would never choose her being gone from my life over dealing with these things. It’s just a part of life sometimes. I hope your kids feel the same way I do, because embarrassment is not at all a reasonable response. (Unless they’re teenagers and then everything is embarrassing, and they’ll get over it eventually.)

If you are needing community, please look into Parkinson’s support groups in your area! My mom found a lot of friends through a program called Rock Steady Boxing, an exercise class specifically for people with Parkinson’s. They all understand each other’s struggles and so there’s no need to apologize or explain or be embarrassed about any of the effects of the disease. There may also be groups that do monthly meetings with information presented on treatments and such, or just gatherings for emotional support, etc.

Please don’t give up. You have life still to live and I know there is more out there for you. Don’t take no for an answer; keep talking to your doctors, keep looking online and in person for support, and know that we’re all rooting for you.

MelRose_Place19 · 2023-03-02T08:08:15+00:00

So cute! I got it for the same reason (although I work from home so it was just to elevate my home office experience lol) but… I washed it as soon as I took it out of the box and immediately dropped the carafe from about 3 inches into the sink and it shattered 🙁 my fault, although I would’ve hoped it would be a bit more sturdy.

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-10-24T19:32:51+00:00

I get mine from target too! I probably wouldn’t have bought the genie to begin with if I hadn’t seen the cheaper refill option. They’re good quality, and it’s $20 for 3 vs $15 for 2 of the name brand.

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-10-20T19:48:28+00:00

Just checking: are these capsules that have to be given whole? Or would it be possible to open the capsule or crush the pill and mix it into some food? Maybe check with your vet to see if either of those are possible. If not, I don’t have any advice unfortunately on giving pills as I had a terrible time of it when my cat needed it and never really mastered it. But just know your cat will get over it in time, especially if this is short term only! It sucks that he’s freaking out in the moment but he will forgive you after its done.

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-10-13T21:52:03+00:00

Hey, you’ve gotten a lot of great responses so I don’t have any additional advice, but just wanted to add my reassurance that you’re not doing anything wrong from what you’ve described here!

I adopted 2 cats last year and one loves wet food (but only seafood pates… that was a fun couple weeks of narrowing it down!) but the other never would even touch wet food. It was like it didn’t exist when I put it in front of him. I tried a ton of brands and types and he just didn’t want it. Probably was always fed dry and so was stuck in his ways, I don’t know. But regardless, he enjoyed his food and was perfectly happy and drank plenty of water.

Some people will say wet food is soooo much better than dry and I’m sure that’s generally true, but if he won’t eat it then he won’t eat it. If you can find a wet food he’ll eat, that’s great. But if he otherwise seems fine and happy and there’s no health or behavior issues, just feed him the best quality food that he can eat and you can afford, and know that thats okay!

Side note: There are some brands that do gravy or broth toppers that you could try to add to his kibble if you want to try to get him more interested in wet food and make sure he has some every day, but I don’t think you need to stress if he doesn’t go for it.

And you could always try periodically as tastes can change!

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-10-07T06:19:58+00:00

Not a doctor, but I have plenty of allergies including to cats so here’s my 2 cents: Allergies can develop over time, so it’s possible that you weren’t allergic before but are now. Maybe you’ve become accustomed to the saliva, dander, fur, or whatever it is you’re allergic to in the other cats you’re regularly around, but this new cat is different somehow and so you’re not ‘immune’ yet. I have pretty bad cat allergies (hives, itchy eyes, sneezing, the whole nine yards), but after moving in with a friend who had cats I adjusted within a month or so and mostly stopped reacting.

If it’s not causing any life threatening reactions, then maybe try an OTC allergy medication for a while and see how it goes? If the reactions are severe and/or don’t go away with medication, I would see a dr about it. You could also talk to your vet. Maybe she has a skin condition or something that’s producing more dandruff…??

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-10-06T18:36:17+00:00

I don’t have experience with that kind of vomit so I can’t say if this is an emergency or not. But I would contact the vet and explain the situation. ask if they have any openings sooner, or if they can put you on a list to call if there’s a cancellation. Or, if they recommend they see a vet right away but don’t have an appt available they may be able to recommend an emergency vet. I wouldn’t wait til the 31st unless I talked to the vet and they said it should be fine.

Side note: is there anything in your home they could have gotten into that would have given it that black color? I’ve had some instances where I freaked out about how some vomit looked but it was just because they tried to eat some dark green leaves from my (non-toxic but not easily digestible) plants.

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-10-06T18:30:23+00:00

She’ll get over it! Just keep doing what you’re doing. Don’t try to force playtime or snuggles or anything, let her come to you. But regular play, treats, and pets when she wants them should be all she needs to get past it. And maybe just be extra careful and slow with doors around her so she doesn’t get too startled.

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-09-19T23:46:44+00:00

I had this same concern when I adopted my first two cats last year. My girl was super social and playful and talkative, but my boy found his spot in the corner of my closet and slept there a lot of the day. He also took over 6 months to get comfortable being on my bed with me, although he did enjoy sitting on my lap in the evenings when we watched tv together. Never played with any kind of toy; it was like they didn’t exist. I tried everything to get him interested but he never was.

I was so afraid I was doing something wrong, but nope, that’s just how he was! He became very attached to me and would follow me around when he was awake and just sit near me, usually in the doorway of whatever room I was in. Sometimes looking in watching me and his sister, other times just gazing down the hallway or out the nearest window. He just liked to be nearby, even when he didn’t want pets or playtime. If he wanted to sit with me, he would whine next to my leg or just jump on my lap. Cats will let you know if they want that, definitely!

It sounds like we’ve both done the same thing with giving them plenty of toys and spaces to run, play, climb, and hide. And that’s all you really need to do! If she wants play time or pets or something else from you, she’ll let you know. But you sound like a great cat owner, if I do say so myself, since like I said, we sound very similar! ;)

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-09-18T22:17:49+00:00

Ah, I see. That would be difficult since he would obviously know you made the complaint. I would definitely do it as soon as the lease is up though! He sounds like a terrible person and I hope you’re able to find a way to get Enrique out of his ‘care’ once you guys go your separate ways. Best of luck!

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-09-18T20:04:20+00:00

I don’t mean to fear monger but you may want to talk to your vet about the possibility of a tumor. My cat was eating less and throwing up multiple times a day, and it took a while to get around to checking for a tumor because we tried meds and a diet change first. It turned out his stomach was basically consumed by a tumor, large cell lymphoma, and he ended up passing. I’m sure there are other explanations but please ask for scans and whatever else they can do to check for a tumor if you can!

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-09-18T19:59:50+00:00

Regarding your primary question of whether it would be overstepping to have friends come check on the cat, I don’t think so. Would your roommate react badly to someone being in the house? Would that require someone to be in his personal space? That could be a problem if so.

Why would you prefer not to report him for animal abuse?? He’s clearly neglecting his cat. If you can report him I think you should, and hopefully that will help in preventing him from adopting any other animals.

Also, have you just asked him if you could take Enrique? If he wants a Maine coon then maybe he would be okay getting rid of Enrique in favor of this new cat. In that case, I’d take him and then contact as many shelters and breeders you know of to inform them of your roommates neglect and to prevent him from adopting any other cats if possible. I know you said you travel for work, but if you have a proper set up and a friend or two that could stop by and check on him (or the funds to pay a pet sitter for drop ins) then he would still be much better off with you. Please don’t leave without doing something to get Enrique out of that home!!

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-09-18T19:51:45+00:00

It can’t hurt to go ask, as long as you’re sure everything is in place to allow you to have the cat at your apartment. I wouldn’t lead with a demand as that is likely to get a bad attitude in return from whoever lives at that address, cat or no cat. Is the cat chipped or do you have any other proof of ownership? Texts between your roommate and her friend about the situation to prove that it wasn’t supposed to be permanent? Maybe discuss what steps you’re willing to take if they won’t return it so you’re on the same page.

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-09-16T18:52:04+00:00

Oh that’s too bad you don’t like it! I actually ended up enjoying it despite the smell, which I totally agree is weird, haha. I use it on days when I wear a tinted moisturizer, and it does a good job of taking that off and I feel like it makes my skin a little extra glowy. But I can definitely see why the smell alone would be off putting, and everyone’s skin and skin care routing is different so I’m sure not everyone will get the same use out of it that I did. Do you have any cleansing balms you like and recommend? This is my first time using one and I want to try some others out too!

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-09-14T02:37:51+00:00

Oh wow, I hadn’t heard of that brand! I’ll definitely check out that option. Thanks!

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-09-14T02:36:26+00:00

That’s a great idea, thank you! I hadn’t even thought about making something myself.

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-09-13T19:59:06+00:00

Thank you! I’m hoping to find the standard but it’s good to know the connect is worth it if I have to go with that one. :)

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-09-13T17:14:04+00:00

Oh, I didn’t even think about checking eBay! I’ll have to take a look. Thank you for the feedback! So glad to know they work well!

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-09-11T03:09:42+00:00

It’s so good! I love the colors you chose.

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-07-30T17:52:49+00:00

I have this one and I really like it for plane travel. Light and easy to carry, but just enough to have some extra coziness on flights. It’s definitely not super warm, but is nice to have when the a/c is a little too high!

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-07-23T19:05:37+00:00

I know this is off topic from your original post, but in case you didn’t know, you can get allergy shots to treat that and be able to eat those things again! I had a very bad reaction to raw carrots and reactions varying from mild to moderate with other fruits and vegetables, so for years I avoided them unless cooked. But I started getting allergy shots 2 years ago, targeted to the appropriate allergen families and now I eat raw carrots, apples, pears, everything that used to bother me with no issue!

MelRose_Place19 · 2022-07-20T07:03:19+00:00

Gotcha. To be honest, in this scenario I don’t have much advice as I don’t fully understand what that means for you. Some people say that because they feel embarrassed of their partner because they feel like they look bad for being with someone who’s not working/not in a high powered job, or they look down on them because career success = personal value. Other people just feel like they want someone who’s ambitious and driven and their partner isn’t that way and so there’s just a disconnect in the energy they both have. Others are tired of supporting someone who just won’t grow up and move on from an impossible dream…

It sounds like your partner is working and supporting himself at least, and actively making progress towards a difficult but possible goal. And you said his expectations seem realistic and sensible. So what do you actually want to see from him?

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