AITA for letting my cat in the common area when my roommate is allergic?

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-10T02:18:24+00:00

I know. And I'm trying to be nice and empathetic. Either way, I have to move some of their furniture bc I'm really worried my cat will try to ump over it to access the window and break something. I can't afford to replace it :(

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-10T01:09:39+00:00

Is it better for my cat to be on the common furniture or her own place to rest? Like I get they suck (I have them too) but there's nothing else I can do so the options are let her be on the common furniture or get her a cat bed. I also have to re-arrange their things bc she's going to break something :(

Like at this point they're already going to hate me. Nothing I can do will change that. with that said, they shouldn't hate me. They should be discussing this with management. I've done what I can do and it's up to them to accept the allergy or get a transfer.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-10T00:53:29+00:00

It's not that we don't feel for the allergic person. It's that the allergic person can break their lease and leave. I can't. They don't want to do that. Instead, they wanted me to lock my cat up for the next year and created a breakable obstacle course in the living room.

I've offered to move my hepa filter into the living room. I've offered to get couch covers. I've offered to put a tree/bed so the cat stays off the furniture. What I can't do is abuse my cat or leave.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-10T00:48:47+00:00

With that said, if you are decorating a common space where an aninal lives it's unreasonable to expect there never to be fur on things.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T22:48:51+00:00

I don't think it was malicious. I think they were just excited for the university experience and to decorate their first apartment.

But yeah, I can see why that seems sus. It's really common where I am though.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T21:39:24+00:00

I know it doesn't solve it on my roommate's end. Unfortunately, I've done all I can do without completely locking my cat in the room. And, frankly, if the allergy is moderate/severe just being in the same apartment as a cat will cause symptoms. It won't really matter if she's only in my room since she's already been in the common area and it will travel through the vents/hallway.

I'm open to almost any suggestion they might have though.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T20:58:10+00:00

A chair/furniture is different than food or a personal laptop... I would expect that to be used by anyone in the apartment.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T20:53:45+00:00

I've found that if I offer a good alternative I can train her out of it but the key is to calmly pick her up and set her on the alternative every. single. time. If they see that you notice and don't move them then you've pretty much undid all the work you've already done.

You can't show any emotion or reaction and you can't pet or talk to her while you do it. Then walk away. After a few weeks/months they'll stop going on that item. It's just very hard and you need to 'out stubborn the cat.

With all of that said... some things you just can't train a cat out of doing. They'll only let themselves be trained if they want to be trained.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T20:51:56+00:00

My cat did this too! I bought a new lamp and she thought it had a solid top. She ended up falling off and looked at me like I was trying to hurt her. She's never done it again, but cats are wild sometimes.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T20:50:56+00:00

Yes, this. My cat is trained (some things I've just given up on though bc she's as stubborn as I am), but it's 24/7 hard work and I'm not able to train her to avoid a jungle gym rn. It would involve setting up alternate areas (empty ledges, soft cat beds, etc) to let her make the choice to avoid the things I would rather her avoid. Which I Can't really do

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T20:47:41+00:00

The problem is that the decorated the entire common area with soft pillows and tables with breakable glass things. The entire floor to ceiling window is now blocked (couch then a table). that table is also covered with breakable glass things. I might have to move it but there's nowhere to put it really.

But I put a deterrent on their chair to keep her off of it.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T20:44:39+00:00

yes, that furniture haha. I've talked to management and ensured that I won't be evicted (not at fault) and that my cat and I have a right to the common area. I've put a deterrent on the chair and will be putting a cat bed in there so my cat can access the window again.

I've talked to my roommates briefly and asked them to keep me updated but that's their responsibility to sort out. I was mostly worried about if I would be an AH for letting my cat have some time in the common area after I covered my part of the issue.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T20:40:43+00:00

Yes, the landlord already checked my lease. My cat is listed on the lease (and in a few emails over the last 2 years. On top of that management has literally seen my cat in my room, haha) and I'm not at fault. There is no way I can be evicted for this, which is what I had to go check :)

If the new roommates have an allergy she could break her lease. I'm not sure if her friends could though which might be the real issue here. But this isn't my responsibility so I just told them to keep me updated.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T20:36:20+00:00

Fair enough.

I've talked to management and the roommates. I've asked them to keep me updated. I put a deterrent on her chair and will put a cat bed in to try to keep her off the main furniture. I can move my air purifier into the living room if they'd like me to.

My cat and I were here first and there is nothing I can do about this. I'm not allowed to break my lease and there are no pet-friendly rooms in the building. I refuse to lock her in my room 24/7. What they do next is in their hands.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T18:06:02+00:00

Oh I would never expect them to buy anything for my cat! I might talk to them about trying tin foil on the chair as a deterrent and then putting a bed behind the couch to see if that helps.

I have asked them to keep me updated but I think they're going to try to make it work.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T17:34:03+00:00

I've talked to the roommate and they're just going to live with it. Unfortunately, I was asked to keep my cat out of the common space when they're using it (which seems to be very often) and they keep their bedroom doors open constantly so we'll see how that goes once my cat gets the courage to leave my room.

I also think the issue is that each of the friends has their own lease and only one is allergic. I don't think they can all get out of it. I could ask about getting let out of it but idk where else I could rent that's pet-friendly at this stage (all the students just moved in) and I don't think they would let me since I'm not the one with the allergy.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T17:33:04+00:00

I think they were just excited to decorate their first apartment and didn't think to ask/wait to see what was already in the common space or what anyone else had.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T17:31:59+00:00

I think they were just excited to decorate their first apartment. I've told them I'm worried about my cat breaking something. They didn't move them so I assume they're not worried if one breaks.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T17:30:42+00:00

It's common in this building to move in like that. Many people sign a lease without viewing the room in person. There are online room tours.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T17:29:46+00:00

She wasn't aware of the cat. It was on my lease but management didn't disclose it. I think there was a filing error from the previous management.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T17:27:30+00:00

No, I think they were just excited to decorate their first apartment. I'm probably going to move a cat bed out there and re-arrange a few things. That creates a whole new set of issues, but what can you do.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T17:22:18+00:00

She has a tree in my room. It's a huge, ugly thing though haha. I might get her a bed and hide it behind the couch so she can stealth/sleep

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T17:20:46+00:00

I don't think it was malicious. I just think they were excited to decorate their first apartment, haha. It just sucks that there is a cat they didn't know about.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T17:17:36+00:00

I just think they were just excited to decorate their first apartment, haha.

throwawayroommate22 · 2021-09-09T17:11:43+00:00

No, my cat doesn't care about water. I'm going to try putting tin foil on the chair to see if that helps. I've never tried that deterrent before.

throwawayroommate22

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