How Do You Cat Proof?

[EmmiTemmi]

I just thought of something, can you just open up the blinds all the way up and leave them open while you are gone, or are your windows located in a position where everybody coming down the street can look into your home while you are out. Don't want that!

I do live in a first floor apartment, so at night I always have the blinds closed. But as soon as I wake up the blinds go up too, and stay up until I have to turn on the lights at night. Except for the bathroom blinds. Those stay down because the window isn't a frosted/opaque window (and those are the blinds that have their edges nibbled off, ugh). I'm at the point where I might consider asking my landlord if I can stick frosted privacy film on the bathroom windows, even though my contract says I'm not allowed to. Actually, I just looked some up on Amazon and there's ones that stick through static, not adhesive, so maybe those would work? Or maybe the cats would just tear it down and eat it... I suppose I could just put all the blinds up when I turn the lights off right before I go to bed.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I had a scare today. I was out grocery shopping and got a motion notification on my phone about my home pet camera (which faces in towards the galley kitchen). I open it an find that my entire dish drying rack, which sits on a small stretch of counter between my sink and outer wall, has been completely tipped to the floor. Glass shattered, heavy pans fell, and my heart sank. I moved the camera around it's full axis trying to find my cats, to see if they had stepped in the glass or were passed out after having been bonked in the noggin by my sauce pan, but I couldn't find them. Ensue 30+ minutes of utter panic as I check out and try to drive home during rush-hour. The boys were fine (although my glassware was not), and I secluded them in the bathroom as I cleaned up.

This isn't the first time they've gotten into trouble while I've been out. They're able to scale 5+ shelves on my bookcase to tip over treats (and then gorge themselves and puke). They jump at my blinds when they're open and manage to grab the cords (which I hook over the top of the window frame to try and stop them from accessing them so they can't suffocate themselves). They jump on the counter, no matter what I do to try and stop them, and nibble at my knife block. I'm just so scared that one day I'll come home and they'll have managed to hurt themselves somehow. I have my bathroom toilet paper and hand soap in a medicine cabinet because they would tear at the TP and knock over the soap (And I'm afraid they'll eat/lick it!). I had a water fountain for them, but one boy started dragging it halfway down the hall, while it was plugged in, then dislodged the top so the pump was just pumping air (now they just have a bowl). In the summer I had a fan on a shelf, but that got knocked over (thank goodness it wasn't on at the time) and dented the floor of the apartment (hope my landlord doesn't notice). And they've managed to pull down 35+ books from my bookshelf when they set their minds to it. They're only 11 months old, so I know they're full of energy, and I play with them as much as I can, but they still make mischief whenever I'm out. I don't want them hurting themselves while I'm out. Today was the most panicked I've ever been when I saw the dish rack on the floor and no cat in sight. I don't want that to happen again.

TLDR: What do you do to your house/apartment to stop your cats from wrecking havoc wherever they go?

Think like a parent of a small kid, @mazie. Go through the house and anything you see that would be dangerous to a toddler, get rid of it, hide it, or change it so it is safe. My vertical blinds have rods, not strings. My horizontals have strings, but they are two strings, not one circular one. As for the dish dryer, it's in the sink, not on top of the sink. I have bookcases, but I've never seen any of my cats jumping on them. I have had cats do "purr-formance art" with the toilet paper, but at present, none of my cats do this. You can buy protectors that fit over the roll, very inexpensively. I don't have breakables within reach of my cats, for the most part -- I put dishes away in cupboards, and bathroom breakables like perfume bottles are either shut away in the medicine cabinet or on the counter in their original boxes. The cats do get up on this but never bother anything sitting on it.
If cords are an issue, you can buy cord protectors (they look like old-fashioned landline phone cords, or you can get plain clear plastic tubing varieties) inexpensively any place that sells electronics.
Good luck with your cat-proofing and don't forget that any cat toys with strings or ribbons should be kept away from them except when you are playing with them with the toys. Inspect all cat toys to make sure they are sturdy and any that have small parts they could swallow should be thrown out.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

This sounds like 1CatOverTheLine and possibly @Kieka , if they have the time, to comment on....my Big Guy is nothing like this, although my baby meezer that owned my heart back when I was a kid, would have been.
Wow.

EmmiTemmi - Much of what I might have said has been said already - and far more eloquently - by houseofnine @Kieka @Draco @FlawlessImperfection Furballsmom and @epona (and others whose names I have failed to recall - owed to being old and forgetful - in the three minutes required to get to the bottom of page two.

First, a couple of prefaces, because, after all, what's a long, pedantic, circuitous post without at least a couple of prefaces? I have eleven cats in 5,200 square feet, and to give credit where it's due and owing, they are, for the most part, the least troublesome cats in the known universe. Lance and Peanut will be twenty-one in less than three weeks, and spend much of the day sleeping; Black Friday, Clawed-Ya and Miro are still so shy as recent additions, that they don't cause any fuss at all; Bob and Puff have incredibly laid-back attitudes and spend the day moving from one window to another, watching birds, squirrels and the occasional fox; White Tip and Oz spend most of the time here in the office with me, lying in the sunlight or sitting on the sofa, and wouldn't cause any trouble at all. I have ten fabulously well-behaved kitties. Good grief - why would I need a second preface then? Moo Shu Snowshoe.

As Kieka and several other Snowshoe owners here will aver, having a Snowshoe is a full-time foray into trying to outwit a small furry companion who's smarter than your university Physics Professor. They are - in Henley's words, the Masters of their Fate - and of yours if you're not careful. All my cabinets have locks which require a key. The keys are hidden, because a lock with a key left in the keyhole is simply an invitation for a Snowshoe to deftly turn the key, climb into the cabinet, thereafter scattering whatsoever contents it might harbour across the counters and floor below. Everything has a lock. Small appliances are unplugged after use; Moo Shu has learned that by depressing the "Start" bar on the toaster oven she can burn to a crisp toast which had been, only moments before, perfect.

Glassware. I have some. It's behind locked doors. Counter tops, shelves and table tops - those ubiquitous horizontal expanses which, in normal homes, display all manner of breakable and unbreakable oddments - are bereft of anything which might be jostled, knocked down or pushed over by a Snowshoe cat. When I finish a meal, the dishes are washed immediately, then dried and put away in locked cabinets. Remember Woody Allen's Interiors? The house looks much like that, except for the grey vase keyed on in so many scenes. No vases, no centerpieces, no nicknacks, no tchotchkes, no fanciful Victorian epergnes, no whimsical Imari plates on little stands, no amusing Dresden figurines, no table lamps. What's on the counter tops, shelves and table tops then? Cats. I disabused myself long ages ago of the foolish notion that one could keep cats off of horizontal surfaces.

Aside: @Purr-fect once remarked - and this reiteration paraphrased, owed to being old and forgetful - that if cats being on the dinner table annoyed her, she would remediate this problem by selling the table. This is the principle Tao of all cat owners.

Casual visitors: I have one - my veterinarian, who's a close Friend. He bends forward when opening a door, in the proper Cat Deflection Stance, despite the fact that there are three airlocks separating the cats from the outdoors. As to entertaining - given the assumption that one could muster the energy and find the time to entertain when one has eleven cats - in the Summer, the poolside patio serves very well; in the Winter, now that the guest house has been purged of its feline inhabitants, it's the guest house. As to workmen, the first question asked is always, "do you have cats who live strictly indoors?" If they fail to answer in the affirmative, I call someone else.

Epona's point regarding not cooking while cats are in the kitchen is important. Keeping the door to the kitchen closed during food preparation is your best defense.

@nese 's advice in Post #6 is, I think, especially thorough, and Kieka's post is well worth re-reading as well since she has two Snowshoes. Likewise is Draco's because she is smart enough not to have a Snowshoe. houseofnine 's reminders regarding table runners and dresser doilies (a.k.a. Cat Slides), electrical cord shielding, LED rather than incandescent bulbs - and especially as regards furniture placement - is right on the money as well. In short - despite the vast monolith of text above this, I've little else to add beyond this: don't buy a recliner. Reclining furniture is irresistible to cats, and is the cause of a great many injuries to small animals.

I'm very happy to hear that no one was harmed in today's Glassware Bash, and the fact that you've started this thread proves an important point: they're training you to be their servant.



Best of luck in your cat-proofing endeavours!
.

 

[houseofnine]

Not much progress over here, I'm sensing a little calming tho.
I've decided to sit on the bed with her when I get home from work, even tho
she doesn't want me too, I figure it's the only way to do something.
She is on the 2nd tier of the cat tree getting her treats at night tho. I'm excited about that.
She is starting to be treat motivated, I do have a mix of treats, some are healthy, I don't want to over feed
her treats tho, but right now it's the only thing I got going for me.
any thoughts on the treats?

Freeze dried chicken, Whole Life brand from Amazon. Chunks are big, you gotta break them up and toss out the really hard bits.

 

[Furballsmom]

if cats being on the dinner table annoyed her, she would remediate this problem by selling the table. This is the principle Tao of all cat owners.

Heh, there you go

 

[Furballsmom]

Actually, I just looked some up on Amazon and there's ones that stick through static, not adhesive, so maybe those would work?

I just bought some of the nonadhesive type to try and break up the window reflections for my hummies - the directions say a clean window and soapy water works best to get the film to stay put, no residue left when you take it down. I haven't received it yet but we'll see how it does...I can't imagine the cats ...oh, yeah, never mind LOL, maybe you're right. Seems like it'd be worth a try?

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

.

Cats On Counters Calendar​

First cat; first day: "Oh God, the cat's on the counter!!! No cats on the counter!!! Ack!!!! There's a cat hair!!!"

First cat; first week: "No, no - mustn't get on the counters, sweetie."

First cat; first month: "No, no; you can't be on the counter while I'm preparing food. Let's get down and I'll give you some treats."

First cat; first year: "No, no - we don't walk across the counter while I'm trimming the steak. Here's a bowl with some treats; sit on the kitchen table like a good kitty."

Two cats: second year: "We have company, and not everyone likes kitties eating off their plates. You two come and sit at my end of the table, and leave our guests alone."

Three cats; third year: "Don't worry about the cats eating off your plates - they won't eat much."

Four cats; four years: "Thanks for the dinner invitation, but I'd rather just stay home with the cats."


.

 

[mama africa]

1CatOverTheLine - Excellent !!!

 

[Furballsmom]

LOL

 

[tarasgirl06]

EmmiTemmi - Much of what I might have said has been said already - and far more eloquently - by houseofnine @Kieka @Draco @FlawlessImperfection Furballsmom and @epona (and others whose names I have failed to recall - owed to being old and forgetful - in the three minutes required to get to the bottom of page two.

First, a couple of prefaces, because, after all, what's a long, pedantic, circuitous post without at least a couple of prefaces? I have eleven cats in 5,200 square feet, and to give credit where it's due and owing, they are, for the most part, the least troublesome cats in the known universe. Lance and Peanut will be twenty-one in less than three weeks, and spend much of the day sleeping; Black Friday, Clawed-Ya and Miro are still so shy as recent additions, that they don't cause any fuss at all; Bob and Puff have incredibly laid-back attitudes and spend the day moving from one window to another, watching birds, squirrels and the occasional fox; White Tip and Oz spend most of the time here in the office with me, lying in the sunlight or sitting on the sofa, and wouldn't cause any trouble at all. I have ten fabulously well-behaved kitties. Good grief - why would I need a second preface then? Moo Shu Snowshoe.

As Kieka and several other Snowshoe owners here will aver, having a Snowshoe is a full-time foray into trying to outwit a small furry companion who's smarter than your university Physics Professor. They are - in Henley's words, the Masters of their Fate - and of yours if you're not careful. All my cabinets have locks which require a key. The keys are hidden, because a lock with a key left in the keyhole is simply an invitation for a Snowshoe to deftly turn the key, climb into the cabinet, thereafter scattering whatsoever contents it might harbour across the counters and floor below. Everything has a lock. Small appliances are unplugged after use; Moo Shu has learned that by depressing the "Start" bar on the toaster oven she can burn to a crisp toast which had been, only moments before, perfect.

Glassware. I have some. It's behind locked doors. Counter tops, shelves and table tops - those ubiquitous horizontal expanses which, in normal homes, display all manner of breakable and unbreakable oddments - are bereft of anything which might be jostled, knocked down or pushed over by a Snowshoe cat. When I finish a meal, the dishes are washed immediately, then dried and put away in locked cabinets. Remember Woody Allen's Interiors? The house looks much like that, except for the grey vase keyed on in so many scenes. No vases, no centerpieces, no nicknacks, no tchotchkes, no fanciful Victorian epergnes, no whimsical Imari plates on little stands, no amusing Dresden figurines, no table lamps. What's on the counter tops, shelves and table tops then? Cats. I disabused myself long ages ago of the foolish notion that one could keep cats off of horizontal surfaces.

Aside: @Purr-fect once remarked - and this reiteration paraphrased, owed to being old and forgetful - that if cats being on the dinner table annoyed her, she would remediate this problem by selling the table. This is the principle Tao of all cat owners.

Casual visitors: I have one - my veterinarian, who's a close Friend. He bends forward when opening a door, in the proper Cat Deflection Stance, despite the fact that there are three airlocks separating the cats from the outdoors. As to entertaining - given the assumption that one could muster the energy and find the time to entertain when one has eleven cats - in the Summer, the poolside patio serves very well; in the Winter, now that the guest house has been purged of its feline inhabitants, it's the guest house. As to workmen, the first question asked is always, "do you have cats who live strictly indoors?" If they fail to answer in the affirmative, I call someone else.

Epona's point regarding not cooking while cats are in the kitchen is important. Keeping the door to the kitchen closed during food preparation is your best defense.

@nese 's advice in Post #6 is, I think, especially thorough, and Kieka's post is well worth re-reading as well since she has two Snowshoes. Likewise is Draco's because she is smart enough not to have a Snowshoe. houseofnine 's reminders regarding table runners and dresser doilies (a.k.a. Cat Slides), electrical cord shielding, LED rather than incandescent bulbs - and especially as regards furniture placement - is right on the money as well. In short - despite the vast monolith of text above this, I've little else to add beyond this: don't buy a recliner. Reclining furniture is irresistible to cats, and is the cause of a great many injuries to small animals.

I'm very happy to hear that no one was harmed in today's Glassware Bash, and the fact that you've started this thread proves an important point: they're training you to be their servant.



Best of luck in your cat-proofing endeavours!
.

1CatOverTheLine So I guess we know what at least one of a certain Snowshoe's nicknames might be, yes? *Hawking*

 

[EmmiTemmi]

I just bought some of the nonadhesive type to try and break up the window reflections for my hummies - the directions say a clean window and soapy water works best to get the film to stay put, no residue left when you take it down. I haven't received it yet but we'll see how it does...I can't imagine the cats ...oh, yeah, never mind LOL, maybe you're right. Seems like it'd be worth a try?

I ordered some last night because I realized I can put them on the glass screen beyond the window (I think my landlord called it a rain window? Never seen a window with it before. But It's just a full pane of glass that covers the screen beyond the window itself?) Anyway, since I never open the bathroom window it won't matter if the frosted sheet could be torn down by the boys, because they won't be able to get at it. But I'm sure they'll try...

 

[EmmiTemmi]

First, a couple of prefaces, because, after all, what's a long, pedantic, circuitous post without at least a couple of prefaces? I have eleven cats in 5,200 square feet, and to give credit where it's due and owing, they are, for the most part, the least troublesome cats in the known universe. Lance and Peanut will be twenty-one in less than three weeks, and spend much of the day sleeping; Black Friday, Clawed-Ya and Miro are still so shy as recent additions, that they don't cause any fuss at all; Bob and Puff have incredibly laid-back attitudes and spend the day moving from one window to another, watching birds, squirrels and the occasional fox; White Tip and Oz spend most of the time here in the office with me, lying in the sunlight or sitting on the sofa, and wouldn't cause any trouble at all. I have ten fabulously well-behaved kitties. Good grief - why would I need a second preface then? Moo Shu Snowshoe.

As Kieka and several other Snowshoe owners here will aver, having a Snowshoe is a full-time foray into trying to outwit a small furry companion who's smarter than your university Physics Professor. They are - in Henley's words, the Masters of their Fate - and of yours if you're not careful. All my cabinets have locks which require a key. The keys are hidden, because a lock with a key left in the keyhole is simply an invitation for a Snowshoe to deftly turn the key, climb into the cabinet, thereafter scattering whatsoever contents it might harbour across the counters and floor below. Everything has a lock. Small appliances are unplugged after use; Moo Shu has learned that by depressing the "Start" bar on the toaster oven she can burn to a crisp toast which had been, only moments before, perfect.

Glassware. I have some. It's behind locked doors. Counter tops, shelves and table tops - those ubiquitous horizontal expanses which, in normal homes, display all manner of breakable and unbreakable oddments - are bereft of anything which might be jostled, knocked down or pushed over by a Snowshoe cat. When I finish a meal, the dishes are washed immediately, then dried and put away in locked cabinets. Remember Woody Allen's Interiors? The house looks much like that, except for the grey vase keyed on in so many scenes. No vases, no centerpieces, no nicknacks, no tchotchkes, no fanciful Victorian epergnes, no whimsical Imari plates on little stands, no amusing Dresden figurines, no table lamps. What's on the counter tops, shelves and table tops then? Cats. I disabused myself long ages ago of the foolish notion that one could keep cats off of horizontal surfaces.

Aside: @Purr-fect once remarked - and this reiteration paraphrased, owed to being old and forgetful - that if cats being on the dinner table annoyed her, she would remediate this problem by selling the table. This is the principle Tao of all cat owners.

Casual visitors: I have one - my veterinarian, who's a close Friend. He bends forward when opening a door, in the proper Cat Deflection Stance, despite the fact that there are three airlocks separating the cats from the outdoors. As to entertaining - given the assumption that one could muster the energy and find the time to entertain when one has eleven cats - in the Summer, the poolside patio serves very well; in the Winter, now that the guest house has been purged of its feline inhabitants, it's the guest house. As to workmen, the first question asked is always, "do you have cats who live strictly indoors?" If they fail to answer in the affirmative, I call someone else.

Epona's point regarding not cooking while cats are in the kitchen is important. Keeping the door to the kitchen closed during food preparation is your best defense.

@nese 's advice in Post #6 is, I think, especially thorough, and Kieka's post is well worth re-reading as well since she has two Snowshoes. Likewise is Draco's because she is smart enough not to have a Snowshoe. houseofnine 's reminders regarding table runners and dresser doilies (a.k.a. Cat Slides), electrical cord shielding, LED rather than incandescent bulbs - and especially as regards furniture placement - is right on the money as well. In short - despite the vast monolith of text above this, I've little else to add beyond this: don't buy a recliner. Reclining furniture is irresistible to cats, and is the cause of a great many injuries to small animals.

I'm very happy to hear that no one was harmed in today's Glassware Bash, and the fact that you've started this thread proves an important point: they're training you to be their servant.



Best of luck in your cat-proofing endeavours!

Thank you for such an insightful (and slightly terrifying) look into the measures you go to to keep your furry babies safe. I hope most of those steps are never necessary for me, but I have taken notes!

I volunteer at the local humane society every week and this morning, although we are almost empty of cats atm, there was a new one who looked very much like a snowshoe (she was listed as a Siamese seal point cream, I think) and I couldn't help but remember your post and thought 'Her future owners have their work cut out for them'. She was such a handful! But so cute.

But back to your post. Unless I shut the boys in the bathroom, there's no way to keep them out of the kitchen while I cook, but I'm very careful to always use the farthest back burners (had a scare with Colby jumping and grabbing the edge of a not-yet-hot skillet a while back!), handles not facing out. And I don't leave my knives laying on the counter after I've used them. I just may someday decide that having them in the small bathroom for an hour while I cook is worth it to prevent them from getting hurt. But so far, they've never caused an issue (*knocks on wood*).

LED lightbulbs is a great idea, and my electric company has a promotional sale going on where you can order one of their 'kits' for free, and a few weeks ago I ordered the kit with 6 LED lightbulbs, so I've replaced all the bulbs that I can reach with those.

I pray the boys never learn how to turn on the toaster, or open cabinets/fridges. I can't imagine the headache of cat-proofing all of those! I've actually had to command strip my toaster to the top of my microwave on the counter, since one day I came home and the toaster was almost halfway knocked off the microwave!

As a side note, does anyone have a good way to protect their books on bookshelves from the gnawing and clawing of cats? Right now I've just draped a pillowcase over my books on the shelves they can reach, and tucked it in around the sides, top, and bottom. It's ugly, but after putting it on they haven't tried to push the books to the ground or eat them. But it would be nice to be able to see my books again...

You can buy protectors that fit over the roll, very inexpensively.

I was looking for some when the problem first came up, but most I've seen work best with non-inset TP roll holders, but the one in my apartment is set into the wall. Others needed adhesive above and below the roll, but there's no way I can put adhesive anything on my landlord's walls. I did see some DIY tutorials, so I might end up trying those.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Thank you for such an insightful (and slightly terrifying) look into the measures you go to to keep your furry babies safe. I hope most of those steps are never necessary for me, but I have taken notes!

I volunteer at the local humane society every week and this morning, although we are almost empty of cats atm, there was a new one who looked very much like a snowshoe (she was listed as a Siamese seal point cream, I think) and I couldn't help but remember your post and thought 'Her future owners have their work cut out for them'. She was such a handful! But so cute.

But back to your post. Unless I shut the boys in the bathroom, there's no way to keep them out of the kitchen while I cook, but I'm very careful to always use the farthest back burners (had a scare with Colby jumping and grabbing the edge of a not-yet-hot skillet a while back!), handles not facing out. And I don't leave my knives laying on the counter after I've used them. I just may someday decide that having them in the small bathroom for an hour while I cook is worth it to prevent them from getting hurt. But so far, they've never caused an issue (*knocks on wood*).

LED lightbulbs is a great idea, and my electric company has a promotional sale going on where you can order one of their 'kits' for free, and a few weeks ago I ordered the kit with 6 LED lightbulbs, so I've replaced all the bulbs that I can reach with those.

I pray the boys never learn how to turn on the toaster, or open cabinets/fridges. I can't imagine the headache of cat-proofing all of those! I've actually had to command strip my toaster to the top of my microwave on the counter, since one day I came home and the toaster was almost halfway knocked off the microwave!

As a side note, does anyone have a good way to protect their books on bookshelves from the gnawing and clawing of cats? Right now I've just draped a pillowcase over my books on the shelves they can reach, and tucked it in around the sides, top, and bottom. It's ugly, but after putting it on they haven't tried to push the books to the ground or eat them. But it would be nice to be able to see my books again...


I was looking for some when the problem first came up, but most I've seen work best with non-inset TP roll holders, but the one in my apartment is set into the wall. Others needed adhesive above and below the roll, but there's no way I can put adhesive anything on my landlord's walls. I did see some DIY tutorials, so I might end up trying those.

Those LED kits are great, EmmiTemmi -- my city has done that, too! They also sent out water-saving showerheads/faucet adaptors. Unfortunately, they don't have cat-proofing kits (but they should)

 

[Neo_23]

I am a renter too and I use command strip hooks to put up blind cords. I use 2 at a time (one is hung upside down). Works really well for me.

 

[EmmiTemmi]

I am a renter too and I use command strip hooks to put up blind cords. I use 2 at a time (one is hung upside down). Works really well for me.

I really insanely wish I was allowed to use command hooks in my apartment! I would be able to make everything so much safer for the boys. But sadly, my landlord is opposed to me even using tape on anything of his (he's a little old fashioned, with no email, cell phone, or computer, and I think he used to be a lawyer). Maybe once I finish grad school and have a 'real job' I'll be able to get an apartment that allows me to use command hooks (and have 2 cats, of course). Everywhere I lived during undergrad allowed command strips, and it's been a real adjustment not being able to use them.

Also, I like the creative use of the upside down hook!

 

[Neo_23]

I really insanely wish I was allowed to use command hooks in my apartment! I would be able to make everything so much safer for the boys. But sadly, my landlord is opposed to me even using tape on anything of his (he's a little old fashioned, with no email, cell phone, or computer, and I think he used to be a lawyer). Maybe once I finish grad school and have a 'real job' I'll be able to get an apartment that allows me to use command hooks (and have 2 cats, of course). Everywhere I lived during undergrad allowed command strips, and it's been a real adjustment not being able to use them.

Also, I like the creative use of the upside down hook!

Yikes that sucks! I’ve used command strips for a long time as a renter and I’ve never had a problem with it leaving marks. Well, to be fair, I never ask my landlords about it but I’m not worried because I think it’s pretty safe. I’m a grad student too so I feel your pain about wanting a real job (and 2 cats).

 

[tarasgirl06]

I really insanely wish I was allowed to use command hooks in my apartment! I would be able to make everything so much safer for the boys. But sadly, my landlord is opposed to me even using tape on anything of his (he's a little old fashioned, with no email, cell phone, or computer, and I think he used to be a lawyer). Maybe once I finish grad school and have a 'real job' I'll be able to get an apartment that allows me to use command hooks (and have 2 cats, of course). Everywhere I lived during undergrad allowed command strips, and it's been a real adjustment not being able to use them.

Also, I like the creative use of the upside down hook!

EmmiTemmi -- could you ask him if you can use them and that if they leave any marks, you will paint those places to match the paint on the walls? Sometimes a compromise like that will result in them being amenable. Worth a try?

 

[EmmiTemmi]

could you ask him if you can use them and that if they leave any marks, you will paint those places to match the paint on the walls? Sometimes a compromise like that will result in them being amenable. Worth a try?

I asked him about this when I first moved in. Said, 'Could I try one strip in an out-of-the-way place for a few weeks, then remove it and if it doesn't peel the paint then I'd use them in more visible areas?' I also offered to re-paint any areas that chipped, or add an extra amount to my initial deposit. He shot me down on all suggestions. Frankly I'm amazed I managed to convince him to let me get a 2nd cat, although he probably just likes the extra $15 a month with no added effort on his part.

To be fair, I live in a ground-floor/basement apartment and the humidity in the summer can reach 75%+ inside, and no AC, so I can see how that might make the wall paint more fragile (and cause a huge mold problem which is a pain to deal with, ugh). I get where he's coming from, and I respect his thoughts and contract, even if I don't agree with him.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I asked him about this when I first moved in. Said, 'Could I try one strip in an out-of-the-way place for a few weeks, then remove it and if it doesn't peel the paint then I'd use them in more visible areas?' I also offered to re-paint any areas that chipped, or add an extra amount to my initial deposit. He shot me down on all suggestions. Frankly I'm amazed I managed to convince him to let me get a 2nd cat, although he probably just likes the extra $15 a month with no added effort on his part.

To be fair, I live in a ground-floor/basement apartment and the humidity in the summer can reach 75%+ inside, and no AC, so I can see how that might make the wall paint more fragile (and cause a huge mold problem which is a pain to deal with, ugh). I get where he's coming from, and I respect his thoughts and contract, even if I don't agree with him.[/QUOTE
I would too, because that's how I am with people, but it's really kind of illogical about the paint, don't you think? And $15 a MONTH for a second cat? Wow. That's $180 annually. He's certainly exercising his landlordly rights very well!

 

[EmmiTemmi]

tarasgirl06 Yep, $15 a month per cat, so $30 total per month (35% of my monthly cat costs is from their 'cat rent') and $360 total per year. Which isn't the worst. I dog walk for extra cash and some of the apartments I walk at cost $50 a month per dog. Honestly it's just an expensive city. You'd be hard-pressed to find a 1 bedroom apartment under $1,000 a month that also allows pets. Big change from the state I did undergrad in.