Conference misery::feline_v1

    Jan,

    I'm sure that this kind of thing varies from state to state; Is there
    some government official that you can contact about this, like the
    Attorney General's office or the Fair Housing commission? I find that
    if I don't know where to start, I call my mayor's office. His staff is
    real good at at least pointing you to the responsible group, even when
    it is county or state government.

    Deb

    A few years ago when I lived in an apt in Palo Alto, the building
    changed hands and the new owners announced they were going to
    increase by $100 a month the rent of everyone who had a pet.
    Fortunately, many of the tenants in the relatively small building
    had cats or small dogs and the owners changed their minds when
    nearly the entire building presented them with a petition, and a number
    of people announced they would have to leave because of the extra cost.
    Not much help to you, but it looks like pet rent is legal.  I wonder
    if the local landlords' association suggests this.....
    

    Well, I'm taking the plunge and moving to a new apartment.  I found
    a place that will take all 3 of my cats for an additional $150 pet
    deposit.  It's a 1 bedroom apartment, downstairs and it has a large
    patio type of yard.  The rent is $150.00/month with a $325.00 cleaning
    deposit (plus the pet deposit).  The manager tells me the owner likes
    cats...yeah!
    
    I had my sister, Jaci, call my current complex and ask about pets and 
    I've discovered that they are not charging pet rent.  They don't need
    to.  They're not allowing pets of any kind for any reason, nope,
    uh-uh, under no circumstances, don't even bring Fido or Kitty for a visit.
    [That is unless you've lived there since before Sept. 1, 1976]
    Gee, someone forgot to tell all those cats that are wandering around
    the complex.
        
    I'm really excited about moving (I've been in my current apartment
    11 years on March 3rd) but I'm a little apprehensive...got to kiss
    the jaccuzi goodbye.  And I'm going from 1010 sq ft to 640, yikes,
    where ever will I put everything.  But, having the cats live there
    legally outweighs almost all of the drawbacks I can come up with.
    The manager says the owner is spending time and money keeping the
    place fixed up.  She says they had a shuffleboard court for a while
    and may fix it up again...I suggested that the area the shuffleboard 
    court was in might make a good spot for a jaccuzi instead since
    its located in the pool area (never hurts to try).  Jaci counted 8 
    fast food places within walking distance to the new place so I'll be 
    well fed if nothing else.
    
    Jo Ann has lucked out.  I'll be moving the weekend of Feb. 24-25
    and she has a cat show in San Francisco so can't give me a hand.
    I know how much she wanted to lift and tote my belongings down 4
    flights of stairs too.  ;-)
                
    Well, enough about my moving.  I'm just so jazzed I had to tell
    everyone.
    
    Jan
    

    Jan, $150/month to rent a 1 bedroom?!  Are you sure that's not a
    typo??
    
    When I had a 1 bedroom apt. back in 1984, I was paying $525/month
    which included heat and hot water.  This was a small place, with
    barely enough living space for one person, let alone one person
    with 3 cats!!
    
    
    --Roberta (who thought California was as expensive to live as Mass.)
    

    Yes, it's a typo.  This is California after all and I don't think
    that $150.00 would get me much.  Some of the hotel rooms around
    here run near that.
    
    What I meant to say was:  Rent $650.00  Cleaning Deposit $350.00
                              Pet Deposit $150.00
    
    Sorry if I got anyone excited and planning to move to Calif. for
    the cheap rent.  I thought I'd caught all my typos.
    
    Jan

    
    jan...
    
    congratz on the new apt., even if rent is higher than $150.  ;-)
    
    the closing on my house is expected to be around the end of march.  i
    am sooooooo excited, though apprehensive, too.  i am just so glad to be
    getting a place with enuf windows for my furfaces!  where i live now, i
    have only 1 bedroom window and 1 sliding glass door in the living room. 
    will have many more windows very soon!
    
    diane, stella & stanley
    

    Jan, are you moving further north?  What city will you be in?
    

    For all the warnings about how hard it would be for my n my boyfriend
    to find a place that would take THREE cats (even tho their are not
    here yet!! ::sob sob::), we lucked out first try.  When I called
    the real estate agencies (in MA and CT apparantly, they handle rentals
    too...weird!) first thing I would ask "Is it available?"  Second
    was, "Will you accept cats?"   If they said no, I said thanks and
    hung up.  Sometimes they tried to get me to look at it anyway, but
    I just said it was a moot point if they didn't take animals.
    
    Anyway, first place I looked at was a dump anyway.  Second place
    was half of a 130yr old house, top floor, must be about 1500 sq
    ft.  $750.00 a month rent, three months rent to move in, cats are
    no problem.  Wow! I said, looking a bit like this:  8)
    
    No pet security, none a'tall.  :)   Dunno if I was lucky or not,
    but considering how the first words out of everyone's mouth was
    "Oh, you'll never find a place for THREE cats", all I can say for
    those who are looking it just look hard!  Specially if there's lots
    of rentals--renter's market, I guess.  :)
    
    
    ---kim   

    Karen,
    
    I'll still be in San Jose.  I'm just moving from Winchester Ave.
    to Meridian Ave.  Biggest change will be that I'm now off of 280
    instead of 17.  Traffic on Meridian seems a bit heavier than on
    Winchester too.  Could be difficult getting out of the complex
    in the morning...not to mention there isn't exactly and easy way
    to get to work now.  I always said I'd move closer to work not
    farther away I just don't know how this happened.  The things we'll
    do to keep those furfaces.
    
    Jan

    Oh, it's actually further south...but only a mile or two.
    
    Jan

    Well, I'm all moved in, although I couldn't prove it if you looked
    at all the full boxes still laying around.  It's great to not have
    to worry about talking to people about the cats.  The new landlords
    have been great too.  I had to have the phone company come in and 
    the landlords have had to go in and fix things too and they're really 
    good about watching for the cats.  I told them if they see any of my
    cats outside there is a problem because they absolutely do not go
    outside.  I have the pictures I was going to send to the Kitty 
    Album posted on my front door with a note for all the contractors, 
    etc. to see so they'll know to watch their feet for escaping cats
    when they come in or go out.  Maybe I'll get those pictures added
    when the album gets to Calif. (unless it won't be sent out for a
    while longer, in which case I'll mail them back east)
    
    I introduced my next-door neighbors to the cats and told them if
    they see them outside there is a problem and they should let me
    know.  I guess I'm a novelty there, the neighbors figured that
    since I don't let the cats out they must be declawed.  Nope, I
    just don't let them out.  Had to explain why I keep them in.
    The neighbors have 2 cats that seem very friendly.  They've already
    been over to visit me.  Neither of the neighbors cats have been
    neutered.  The neighbor mentioned how one of the cats wanders
    pretty far so I gave him my neutering will help speech tempered
    a little since I just met them.  I don't want to impose my will
    on other people, but maybe I can help educate people who may not
    realize that they should spay and neuter.
    
    The new place is alot smaller and I'm not sure where I'm going to
    put the cat tree, cat house (you know, like a dog house...not the
    other kind) litter boxes, etc. since there's barely room for the
    furniture.  Me and the cats are negotiating for space right now.
    We're pretty happy here though.  The ladies can now sit on the
    window sills and sun themselves all they want.  Boy, its great to
    be legal.
    
    Jan