My roommates won't let me have a cat and I'm pouting!

3dogsrunning

"love kitties, I can't wait to get a cat in here. I been feeding some outside cats for a while now but really want to have my own. My sister says that if I get a cat she won't visit me often cus she's allergic, I thought about this for a while but I guess i'll have to visit her more I need a cat in this place."

"Just bring the cat home and put in your bedroom for now till she gets over it."

DO NOT JUST BRING A CAT HOME.

My roomie/best friend of 20 yrs moved in together 5 years ago and after 1 year her mom gave her 2 cats as a birthday gift, even after I said no since my mother, older sister and younger brother have allergies (they weren't tested at the time but it's been confirmed now). 4 years later I'm chronically ill and while I have indeed grown to love these cats I feel so much raging resentment some days. It's a terrible feeling. I love them so much, but I get so angry/depressed. While my roomie takes care of their litter, they associate me with feeding and will slap me in the face, pounce on me when I'm in constant pain from gastro paresis. I suffer from insomnia and some nights they do this right as I'm finally going to sleep. 3-4 times a week I'm cleaning up puke or accidents (my roomie says she can handle it but if I don't take care of it there's always a stain left). The y've town out the bottom of 3 box springs now, including a brand new bed my folks just got me several months ago. The female now has some nasal problem so she's always stuffed up and sneezing guck everywhere, but my roomie STILL hasn't contacted her folks about taking them to their vet. It could just be because of the illness I'm dealing with but this really hurts emotionally. We live alone in the city while out parents are in another town and my family can hardly visit as it is, my mom has NEVER been inside my apartment (my dream was to always move into an apartment that I could entertain my family with.) I love these cats sooo much and other than this my friend is soooo awesome (she's caring, polite, we like the same things, she'd even taken me to ER when needed). This is the only issue that causes me anger, because a part of me really wants them gone, no matter how much I love them.
I remember when the issue first started my roomie kept asking

Roomie: "Lets get a kitten"

Me: "I dunno, we know my mom's allergic and my brother might be too"

Roomie: "But I've had cats all our lives and your mom never reacted to the cat hair on you"

Me: Regardless, if we get one my family wont be able to visit (or the cat will become an excuse not to visit).

Roomie: Well, my mom sort of already got me 2 kittens.

Me: What does that mean!?!

Roomie: Well, she wanted to get me them as a birthday gift.

Me: UH! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS???

Roomie: I knew if I asked you'd just say no.

This girl is my one true friend, we know each other in and out; she's helped me through so much aside from the illness I now deal with but those words echo through my head every once in a while and I just feel so much anger.

In sum, don't just bring a cat home, because doing so could jeopardize your entire relationship. They may grow to love the cat, but that doesn't mean they wont resent you for how you got it.

I applaud your intentions, however OP posted this in May. I'm guessing she has either taken a cat home by now or not.

BeachIron

Cats are evil little spawns of satan.

^ This lines up with my experience with them

Loasaur

Cat Litter doesn't smell if you actually clean it once or twice a week like you're supposed too and sometimes (maybe once a month) complete replace the litter in there and clean the box with hot water and soap. And also, depending on the type of cat you get, they could spread a lot of hair or no hair at all. My cat doesn't leave hair really anywhere (except in his cat bed, where he lays allllllll the time). Hair is also quite easy to get rid of...Do you guys not own a vacuum? :P

SoDamnHungry

My roommate won't let me bring a cat home either...but she is HIGHLY allergic to them.

Anyway, the house voted and you lost. Sorry.:flowerforyou: I love cats too!

i'm highly allergic to cats and dogs. I'm talking head congestion, sneezing, itchiness, watery eyes, want-to-punch-myself-in-the-face allergic. But, I am also highly medicated.

Signed,
owner of 2 cats and 1 dog

Allegra and Flonase are my salvation.

RonnieLodge

Once you have your own place you can have all the cats, hair and litter boxes you want!

THIS.

People should wait until they are no longer renting to get pets really.

anemoneprose

Cats smell awful and leave hair everywhere. Your roommates win.

Everyone who says that cat litter has improved is someone that lives with the stench day in and out and therefore doesn't notice it. It still stinks.

Umm no. I have 6 cats, and my house doesn't smell like cat litter. I clean it regularly and keep air fresheners by it, you can't even smell it if you stand right beside it. Also I brush my cats everyday, and clean my home regularly...there's barely cat fur around here. :flowerforyou:

That's what most cat owners say. I think you people become used to the smell or something. I can smell cat litter as soon as I walk into a house I don't care if its in the basement or not. In door cats are gross.

2nd. It might not reek but you can always tell, even if it's just a whiff of acridity in the air.

I was almost fooled once, except for the zing, swelling & itching in my eyes/nose/mouth. When I saw there was a cat, I was relieved, thought I was coming down with something gross.

OP don't just bring one in. If I were in their shoes (even if I weren't allergic), I would resent you any time the thing touched my food, peed on or scratched up my stuff.. just don't.

justwanderful

You need to move out on your own or move in with someone who likes cats. If this was such a big deal to you, why didn't you bring it up before you signed a new lease with them? You would at least have had the option to NOT move with them.

jessicafayewatters

"In sum, don't just bring a cat home, because doing so could jeopardize your entire relationship. They may grow to love the cat, but that doesn't mean they wont resent you for how you got it. "

"I applaud your intentions, however OP posted this in May. I'm guessing she has either taken a cat home by now or not."

- - -

Yeah, I just checked the date; I hope things worked out okay.

Keepcalmanddontblink

and yes some will disagree, but declawed if you have decent furniture.

There is a product called Soft paws that covers the cats nails and keeps them from destroying your furniture. Its better than declawing a cat. Of course I never heard of them until after all our furniture was destroyed.

RayLeen19

Cats are evil little spawns of satan.

Yup, that's true.

You should get a bird, much more interesting to watch trust me.