Earlier this week I got this on Facebook from Gayle:
You have helped so many well loved kitties find Fur-ever homes, I am hoping you can work your magic again.
In Boulder CO, a very sweet man is having to give up his kitty, Princess. She was his mother’s cat who he took in after mom’s death 6 years ago. Now, after 4 years in his current apartment, the new management has decided they want $500 for a pet deposit (it was never asked for before) and $50 per month for pet rent. Needless to say, in this economy, he is barely scraping by on what he makes and cannot afford to pay what they are asking on top of his regular rent and bills.
Princess is between 15 and 18 years old. His mother took her in as a stray when she was only a few months old and she has been an indoor cat ever since. She still has all her claws but loves to use scratching posts, has never had an issue with using the potty box and (other than the occasional hair ball) has never had an accident. She is spayed.
Princess is very petite, weighing less than 8 pounds. She is a snuggle kitty, loving to sit beside you on the couch or snuggle in your lap while you watch TV.
I would take her in myself but, with the cats out numbering the humans, I have to draw the line somewhere.
At the suggestion of someone on Facebook, I suggested to Gayle that she or her friend could set up a ChipIn and we could try to raise funds for the deposit and “pet rent.” She was planning to set that up, but I heard from her today, and she said:
Well, I just had some bad news from my friend. His new landlords have decided to make the complex into a no pet property. so the Chipin will not work to keep Princess with her “man”. Now he needs to find a place for her to go. He will find out today how long they will give him to get her out of there, but if you could start spreading the word that this little girl needs a new domicile that would be great.
Y’all, please spread the word. You know that the chances for an old kitty finding a home once she’s been turned into Animal Control by an owner who has no choice are not good. If you or someone you know can help this sweet girl out, please let me know (mizrobyn (at) gmail (dot) com ) and I’ll pass your information along to Gayle!
Although I don’t recommend wrangling with one’s landlord, I do wonder if his lease–as it is currently written–allows Princess’s man to have pets. If so, unless Colorado law is different, that lease is binding until the lease is up. Which might give Princess more time with her man, while he searches for a new home for her. (If I didn’t travel so much, I would take Princess. Fifteen? Pshaw! She’s just a teenager.)
Good point, Laura – I’ll make sure to mention that to Gayle!
I’m no lawyer, but if there is a pet clause in the lease (and Princess has been living there legally to begin with), it would seem reasonable that she can stay through the end of that lease. New management inherits the old leases and has the legal responsibility to honor them. They can change whatever they want as the leases expire, but they can’t change the terms in a binding lease without the tenant’s approval. Look at me going all Judge Judy 😉
In the meantime, I am sad because Michigan is no where near Colorado so I can’t give Princess a temporary place to stay while this gets sorted out.
I’ll be sure to mention that to Gayle, too, Judge Kelly! 🙂
UGH! This situation is just not right! I’m wondering if he has a lease and if there is any legal way to keep her in his apartment until his lease runs out? Anyone out there with any Colorado attorney friends or connections that might be able to advise him on this?
Seems like they can make an exception for a senior cat with not much more time on this earth. If they relent, I’ll be happy to chip in.
You would certainly think so! I’m going to pass that idea along.
This is such a sad and frustrating story. If I still lived in the US, I’d find a way to get to Colorado and adopt this beautiful little sweetheart. It’s truly disgusting and heartbreaking that the landlord is being so heartless and merciless, devoid of empathy or compassion. Makes my blood boil! If I could, I would take Princess into my heart and my home in a heartbeat. Please let us know of any updates, or if hopefully Princess’ man can find a home for his little one. My heart goes out to him, and to Princess.
There are a few NO-kill shelters in Denver… Maxfund or RMFR (Rocky Mountain Feline Rescue). They are really wonderful places if all else fails.
Oh dude, I just realized I’m on your blogroll! Thank you! I’m touched!
Hey, this is in my neck of the woods! Unfortunately, I don’t think my older cat would ever forgive me if I adopted another cat. (I adopted her brother last summer, and she’s just now getting used to him.) I shared this post on Facebook. Doing some internet research, I found there are a number of no-kill shelters in Colorado (http://www.nokillnetwork.org/d/Colorado). I’m not really in a position to help financially at the moment, but I’m happy to help with transportation if needed.
If he winds up needing a temporary (up to 4-6 months) home for her – such as if he decides to look for a new apartment – sign me up, as long as Princess can handle long car rides. I was about to volunteer for a permanent home for her but then i remembered i am unemployed and may be scrambling for a pet-friendly apartment myself if things do not go well. I wouldn’t want to risk shaking Princess up that many times in her senior years.
Another option to consider might be, depending on how attached Princess’ owner is to his apartment and how the “terms of existing lease” pans out, setting up a ChipIn to help with moving expenses.
A final word of caution: When i got divorced, the only suitable apartments i could find had a no-pets clause. I was distraught about it, but i found loving homes for my collie and my calico cat. About six months later, mgmt realized they were losing a lot of potential renters, people who’d be impressed with the place but then walked when they heard “no pets.” So they started allowing pets. My collie, Mike, had already moved with his new military family, and Kibby the cat was very happy, and much loved by the kids, in her new home, and/but it still upsets me that the apartment complex yoyoed like that. So that’s something for Princess’ owner to consider too – they might drop the no-pets dealie when they see how much revenue they risk losing, so a temporary delay might end up saving the whole game.
Regarding what Susan said, i second this thought and wonder how much pressure might be brought to bear by contacting a local news station or paper to run a (what i like to call) human-outrage story. “Princess has been living with local resident John Doe ever since her owner, John’s mother, died six years ago. Princess’ vet says she probably has only a few months or years to live, but John’s landlord says that doesn’t matter to them – they want Princess out. Join us at seven as we talk to John and find out how he feels about being pressured to get rid of Princess, his last link to his beloved mother, and as we ask the landlord why they’ve enacted this draconian new policy that will surely end in heartache for any family with a treasured pet.” A few carefully chosen scenes of Princess being affectionate with John, and boom: community pressure, just add water (in the form of tears). Those “local human-outrage” pieces can really pack a punch, and they always go for the most emotionally-gutwrenching angle they can. Worth a shot.
Thank you everyone! with this much support, I feel good about Princess finding a home.
Elayne, I love the idea of the news article. I am going to float this by Bob (Princess’s “man”) to see what he thinks. This area is very “pet-friendly” and this kind of story will definitely stir interest.
Kelly, I love the idea of a Fur-ever home relay. If someone across the country wants to adopt this sweetling, I volunteer for the first leg, Boulder to whichever compass point.
I think a news story would be effective, especially in CO! People love pets here. And Boulder especially — I believe pet owners are referred to as “guardians” instead of “owners” there.
I’m crazy for seniors (my husband would say I’m just plain crazy, but I digress…) We’re in southeast Michigan, so if Princess is taking a ride through the midwest count me in for a ride. I can come down to Illinois, Indiana, Ohio to meet up with someone since Michigan is kind of out of “passing through” territory.
Thinking about this more… a few of us have said “if we were closer”. Perhaps there’s enough of us in the right places to make transportation possible, driving her a couple/few hours each and passing her to the next driver until she reaches her destination (wherever that might be). Of course, that all depends on Princess being a calm traveler. My Einstein… no way. Simba has traveled hundreds of miles and been just fine hanging out with the kids in the back seat. No way to know unless we ask.
Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions! I’m going to make sure that Gayle sees them, and hopefully something will work out!
I’m praying for Bob and Princess and do hope that a local station or two (TV, radio, or both) will do a segment on them. Thanks for spreading the word: I so hope that this lovely girl gets to stay in her home and that the landlords cut out all the bad karma. And Elayne, I applaud your generosity and fortitude.
Hi Folks
Thought I would give a Princess update. Bob had a couple of interested people from work that had to ok it with family and spouses. Most could not get past the “Senior” in Senior kitty. There is one more person he is waiting to hear from but there is very little hope from that contact. The apartment manager is giving him until the end of the month to get her out but it is looking more and more likely she will end up at Dumb Friends, Angels with Paws, or Almost Home.
Hopefully we can get through to the news stations and generate a story before she has to hit the road to a shelter.
If you know anyone in Denver, Boulder, area, give them a call and lets see if we can get her home.
Thanks for the update, Gayle! I’m going to post in tomorrow’s entry to direct people here again, and hopefully someone will be able to help.