Please Help!

[sherryinutah]

I'm hoping to get some worthwhile advice and suggestions from some very wise Fusioncashers with this post.

I live in a small town in Utah where I also live in an apartment.  My lease agreement stipulates that I can have NO PETS in my apartment.  I'm okay with that, because at this time in my life, I don't need a pet.

Back in Oct. 2012 we had a problem, around the apartment complex, with stray cats.  The animal shelter refuses to come out to get the strays; instead; they say that it's the property managers responsibility to rent a trap, trap the stray animals and bring them in to the shelter where they can be adopted out or euthanized.  A neighbor and I found homes for the strays; however, 2 of them returned and are still hanging out at this apartment complex.  They're not domestic house cats where they have a home and food and they're not wild animals where they can live off the land.

Property Management was willing to do NOTHING about this situation except send out letters telling renters NOT to feed the stray animals.  Sometimes these animals are out in the bitter cold with no food and it's next to impossible, for me to stand by and watch them, be neglected.

As a renter I wrote letters to the landlord requesting that they take care of their responsibility of trapping the neglected animals.  They still did nothing so I decided to view the stray cats as "neighbors that management refused to evict" and I was kind to them.  I made sure they had water, food and a place where they could get up off the ice and snow in the winter time.  I was willing to invest in food so they could survive.

Now, a year and a half later, I'm receiving a warning from management telling me I am not allowed to care for these animals.  I'm being told that they'll be stopping by my apartment on Monday and if there's any indication that I have a pet I'll be asked to vacate.

My apartment is great.  It's clean and there's no reason to think I have a cat living here.  My question is this....

What would you do if you were me?

Would you move? 

Would you do your best to be an advocate for these animals? 

Would you stop feeding these animals at the risk of them being completely neglected in order to keep your apartment?

Thanks for responses that could be viewed as helpful. 

[Timberlan127]

You have a tough situation there! I am an animal lover and would probably be in your shoes faced with the same problem. If you can catch the cats you could take them to the shelter but I'm assuming that's not the case. Have you tried talking your problem over with the people at the shelter or an SPCA group. They might be willing to help. There are also groups that just deal with stray cats. I would try to get help from some of those kinds of people. Your computer should be able to give you groups in your area. Good Luck!! I hope there is a happy solution to your problem.

[braggin]

I think either way you turn, you will not be able to care for the animals any more. Either you care for them and your landlord kicks you out (in which you can't care for them any more) or you decide to move voluntarily (in which case you probably won't schlepp all the way back to your old apartment to care for them any more). So you should just decide whether you want to stay in your apartment or move and then do something else about the animals, like find somebody else to care for them.

[bremer51]

I commend you for your concern for these animals.  In my experience a stray cat usually has access to various food sources.  We have one in our yard and she is very fat, leading us to believe that she is finding food elsewhere, as we don't feed her on a regular basis.  I have a feeling the cats will disappear if you quit feeding them and they will do just fine.  Cats are very resourceful and they are hunters.  You can't risk losing your home for them. No one expects you to do that.

[lguzman1]

It's a difficult situation, but the first person you should think about is you. I love animals, but they are not going to give you a place to live.

[BlackSheepNY]

I'm hoping to get some worthwhile advice and suggestions from some very wise Fusioncashers with this post.

I live in a small town in Utah where I also live in an apartment.  My lease agreement stipulates that I can have NO PETS in my apartment.  I'm okay with that, because at this time in my life, I don't need a pet.

Back in Oct. 2012 we had a problem, around the apartment complex, with stray cats.  The animal shelter refuses to come out to get the strays; instead; they say that it's the property managers responsibility to rent a trap, trap the stray animals and bring them in to the shelter where they can be adopted out or euthanized.  A neighbor and I found homes for the strays; however, 2 of them returned and are still hanging out at this apartment complex.  They're not domestic house cats where they have a home and food and they're not wild animals where they can live off the land.

Property Management was willing to do NOTHING about this situation except send out letters telling renters NOT to feed the stray animals.  Sometimes these animals are out in the bitter cold with no food and it's next to impossible, for me to stand by and watch them, be neglected.

As a renter I wrote letters to the landlord requesting that they take care of their responsibility of trapping the neglected animals.  They still did nothing so I decided to view the stray cats as "neighbors that management refused to evict" and I was kind to them.  I made sure they had water, food and a place where they could get up off the ice and snow in the winter time.  I was willing to invest in food so they could survive.

Now, a year and a half later, I'm receiving a warning from management telling me I am not allowed to care for these animals.  I'm being told that they'll be stopping by my apartment on Monday and if there's any indication that I have a pet I'll be asked to vacate.

My apartment is great.  It's clean and there's no reason to think I have a cat living here.  My question is this....

What would you do if you were me?

Would you move? 

Would you do your best to be an advocate for these animals? 

Would you stop feeding these animals at the risk of them being completely neglected in order to keep your apartment?

Thanks for responses that could be viewed as helpful. 

You have and are truly doing a wonderful thing for these animals, and I personally thank you.  I've been where you are and I used to care for over 40 cats that lived outdoors.  My best suggestion to you is to find a CAT RESCUE in your area.  Give them a call and tell them of the situation.  Ask them if they do TNR (Trap/Neuter/Return) or if they might be willing to trap these cats and do what they do to find them homes.  A rescue will usually help if you donate (because rescues are non-profit and depend on donations).  This is how I got help with the animals I was caring for.  Many were TNR'd and some I, personally, had spayed/neutered out of my own pocket.  I know how difficult something like that could be, especially with today's economy.  Perhaps you could even visit a local Vet in your area and ask them if they have a listing of rescues who may be able to help.  A local Vet or even your local animal shelter might be able to give you this sort of list.

I would not stop feeding these animals, but I would try as much as possible not to make it obvious, either.

[countrygirl12]

 


What would you do if you were me?

Probably the same thing you have done.

Would you move? 

If possible, yes I would.  I would take the cats with me too. lol.  I never liked renting.  I do not like somebody else telling me what to do.

Would you do your best to be an advocate for these animals? 

Yes.  I don't know but what I wouldn't write a letter to the city or someone else.  There has to be something that can be done.  Other than letting them starve to death or freeze to death.

Would you stop feeding these animals at the risk of them being completely neglected in order to keep your apartment?

Well, if you get kicked out do you have any where else to go?  I would make sure there was no cat food sitting out if they stop by.  As long as there is not a cat in your apartment you don't have a pet.  And I wouldn't think they could search your apartment as in actually going thru stuff.

[msmoneybags48]

I live in a house, and there are cats that hang around.  I feed them as well.   I would move if it is at all possible.  You care about those animals, but it is unfair to lay this problem at your door when you have warned them of the situation.  I wish you luck in this area.