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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / August 2005Landlord request
Saw my landlord and her family and got to talking about this and that. And then she said, "Oh, Kristi, your cat. You need to be careful. I saw her in the window and I tried to shoo her away. Can you keep her out of the window?" This is the front window that opens to the courtyard. Now, remember I'm only supposed to have ONE cat, and I'm the ONLY person in the apartment building that is allowed to have a cat. If the neighbors see it, they could wonder why they can't have a cat, etc. The other problem is that it could have been either Imp OR Mischief in the window. Ever since getting them I have tried deterring them from the window. Of course especially at night when i'm doing errands or laundry I'll come back to a cat peeking between the blinds. I even have pulled the giant potted trees in front of the window. Recently someone moved the tree, and though it lets more light into the kitchen, you could clearly see a cat if it was on the sill. If they happen to notice that my one cat is strangely changing colors from black to gray, I could be in trouble. The only thing I can think of is to move the kitchen table and chairs farther away to prevent them from climbing up. Imp is a climber but not a jumper. Mischef on the other hand will need more deterring. *sigh* Any thoughts? Kristi I'm sorry, but that is one thing I simply couldn't agree with. It's just not fair to not have window time to a cat. I would very definitely have to look for a place that allowed them. I don't mean to sound harsh, but that seems just awful. Couldn't you and your roommate look around? YOu might even find a better deal? > Saw my landlord and her family and got to talking about this and that. > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > Kristi > I'm sorry, but that is one thing I simply couldn't agree with. It's just not > fair to not have window time to a cat. I would very definitely have to look > for a place that allowed them. I don't mean to sound harsh, but that seems > just awful. Couldn't you and your roommate look around? YOu might even find > a better deal? I agree. You can't raise a cat indoors with no sunshine, no windows. There has to be a better solution, even moving would be better than banning them from the windows.I don't mean to sound harsh either but IMO everything needs sunshine. Sherry > > I'm sorry, but that is one thing I simply couldn't agree with. It's > > just not [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > banning them from the windows.I don't mean to sound harsh either but > IMO everything needs sunshine. Mr. Clark's pursuit of sunshine gets him looking like one of those Garfield dolls with suction cups on the paws, stuck to the inside of a car window. I have a table with an indoor greenhouse, facing some French doors. He will lie on his side, and place four widely spread paws on the glass of the doors. I read it as the front window.... Not necessarily the only window in the apartment. Maybe her bedroom has a window that faces away from where people walk? Grace > I'm sorry, but that is one thing I simply couldn't agree with. It's just > not [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] >> >> Kristi oh I'm sure we could find one, it's just that we don't have the money right now. I will be selling my old car and getting money, but that money is to be used when I pay my car insurance at the end of hte year. I can't really afford a security deposit right now. I'll speak to my roommate again about it and how her financial situation is. They do have the back bedroom windows to look out of however. I managed to move the potted tree back in front of the window again. The only way a person could see a cat would be for a cat to be in the window during the day and be seen through the leaves. Pray that no one looks too closely Kristi > oh I'm sure we could find one, it's just that we don't have the money > right now. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Kristi I have to admit it is pretty comical imagining your landlord trying to "shoo" the cat away from the window. There is very little I can think of that wouldn't just be attractive to the cat. Yeah, I bet Mischief was sitting there wondering, "What the heck is this woman doing?" Kristi > oh I'm sure we could find one, it's just that we don't have the money > right now. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Kristi How about getting the tinted covering for the window, so the cats can see out, but others can't see in. > oh I'm sure we could find one, it's just that we don't have the money > right now. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Kristi Since you mention that you do have back windows that the cat can use, have you considered covering the front window with the plastic sheeting that is sometimes used to provide privacy in bathroom windows. We can buy it by the yard at our local hardware. It comes on rolls and is somewhat like Contac paper. It is translucent, so light can enter but there is no visibility. It has to be applied carefully to avoid air bubbles. One caveat, though: It can be removed when you decide to move, but that can be a very difficult task. MaryL > > Now, remember I'm only supposed to have ONE cat, and I'm the ONLY > person in the apartment building that is allowed to have a cat. If the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > the window. Of course especially at night when i'm doing errands or > laundry I'll come back to a cat peeking between the blinds. > Can you put up a net curtain ? I've forgotten what you call them in the US. You can see out but it's harder for people to see in. Alison >> > Now, remember I'm only supposed to have ONE cat, and I'm the ONLY >> person in the apartment building that is allowed to have a cat. If [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > the US. You can see out but it's harder for people to see in. > Alison I think you are referring to a solar screen (which replaces the regular screen). I had one in the computer room of my previous house. I could easily see outside during daylight, but people outside could not see in. However, I had to draw the curtains at night because then everything would be reversed -- in other words, those in the lightest area (using lights at night) are clearly visible to those outside, and I could not see who might be looking in! Now for my two-cents-worth. It is impossible to train a cat to stay out of a window, and they *need* to be able to look outdoors and enjoy the birds, butterflies, squirrels and sunshine. I lived in an apartment years ago that adopted a no-pets policy long after I moved in, but they permitted current pet owners to keep their pets. Eventually, I was the only one left (with my cat living to age 20). He was an ideal pet and did no damage, and I was a good tenant -- so the landlord simply explained those facts to other tenants and never tried to place any unreasonable restrictions on me. I suggest that you talk to your landlord about something similar. MaryL >Now for my two-cents-worth. It is impossible to train a cat to stay out of >a window, and they *need* to be able to look outdoors and enjoy the birds, [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >and never tried to place any unreasonable restrictions on me. I suggest >that you talk to your landlord about something similar. Sounds like my situation here. My two were grandfathered when the new owners started enforcing the no pet policy - same policy as before, but the old owners ignored it unless they had a problem tenant. I did have to come up with $200 deposit for each cat, though. I've never mentioned the fact when I've added the cats - first Rocky (now RB) and now Spotty. I never try to hide the fact that I have cats from the other tenants - just tell them they predate the current owners and that I have special permission to have them. I also usually mention the fact that I paid a hefty pet deposit to get that permission. So far as I know there has only been one other tenant who got a pet after moving in. She was evicted, not because of the pet, though, but because of several other factors.  SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Spot with loving memories of Rocky (RB) stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html > "Alison" <Alison@XYZallofus2.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message >> > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > night) are clearly visible to those outside, and I could not see who might > be looking in!>>. That could be embarrassing ! We don't tend to have screens in the Uk. I have a link to pictures of net curtains here http://www.netcurtainsdirect.com/ They hang between the window and the curtains (drapes) but you still need to draw the drapes at night. Alison >We don't tend to have screens in the > Uk. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > need to draw the drapes at night. > Alison Oh, now I see what you mean. I doubt if they would work because a cat could easily get between the curtains and the windows (especially if the window has a wide-enough sill for the cat to use). MaryL Try www.dsdcommodities.com for decorative Film > Now, remember I'm only supposed to have ONE cat, and I'm the ONLY > person in the apartment building that is allowed to have a cat. If the > neighbors see it, they could wonder why they can't have a cat, etc. Here's an idea. See if you can find some reflective window film. Remember 10 years or so ago when darkened car windows were popular, but they were a bit on the expensive side? You could go to the auto parts store and buy a roll of dark film, and apply it to your own car window (please, shoot me if I ever try to do that again!). Something similar might work for you. If you could find a film that was maybe a couple feet high and dark enough or reflective enough that neighbors would have a hard time seeing in, you could apply it to the bottom of your front window. The film I remember used only soapy water for the install so could be removed without a huge amount of effort, so your landlord shouldn't mind it too much - you can easily take it off when you move. And the kitties should still have a great view out the window. Dan > > Now, remember I'm only supposed to have ONE cat, and I'm the ONLY > > person in the apartment building that is allowed to have a cat. If the > > neighbors see it, they could wonder why they can't have a cat, etc. Do you have some sticky tape, or something else that the cats might want to avoid? You could put that on the "bad" window, and put catnip, perches, etc near the "Good" windows that people can't see into. --Fil When I was in college and had a "No Pets Allowed Apartment"... I put up the reflective film and it worked great to hide Fittykitty ...A bit of hard elbow grease got the film off without any damage when we finished living there... Good Luck! :-) Liz > Saw my landlord and her family and got to talking about this and that. > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > Kristi >Now, remember I'm only supposed to have ONE cat, and I'm the ONLY >person in the apartment building that is allowed to have a cat. If the [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >Any thoughts? Get/make life-sized silouettes of cats and stick them to the base of the windows. Miaow In the apartment where I used to live, translucent contact paper was on the bathroom window so that, while light could come in, it was impossible to see clearly in or out. Do you think that it would look out-of-place for you to apply something like that to the window where the cat(s) are trying to sit? Failing that... a friend of mine has shutters on the inside of her windows in her kitchen. They're decorative, and she always keeps them open... but they COULD be closed if need be. Would that sort of arrangment fit the decor of the room with the feline-targeted windowsill? Third idea... would one of those shrink-wrap window insulation things like these: http://www.acehardware.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=1259828&cp=1254881.1255042 be enough to block off the windowsill from the cats? If they can't get at the window at all, problem solved (I hope). These are just a few ideas. I hope at least one of them helps. Donna, Captain, and Stanley Do you have "miniblinds" on that window? This whole apt.'s windows all have cheap miniblinds (landlords salvation remedy for "window coverings") and since we're on top level here, windows usually not open more than just less than a cat-head size width w/miniblinds *down* as first-line barrier. My cats are *big* - 15 & 19# - although all screens in here have locks (some more than one) I fear their fat selves, shoved against screen bottom, could make it give way (unreasonable but possible!) and a death trip 4 stories down to decorative rock landing. My son thinks they are too smart to try to get out....no way - birds fly by here frequently @ our apt. level of height & Deadly Duo are always interested in this graphic if short display of prey....of all suggestions, I like the "window-film" ones best; my cats *never* try to get behind those miniblinds if they're completely down. It's been hard forcing myself to do that in this heat lately but they stay down (but open to air/wind at bottom). If your window sill is wide enough (our FL ones were, but not here) a double row of stacked glass blocks would work, right up against screen. > In the apartment where I used to live, translucent contact paper was on > the [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Donna, Captain, and Stanley Aha! The "google" ad (or close cousin thereof) that came up in talkaboutpets.com, when I read this thread, offers an interesting solution to this issue. http://wallpaperforwindows.com/shop/customer/ Maybe something along these lines would be useful. Donna, Captain, and Stanley > Aha! The "google" ad (or close cousin thereof) that came up in > talkaboutpets.com, when I read this thread, offers an interesting solution [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Donna, Captain, and Stanley Now that could be useful. I'm getting a new clear glass shower door. This would give me an option I Charlie decides he hates the clear glass. Jo > Aha! The "google" ad (or close cousin thereof) that came up in > talkaboutpets.com, when I read this thread, offers an interesting [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Donna, Captain, and Stanley That's lovely looking stuff! Wonder if I could get it to fit on my sliding glass doors to the patio! Then I don't have to worry about the maintenance guys peering inside :) Jill Try decorative Film. wwwdsdcommodities.com It keeps the sun UV rays out and allows you to see out (blurry) Easy on and Easy off. Pets won't know it is on there. >The only thing I can think of is to move the kitchen table and chairs >farther away to prevent them from climbing up. Imp is a climber but >not a jumper. Mischef on the other hand will need more deterring. >*sigh* > >Any thoughts? Do what college students do. Fill the windowsill with stuffed animals, especially cats. Try to find those stuffed critters that look almost real. People will get used to a window full of animals, and will be less likely to notice just one more. Jane - owned and operated by Princess Rita >> The only thing I can think of is to move the kitchen table and chairs >> farther away to prevent them from climbing up. Imp is a climber but [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Jane > - owned and operated by Princess Rita Now that's a creative idea! :) |
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