Conference misery::feline_v1

    I could never come to terms with the idea that after spending so much
    money for a "home" someone else was going to tell me what I could do
    in it....That's why we spent more money and bought a house.  You
    have my sympathies!
    
    Perhaps someone in this file would be able to provide your boys with
    temporary residence if you can't place them by the deadline.
    
    Best of luck.
      Nancy DC
    

    
    Any chance of getting the by-laws changed to  include indoor cats?
    

    My heart goes out to you....I truly don't think I could give
    up any of my babies.   Could you offer to pay a bit more every
    month to keep the cats and offer to pay for any damages?
    
    Boy...my fingers are crossed for you.  Hopefully if you can't
    keep them...you can find them a wonderful home so they can
    still be together.
    
    Sandy  (Tamba, Poco, Barkley, Chloe, Anges, Dewey, and Abby)

    I am an ignorant person in terms of townhouses and condos.  I always
    thought that the person who buys the condo or townhouse had the say
    as to what is *inside* the place and the development had the say-so
    on the outside.  If a cat is an in-door only cat, why should the 
    development have a say in the matter??
    
    I am curious about this and hopefully someone can clear this up for
    me.   Lisa Armitage, where are you??
    
    Sandi and the Storm Troopers
    
    

    Unfortunately, in a lot of cases the condo development does have a say
    in the matter.
    
    We are only allowed 1 pet per unit, and there are stipulations on how
    TALL and WIDE that pet shoud be (if you can believe this!).  I cannot
    recall the dimensions, but suffice it to say they are really stupid. 
    Very few people in my condo development adhere to this rule, and if
    mgmt. were to enforce it they'd be evicting more than half of the
    homeowners there!  With the housing market as repressed as it is, this
    option definitely would not work in their favor.
    
    During the first year of ownership, we had several complaints for the
    builders and the times they came out to the house they did see more
    than one cat.  Their attitude was really that of indifference, and told
    us that as long as none of our neighbors complain, they aren't about to
    start trouble.  If a complaint was filed, then mgmt would be forced to
    act on it and there could be repurcussions.  In the 3 years we have
    lived there, I have had as many as 5 cats at one time.  We are also an
    end unit, our are immediate neighbors are good friends with 2 cats of
    their own!
    
    --Roberta
    

    Another question is how are they to know IF you have an indoor-
    only pet?  They aren't allowed in your unit without
    your permission.  I'd keep 'em and tell the association they're
    gone......then work quietly to get the rules changed.
    
    
    Bob

    Well, I'm sure the "short notice" is so that the victim doesn't
    have alot of time to pursue alternatives.
     N
    

    There are reasons why condominium associations have by-laws regarding
    pet ownership and I'll give you an example.  At the time I purchased my
    unit, the condo association allowed cats and dogs (under 35 lbs.). 
    After I moved in, the by-laws were changed to allow cats only.  Those
    who already had dogs were, of course, "grandfathered".  I'm not exactly
    sure why the rules were changed but I do know that I had to wade
    through the dog s**t walking across the lawn to the mailboxes.  The
    owners next to me never bathed their humongous dog (this dog came up to
    my waist and I'm 5'8") and all you could smell in the hallways was that
    wet dog smell.  Another tenant allowed their dog out in the hall and
    the dog proceeded to terrorize people coming into the hall.  He was
    another dog that was a lot larger than 35 lbs.  
    
    This past October I noticed a flea problem with my cats which was
    unusual because I'm on the second floor and they are indoor only.  To
    make a long story short, everyone in my building with cats had fleas
    whether or not they went out because one unit owner allowed her cats
    out into the woods but never treated them for fleas.  These two cats
    infested her unit and the hallways as she would allow them to roam
    around in them.  When she was foreclosed on, the bank had to have a
    pest control service come in twice to fumigate her condo.  She also
    turned the two cats loose in the woods to fend for themselves.  So,
    since October me and other unit owners have spent hundreds of dollars
    to rid our units of fleas, plus treating the hallways.  Once I hit $150
    worth of premise sprays, spray for the cats, tapeworm medicine, Borax,
    vacuum bags, etc., I quit counting.
    
    The point I'm trying to make is that not everyone is a responsible pet
    owner and when you live in a condominium environment those individuals
    who are not can make things miserable for everyone else.  Because some
    people don't pick up after their dogs, our lawn is really disgusting to
    look at and you can't walk around in bare feet.  Because of this stupid
    person downstairs who couldn't take care of her cats properly, me 
    and others have been battling fleas for four months.  I didn't really
    enjoy watching my cats scratch themselves or finding tapeworm segments
    in the litterbox.
    
    To most of us, condo rules about pets do seem stupid because we are
    responsible pet owners - we neuter them, get them their shots, check
    for fleas/ticks, feed them quality food, etc.  But because of what
    happened in my building, I certainly understand why these rules are
    instituted.  
    
    T
    
       

    
    Any update on Jesse James and Chelsea ??  I really feel for you!
    
    I'd love to help and really hate the thought of you having to split up
    two siblings that seem to 'belong together', but I have two of my own 
    (7 & 10 yrs old) and there's no way they'd accept another person let 
    alone an animal in the house.
    
    Good luck
    
    BjM