My Grandmother and her husband own a duplex and they allowed me to rent one after my divorce. I pay $800 a month, which for a starving single mother, nursing student is hard to manage but still a better deal than most anywhere else around here.
Initially, when my Gma offered to let me move in she said that I could bring my dog with me. I was thrilled. I really wanted to have my dog with me. She’s 10 years old and my baby. My ex wasn’t much of an animal lover.
Well, a week before I’m supposed to move in she mentions how her best friend (the old tenant in my new place) didn’t want to take her cat on the long drive to Montana where she was moving. So, my Grandma agreed to take care of him. She asked if I wouldn’t mind letting this cat stay in my house at night and just let him out during the day. She said he didn’t use a litter box he went outside. I then told her, my dog doesn’t do well with cats and that I’m afraid she would attack it. Then my Grandma says “Oh, no dear, there’s no room for your dog here.’ and acts as if she honestly forgot ever offering. So long story short, I had to leave my dog. Haven’t seen her in a year.
I told my Grandma I’m busy between work, school, my son and don’t want to be responsible for taking care of the cat. And that I didn’t want the cat in my house because I don’t want fleas in my house and because the cat has long hair. She said she was disappointed but understood.
Well, since then she comes over nearly everyday. I’ve even found her coat in my house and I noticed cat hair on my sofa I think she was letting the cat inside to “hang out” with her so that “he could feel at home”. And now I’ve noticed fleas in my carpeting, a year after moving in!
She’s obsessed with this cat. She won’t take him to her house because he’s aggressive with her other cats. She pushes it on my cousin too, who isn’t interested in caring for the cat but does so out of obligation. She’s gone as far as letting the cat into his house when he’s not there so that it can be “comfortable” and will adjust the heat or air conditioner to “make it more comfortable” for the CAT! His wife and him complain to me but do and say nothing.
The fact is that we’re fortunate to live in this duplex and get a reasonable deal on rent. However we’re not living here for free and how much is enough when it comes to this cat? Neither of us want it and our Grandma doesn’t seem to care. She just tries to guilt us.
Now she has the cat coming into the laundry room every night, we have to leave the door opened for it all day and then bring him in at night. We’re having problems now with possoms and raccooms coming into the laundry room, peeing, pooping, eating all of the cat food… and other cats coming in and spraying. It stinks.
Not sure what to do. Others tell me to just take the cat to animal control or an adoption agency to get rid of it. but I know my Grandma would worry herself sick.
How do I handle this? We used to have a good relationship but now the ONLY time I ever hear from her is when she’s calling to ask me to take care of baby cat in some way (even though I’ve already told her I don’t want that responsibility) or to see how baby cat’s doing. It’s ridiculous.