Can you work around apartments that require declawing?

[marinemammal]

Hi all,

I am new to the forum, but wanted to post this question in the vet forum instead of prevet since I figured a few of you may have gone through this.

I am planning to attempt to go to U of Minn in a couple of years for vet school, but have noticed a rather disturbing trend with a lot of the apartments I've looked at. It seems that they all require cats to be declawed. Now before anyone freaks, there is absolutely no way that anyone is getting near my furballs with the intention to declaw (There will be some major R-rated violence on the part of their mother), but is there anyone who has experience with this, or knows/knew someone who did? I have seen suggestions of having the SPCA and my vet write official letters on their stance of declawing, and trying to negotiate with frequent claw trims, scratching posts, and even Soft Paws. (My cats lay quietly for nail trims, and I don't mind showing the landlord this)

Is it a hopeless case? I really would love to live in the apartments I have looked over, but my babies come first hands down. Has anyone ever had experience negotiating with their landlord?

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[HopefulAg]

Soft paws would probably be the most likely to appease both parties.

 

[sumstorm]

Part of the issue, as a previous landlord, is that if you don't comply, and someone else hears about it, I can have a battle on my hands that can be minor (no fair!) to extreme (lawsuit: she gave X preferential treatment because they aren't jewish, lesbian, over 50, don't have kids, etc.)

I would think your best bet is softpaws (with a set date to do them each month such as the day rent is due and an offer for inspection upon request), with an offer of a higher security deposit, letter from vet about your cats (not against declawing) AND, most important, glowing letters from previous landlords. Include a video of you trimming & applying nail caps, and a video of your last apartment; walls, carpets (including corners) and furniture. The last person we rented to that had a cat convinced us because she let us check in the place 2x a week for the first month, once a week for the next 2 months, then every other week for the next 3 months. By 6 months, we were pretty convinced she was living up to her end of the bargain.

I hate it, but we stopped renting to pet owners; the costs were incredibly high and collecting on the damages nearly impossible. And even animals that have been good all their life can suddenly develop bad habits. My then 7 year old cat had lived in 4 states and 7 homes before we moved here; now she has a furniture clawing problem that we can't seem to solve. Replacing decent quality carpet, particularly if there is any pad damage, can easily reach a grand a room. I know my cat has done damage = to the cost of my vet school in less than a year, after a previously perfect track record, and trimming her nails does not decrease the behavior and she chews nail caps off.

Whatever you do, don't be deceptive. You can be kicked out in some places for deceptive practices.

 

[marinemammal]

I definitely won't lie to management but I wondered if anyone had any experience negotiating with management. I don't mind demonstrating Soft Paws and signing away my first born for liability I understand where they are coming from but my cats are not destructive and I would hate to not be able to live anywhere somewhat decent because I have my cats. Any one have any thoughts on this?

 

[Angelo84]

I definitely won't lie to management but I wondered if anyone had any experience negotiating with management. I don't mind demonstrating Soft Paws and signing away my first born for liability I understand where they are coming from but my cats are not destructive and I would hate to not be able to live anywhere somewhat decent because I have my cats. Any one have any thoughts on this?

Many landlords are reasonable. I ended up negatiating my land lord from no cats to declawed cats to trimmed nails. However I also agreed to pay for any damage my cat did to the apartment.

 

[SilverSpyderGT]

Here's something that might help you - the AVMA's official position statement on declawing.

http://www.avma.org/issues/policy/animal_welfare/declawing.asp

"Surgical declawing is not a medically necessary procedure for the cat in most cases."

Good luck! I can't imagine moving anywhere without my kitty, either.