Housemates cat smells and breached contract

[Deleted User]

You can also buy bags enabling you to place the bag in the litter tray, put the litter in the bag, then just remove the whole lot when it needs changing. Even with a male cat (very smelly pee), you should be ok if the litter is removed every two days.

I remember living with someone who didn't clean her cat's litter tray very often, your eyes watered on entry. Fortunately I didn't have a fixed term tenancy so I moved out very quickly.

mark55man

from a recommendation on an earlier thread on here - I use Cats best from Amazon and I got a little scoop which is slotted so the unused litter falls away from the solids. They and the clumps can be flushed and its the best I have used as the only time I noticed any smell was when she missed

I would concentrate on getting on with your flatmate and not worrying about the tenancy aspects unless you see behaviour from the cat or flatmate that could damage the flat.

Silvertabby

mark88man wrote: »

from a recommendation on an earlier thread on here - I use Cats best from Amazon and I got a little scoop which is slotted so the unused litter falls away from the solids. They and the clumps can be flushed and its the best I have used as the only time I noticed any smell was when she missed

I would concentrate on getting on with your flatmate and not worrying about the tenancy aspects unless you see behaviour from the cat or flatmate that could damage the flat.

Another thumbs up for Cat's Best.

mark55man

Silvertabby wrote: »

Another thumbs up for Cat's Best.

could very well have been a recommendation from you :j:j

Silvertabby

mark88man wrote: »

could very well have been a recommendation from you :j:j

So it was - I'd forgotten! Furry madam still approves as well.

When we had our last furry madam, I won a year's supply of cat litter. Wonderful, except it was the lumpy wood pellet variety and she refused to use it (far too rough on her delicate little paws!) Luckily, our local Blue Cross were happy to take it off our hands.

Pixie5740

If the cat smells that bad, wouldn't you have noticed when you went to view the room?

[Deleted User]

The owner had probably cleaned the litter tray beforehand so it wasn't noticeable. Amazing how emptying and cleaning gets rid of odours pretty quickly, even with a male cat.

Once the OP moved in, no need.

It happened to me.

Murphybear

The best place for a litter tray is the bathroom/cloakroom if there is room. We have ours in the downstairs cloakroom. As soon as the cat uses it it gets removed with a slotted scoop and flushed away. This works perfectly as long as you make sure half a scoop of litter doesnt get flushed as well.

Peaches05x

tacpot12 wrote: »

You are in a very difficult situation. Probably the best option is to move out at the end of the AST.

In the meantime, you and the cat owner could clean the litter tray out more often, and get some air fresheners for the public rooms. If you wash you hands and cook your food properly, you will not be affected by the cat litter being in the room.

If you tell the letting agent she has a cat, she will be offended and could make it very unpleasant to be in the house, meaning you would have to move out, but would still be liable for the rent.

I don't see that you would be liable to the landlord as you are not the cats owner, and you have not breached any terms of your AST.

--- thank you for your reply. Yes, you are right if I do tell the agent she could make my life hell in that flat. I have spoken to her and agreed to clean the clean regularly.

Peaches05x

Rosemary7391 wrote: »

Did it smell when you viewed? If not, can you ask the current tenant to keep doing whatever they did to get rid of the smell then? Sounds like just a bit more cleaning/airing is needed...

--No it did not smell when I viewed it. That's why I was very shocked when I moved in