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My roommate has had both knees replaced. Since I moved in with her in March of 2018 she has almost never taken a shower, she has 3 cats that aren't properly taken care of the litter boxes ×2 get cleaned maybe once a month, my apartment smells like cat p1ss and I'm allergic to cats. I do my best to clean the house but she doesn't do anything to clean. There is cat hair and puke everywhere, I would move out but I can't afford to. Is it right for me to call a welfare check on her?

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I think I would start with the landlord - cat urine can quickly destroy an apartment and make for very expensive repairs so they should be interested in getting that under control.
I've never heard of shared tenancy in an income controlled apartment - are you on the lease or is this a side deal with your room mate?
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Daniegirl2011 Nov 2018
The office knows and has written her up for it and she kinda cleaned up but not well enough she has since gone back to letting it stink and get right back to where it was before the write up. I am on the lease I moved in cause I needed the bus system to get to work which wasn't available where I was and her husband had passed away 7 months prior to me moving in and she needed me to move in so she could keep her two bedroom apartment cause technically a single person can't have a two bedroom unless they have a roommate, are pregnant or have a kid
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Buy a mask and clean the litterbox.

Or take the cats to a shelter. It is unfair to the animals.

If you do your laundry in that environment are you sure you don't smell like a dirty cat box?

My brother and his wife didn't clean the litterbox at their house and I took the cat. They were mad but tough, animals cannot up and leave an unsuitable environment.

Yes, reasons why you can't deal with it are excuses. There are many ways to deal and you have been asking for advice for 3 days. Have you done anything to remedy the situation?

You moved in with a person that had cats and you are allergic to cats. That is a red flag for me and it sounds like you are trying to get her moved out or in trouble with the housing agency. You say no but you keep asking how to get it dealt with. Clean the litterbox that's how you deal with it and by the way, I know they kick the waste all over the floor when the box is to full, then they will use the house, you live like this and say you cannot do anything because of allergies. Nonsense.
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You moved in with her. Right?
Are things significantly different now than then?
Im not familiar with how this housing style works but did she have a choice about you moving in? Did she have to take you? Now you want her out?
I don’t mind cats but my husband is severely allergic and it seems that many cat lovers grow ‘nose blind.
I don’t think you’ll get anywhere with a welfare check but if you haven’t been able to make her understand how disgusting living like this is to you, then maybe this will make a difference.
To me. You need to move since she had the cats when you moved in. A preexisting condition so to speak. But believe me I do understand how awful it can be for cats not properly cared for. I’ve bern there with daughter.
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Daniegirl2011 Nov 2018
Yes she had a choice about me moving in and at the time I was looking for somewhere close to my work and that had a bus available close by for me to get around and she was looking for someone to move in cause her husband had passed away 7 months prior. At the time that I moved in the smell was bad but my allergies weren't effected to badly by it now I can barely leave my room without my allergies acting up. My sister is my next door neighbor and the smell is so bad that my sister can smell it through her walls in the basement and into her dining/kitchen area where she prepares food.also I don't want her to move out if possible I am not that cold hearted I just want her to keep up on taking care of herself and animals which she isn't doing. If I could afford to move out I would but I'm on a fixed income and can't afford anything but income based housing which have no openings for me to get my own place so I'm stuck.
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The only thing I can say is clean the litterbox.

I get they are not your animals but sheesh, at what point do you live like that instead of scooping the litterbox everyday.

If not that, load them up and take them to a shelter, it is unfair to the animals, they can't do anything about it.

There is obviously mental illness involved to live in a filthy cat house. That is stink that permeates everything.
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Daniegirl2011 Nov 2018
I would clean the litter boxes myself but I'm allergic to cats and I don't want to make my allergies any worse than they already are. I have a very hard time just being in the basement (where the litter boxes are) just to take down and bring up laundry. My allergies are getting to the point my allergy meds are barely helping. I'm not trying to make up excuses I'm being completely honest.
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Well. With bereavement in the mix, and the fact that she's made no progress but actually got worse over the last 6-8 months, then yes by all means see what you can do to bring in some kind of intervention from social workers. The lady needs help and it doesn't sound as if she's able to reach for it herself.

Please stay in touch, let us know how you're getting on.
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Daniegirl2011 Nov 2018
Thank you so much and I certainly will I feel bad for doing this to her but I don't know what else to do
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Call animal welfare get the cats out of there, they deserve better.
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Sendhelp Nov 2018
Yes, the cats do deserve better.
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I think the woman needs a well check but...I would not be surprised if your told she can live the way she wants, You may want to call the Health Dept. You r in an unsanitary enviroment. Are you or both of you on HUDD? If so, you are entitled to have a sanitary place to live. And HUDD has a responsibility to the Landlord to make sure those getting HUDD are keeping the house up.

I think you may have to bite the bullet and move out. As a person collecting SSI the Social Service Dept should be able to find you a place. You are entitled to foodstamps, help with utilities etc.
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Daniegirl2011 Nov 2018
When I got my ssi dhs took my food stamps away and I would move out if social security gave me enough to even possibly pay rent and live off of so I could get something other than income based housing which has no one bedroom apartments open and in order for me to get my own 2+ bedroom I have to have a kid, be pregnant or have a roommate
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Your roommate recently had two knee replacements, correct? And lost her husband as well. It may be very hard for her to get down to clean those litter boxes and she did not anticipate how difficult it would be. You moved in around this time. Weren’t you aware of the situation prior to moving in?
My husband is allergic to cats - so much so he begins wheezing and needs to get out of wherever he is if there is a cat. He literally can’t breathe if he visits a home with a cat.
My suggestion would be to help her out and, as above, clean the litter boxes. This woman did you a favor by offering you a place to live when you needed one.
You were aware she had cats prior to moving in, yes? Why would you agree to move in?
If I were you I would put myself on the list of one bedroom apartments. I too never heard of rent being split in a HUDD program. My brother lives in one and his rent is based on his SSDI income. He does not qualify for a two bedroom apt.
Can’t you move in with your sister? She lives next door, you said.
It does sound to me that you want her out so you can have the two level townhouse next to your sister for yourself. Work with your roommate and show her some kindness. She was there first, so it’s on you to move, imo. I couldn’t live with myself if I caused her to be kicked out. The managing office is aware of the situation; the only alternative I see is you moving out.
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Aren't 3 cats above the pet limit at most HUD housing complexes?

The cats wiil not go in a dirty cat litter box. The smell is more likely from urine in another place than the litter boxes. Have you checked behind the washer for the cat poop?

Additionally, if an un-neutered male cat lives there, he may be spraying his territory. Another horrible smell.
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Isthisrealyreal Nov 2018
They will kick the waste out of the box onto the floor. I saw this with my brother. Yes, once the filth gets so deep they will start going around the house.

Spraying also stinks and is hard to get rid of.
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Your roommate is obviously mentally not with it. She will not change. People who get to that point dont comprehend all that is more than odd about their behavior. At least put a mask on and clean the litter boxes. These cats deserve some humanity from humans supposedly caring for them. All this banter back and forth is just stalling a terrible situation. Help the cats who have no say and remove yourself or her. People who need their situations changed will never arrive at that decision on their own. Even ones less sound of mind don't like change. Neither my late MIL or my mother wanted to leave their homes but circumstances necissated that they had to. This environment sounds beyond toxic. You need to force a change for the eventual well being of all involved. Hope you find the strength to do it. So many come on this site with difficult situations, receive sound advice and then are lost in terms of communication. I hope you can be someone who can make a change and then if you do and feel up to it notify this post with an update so that so many who have cared to suggest decisions know they helped you and at least poor animals are still neglected not to mention you and the roommate. Everyone in this situation needs a major change. I hope it happens for you.
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Isthisrealyreal Nov 2018
We are giving advice to someone that moved into someone else's home and is trying to get that woman kicked out of her own home. What has this forum come to?
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