I would love to take my cats but apart from it being blooming expensive I think it will just make life even harder during the initial setting up period. :(

Just don't try going anywhere even remotely bush with a pair of cats...where my partner's from, they drown 'em, then skin 'em. I'm a cat lover but have resigned myself to having a dog when we're over there.

Why do you think you will have to lock up your cats over here?
We have a manky, scraggy, senile, incontinent, parasitic, flearidden, stalking bag of old bones here (affectionately known as Kittles the Bitch) and the only place she gets locked is out of the house (to stop her indiscriminate toilet habits).
I actually don't really mind cats - my parents always had them - but they make me sneeze and have a tendency to come and rub themselves against me and try and jump up (because they know of the allergy and they are all intrinsically evil).
At least ours occasionally takes a break from crapping on the 2 square feet of our acreage where I step out of my car and kills the odd rat, so she will probably survive.
Cheers,

DagBoy

You shouldn't have any problem renting with cats in the outer burbs of Adelaide. There's an oversupply of rentals so landlords are prepared to negotiate. Don't try to compete in the really popular inner spots though.

Tips - Don't tell agent you have cats (they'll be in quarantine when you're first looking anyway). Don't look at anything that mentions strictly no pets though. Find a place to rent, make an offer to the landlord THEN mention the cats. Landlords are usually prepared to negotiate once they see the $$$ coming from a good tenant and won't want to let you walk away.

If all else fails - don't tell the owner you have cats and learn to live without a cat door. This is a commonly done strategy in inner Sydney where you can't get anything to rent with a pet. Don't rip off the landlord though - pay/fix any damage done by pet. Worse case they find out and you get chucked out but that's unlikely once you're moved in and the rents been coming regularly. A convenient trip to the nearest cattery when the landlord rings to arrange a visit can work well.

We used to have a next door neighbour with a little dog who arranged to pop her dog over the back fence into our garden everytime the landlord visited. Worked well - but you need friendly neighbours and to remember to hide the dog bowls in a cupboard!

Re: Renting with pets
 

Also have two cats and concerned about this. Hope to be in Adelaide next year and interested in any advice/tips.
Thanks

As Jolyn said don't worry about it, our next door neighbour was told they could not have pets but we are allowed the only difference is our cats are house cats.

Colin

Many landlords do not allow pets, but that still leaves some who do. You could try offering your prospective landlord a pet bond (only if you go through a property manager though, as they will hold the monies in trust til you leave). That way the landlord is reassured that you will pay for any damage when you leave - and if there is no damage you will get your pet bond back.

The southern suburbs of Adelaide has a shortage of rental properties at the moment, only the really daggy places are available for more than a week or two. Anything decent is signed up before the last tenant vacates.

I do agree with the previous poster that you could move in and then, after you've established yourself as a good tenant, ask if you can have your cats. The problem with this is that many landlords will say NO, and then what will you do? As a landlord myself, I can tell you that we landlords are wise to this particular trick and it pisses us off no end! (BTW, I do allow pets!).

regards adelaidegirl

My brother actually took the dogs for the landlord to be reassured, and offered to pay his rent up front for 6 months.

Whisky

not sure how my cats would react...probably ignore the landlord completely!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Renting with pets
 

I've been in rentals for the past 6 years with cats (recently moved in to my own home)

I'd say that it narrows your choices down that's all. About 15 to 30 ish percent allow cats. I've had no probs getting rentals with my cats... so I wouldn't bother listning to the scare stories if I were you
If you look through the listings some say "pets maybe" I have found from experience these listings allow cats but not dogs, unless they are an outside dog.
Some listings do not mention pets at all... these can mean that pets are negotiable.

All rentals I have been in have been listed as "pets maybe" and some no mention of pets at all in their adverts.

All previous houses there have been no conditions attached, except for the last one. We had to have the house pest/flea sprayed at the end of the tenancy (cost us $30 that's all).

If you are in rentals now in the UK ask the landlord for a written reference for your cats.. just to say they have been good pussies:)

You should have no problems in finding a rental.. it just narrows your choice of houses down that's all.

Good luck.. and don't worry about it :)