Frustrated Redditor Loses Patience With Their Messy Flatmate Who Doesn't Clean Up After Herself And The New Cat She Adopted
It's disheartening to hear stories about pet owners who do not put in the effort to give their pets good lives. An adult who willingly got a pet on their own is expected to have the skills and motivation to keep the said pet alive and well.
No one should have to tell you to feed them, clean after them, and train them. For whatever reason, some adults think they are immune from these responsibilities.
Slacking on these pet-related chores when you live with roommates is a big no-no. Conflicts start once an issue like this goes unsolved despite numerous interventions.
Patient roommates who will not tire of reminding you what you have to do are a treasure, but even they have a limit. This 20-year-old is pondering how to approach her other roommate about maintaining the cleanliness of their house.
All three of them live in a house off-campus and they are all pet owners. OP and Sheila both have dogs while Alissa recently got a cat.
Sheila and OP keep their dogs in their rooms but allow them to roam the common areas of the house only when they are present to supervise them the whole time. Alissa was not so concerned about the same thing when it comes to her new cat.
The cat is allowed to go into any area of the house even when Alissa is not around
[ ADVERTISEMENT ]
She also keeps the cat's litter box in their living room despite frequently forgetting to clean it or dump the contents
She has also asked them to keep the bathroom door closed all the time because her cat gets into the bin and drags trash back to her room
She also asked OP and Sheila to keep their dogs strictly in their room to prevent any additional accidents after her cat scratched OP's dog unprovoked
These changes annoyed OP but she has learned to live with them. The real problem is, Alissa is also irresponsible in so many other ways.
She has taken over their entire bathroom counter and doesn't clean it. She leaves her takeout containers and beer bottles all over the house.
Alissa also doesn't pay enough attention to the cat she recently got and leaves the house almost immediately after she gets home. OP and Sheila are getting tired of Alissa's antics and are planning to talk to her once they figure out how to properly approach her.
OP is at the end of her wits and asked other cat owners if it's okay to ask Alissa to do something to prevent the cat from getting into their rooms.
If the situation becomes dire enough, OP can inform their landlord abut Alissa's mess but until then, all they can really do is sit down and have a discussion
OP and Sheila have to direct about the problems they have noticed. It is not too much to ask your roommate to clean up after their pet and to keep the common areas of the house clean for everyone.
Alissa can be as messy as she wants inside her own bedroom but if it triggers her asthma, then it's her who has to make adjustments. She can't spread her mess around the house because she can't keep her own room clean.
Since they can't just kick her out of the property, they really have to talk to her before the tension among three of them gets even worse
Alissa is old enough to know how much work it takes to keep a pet safe and healthy. Unfortunately, knowing is different than doing.
It's not the cat's fault that his owner is irresponsible despite the issues that have already been brought to her attention
Let's hope that she's not too negligent as to leave the cat when her lease ends
She obviously doesn't love the cat enough to make sure he's getting enough attention from her nor keep his litter box clean
They really do need strict house rules even if it's really for Alissa's benefit. That way, she cannot skirt around her responsibilities and pawn them off to her roommates.
Why would you get a cat if you can't deal with the litter box? In a shared home no less. If Alissa doesn't change, OP may have no choice but to inform their landlord.
Sheila and OP have to remain compose, friendly, but stern when they discuss the problems with Alissa
They can't let her get away with this because she is making their living arrangement hellish. Her irresponsibility is affecting all of them including all of their pets.
They shouldn't even have to tell another adult what her duties are as a roommate and pet owner but that's their situation. An adult discussion is needed and if things don't change after that, it's time to rethink their decision of living together.
