Neighbor complaining about cat noise

[gini]

Or, another idea is to get your cats some big furry slippers - (sorry just had to do this).

Originally posted by gini
Or, another idea is to get your cats some big furry slippers - (sorry just had to do this).

LOL LOL LOL!!!!

even better: get that lady some ear-plugs!!

[kimlovescats]

There have been lots of good ideas here ... the only additional thing I could think of is maybe requesting to transfer to a downstairs apartment? Some complexes will charge a transfer fee, but it may be worth it? GOOD LUCK!!!

[Russian Blue]

Actually I was the one complaining 2 years ago about the noise problem in the condo we owned. It was really bad, and the owner above us didn't believe the noise until he came down to listen one night. He still did anything about it and we had to put official complaints in to the condo board of directors.

After 8 complaints they legally made him put in carpet, but we were moving out at that point. He had two cats and they sounded like racehorses going back and forth! I'm a major animal lover, but when it comes to my sanity and sleeplessness that's where I draw the line.

Do you rent your apartment or own it? If you own it, you can install carpet. If you rent, maybe you and the landlord can pay 50/50 for installation?

Good luck and I hope something can be worked out. It's not fun being on either side of this problem!

[Kirsten]

I'm so sorry to hear this, what a difficult situation!

I know playing cats can be very loud and you can hear it very well downstairs when everything's quiet. When I'm at my neighbor's place downstairs, I can also hear Lily and Luna playing, but luckily I'm friends with my neighbors and they don't complain. I would have a problem if the do!

Seperating them during the night can't be a permanent solution - and I'm sure it breaks your heart to do that - so I hope these rugs will make it better.

Hope you can work things out with your neighbor!

Kirsten

[Soledad]

Well, I've just bought more carpets. They're kind of gross and plain, but if they keep Bettie with me, bring them on!!

I rent and I'm on a year long lease (so we can't go anywhere anytime soon). There are three floors and you pay more to be on a top floor because you have decided not to deal with the issue of noise. I chose to live on the top floor after some nasty bouts with my upstairs neighbors in NZ.

This building was built in the 1940s and was done up. Their biggest selling point are the nicely polished hardwood floors and there is no way they will install carpet. The lease requires that 70% of the floor is covered with a rug. My new rugs should meet that requirement.

I know how crap it is to have a noisy upstairs neighbor. I've even had to deal with crazy kittens above me. I don't hate this lady, I just hope she gives me a chance. There is nothing worse than constant, interrupted sleep.

However, I hope she will cooperate with me and not work against me and try to get my cats removed. I know that seems extreme, but after her pissiness last night I don't totally doubt that it's beyond the realm of possibility.

[Kirsten]

I hope so, too! I can understand how worried you are! Maybe you can invite her and let her play with your kitties, once she knows them personally, she might not insist on you giving them away.

I also have hardwood here on the floor which looks great but it sure doesn't dull any sounds. I also prefer living on the top floor because I find sounds coming from above very disturbing, and whenever my landlords' have visitors (they have a guest room in the attic above) I don't get any sleep because they are up all night and walk around - and I swear that's worse than running cats!

Kirsten

[jenluckenbach]

I was just recently wondering how Bettie Blue and Boo were doing, I am sorry that they are causing a bit of ruckus. Since I do not know the layout of the appartments I do not know if this would work, but is there a place that BOTH cats can stay for the night that is NOT above the down stairs neighbor's bedroom. This way they will not pine for each other, they can possibly still play a bit, but most of their running would NOT be over her head. ( I know, this is a lot to hope for)

[ScantyNebula]

If they are anything like my two, they will not settle for staying in a small room by themselves .. they will dig the floor up first! lol

[slick]

Oh boy, I really can't offer any advice. Hearing your stories, I see how lucky I really am. As I have older cats, when I go to bed, they go to bed and don't make any noise until around 7am when I don't get up in time for work or when Speckles decides to play with her mousie from Catmandu at 5am. But I also bought my condo in a cement highrise so that helps. I was on the second floor of a wooden building before and had 3 toddlers above me. Arrrghhhh, try that on for size. I'm sure the rugs will help, if not maybe you could introduce your neighbour to ww.drugs.com....HA HA....just kidding. Good luck!

[Fox-Gal]

Originally posted by jenluckenbach
is there a place that BOTH cats can stay for the night that is NOT above the down stairs neighbor's bedroom. This way they will not pine for each other, they can possibly still play a bit, but most of their running would NOT be over her head. ( I know, this is a lot to hope for)

I had to do that years ago, when I rented. I put my 2 guys in the back room at the opposite end of the people downstairs, bedroom. I had a brownstone apt so it too had the hard woodfloors. I got a huge area rug and then put 2 big comforters on top of that at night to help muffle the sound. They said it did help. I also tied some cat toys from the ceiling above the bed so a lot of their playing was on the bed in that room.

I know how hard it is.....you'll try anything to make it work.

I complement you on your understanding of the problem. So many people would just have the attitude that they shouldn't have moved into a place that takes pets if they don't like it. Hopefully they will realize that and that you do understand, so they will give you some time to work the problem out.

Good luck to you.

[Miss Meow]

At this point, I would think about dropping a little note under her door, apologising about the noise, explaining that the cats are young and new to the joy of hardwood floors, but you're sure they'll settle down, and you've bought new rugs, hope it helps. Sorry, sorry, sorry etc. It might help your neighbour realise that the cats aren't causing trouble intentionally.

Hopefully she'll learn to tolerate a bit of a ruckus during the day and early evening, and Boo and Bettie learn to sleep during the night The cats will probably settle a bit as they mature and as cooler weather sets in. Good luck

[moosmom]

I forgot to mention in my post that I lived in the exact apartment that my bitchy neighbor lived in when I first moved into the complex. It had no carpeting in it, only hardwood floors. Just before I signed my lease, my landlord told me there was a woman and two young children who lived upstairs. Against my better judgment, I signed a one year lease when he ASSURED me that both children go to bed early. "There's a sucker born every minute!!" Not only did they NOT go to bed early, this lady never let her kids play outside in the courtyard. It was always inside. The noise was unbearable. I literally spent 75% of my time away from my apartment till it was time to do to bed. Then she brought in her boyfriend with a pitbull that they tied out on the railing in the hallway!! I called the cops numerous times (at the advice of my landlord). They finally moved out and I moved upstairs into that apartment, thinking the problem had been solved. I swore I would never again live under anyone again. Now that I think about it, almost every single apartment I've lived in had crappy neighbors, both upstairs and downstairs. One was a drunk (downstairs) who played the same Andy Williams record over and over again. Another one was a crack dealer (downstairs) who cranked up his stereo and even went as far as knocking on my door at 2 a.m., in his bathrobe to ask to borrow sugar. I had to get a restraining order against him.

Soledad, I really hope you can work things out with your neighbor. My situation was a hopeless from the very beginning. I hope yours will get better.

[Soledad]

Nicole,

I beat you to it! Last night after she came up the second time I wrote (what I thought to be) a very nice apologetic note. The gist of it was something like this:

"I am very sorry for the inconvenience I have caused you. We are now keeping the cat in the bathroom at night and are going to purchase more rugs first thing tomorrow. We hope that this will alleviate the problem.

I have had the experience of having an inconsiderate upstairs neighbor, and the last thing I wish to do is become like them. My hope is that we can resolve this issue without bitterness or the assistance of the management.

Please feel free to come upstairs if you have any questions or comments."

Turns out that the lady was so mad after the second time she came up that she immediately phoned management and left a nasty message saying that I said "there's nothing I can do." I did not say that, what I said was "I don't know what else I can do just right now" and as I turned around she was already down the stairs.

I understand being enraged, I just hope that when she woke up this morning she understood that I was not trying to make her life hell.

Management called me this afternoon. Again it was suggested that I "put the cat in a cage." When I told her that this was not possible because the cat would need access to its litter she told me I "didn't know cats" and that "it must be a mean cat" should it be forced to defecate/urinate in the kennel.

But I stayed polite and sweet and told her all I was doing and that I was aware of the issue and doing my best. I also slipped in that the way this building is, every tenant has to allow for some noise, though I will do my best not to inconvenience anyone.

We'll see how it goes. The worst part is I hadn't gotten around to registering Bettie with management, so technically I only have one cat. You are allowed two pets, so I didn't think it was an issue and I was going to do it eventually. But now I'm afraid they'll reject me if I try to register since there has been a complaint.

So I guess Bettie is contraband for a while.

[moosmom]

Soledad,

It sounds like you've got the same kind of situation that I had. No amount of apologizing is going to do any good. It also sounds like she hates or is not very fond of cats.

People have to live their lives, and yes there is going to be noise, be it an accidentally banging of a door, something dropping on the floor, etc. That's to be expected. I'm wasn't about to walk on eggshells just to please this miserable person and neither should you. As far as the "contraband kitty", register her immediately.

I feel really bad for your situation and can relate to it. Maybe her lease will be up before yours and she'll move out.