Page 21 | Cleaner let cats into living room

slithytoveisascientist · 2023-10-12T10:27:06+00:00

Last week she let them into bedroom and luckily I caught it before anything happened. I reminded her and she was very apologetic and promised to be more careful. This week she has left the living room door open and the cats have gone in and scratched my leather sofa. It’s never had any damage before and I’m gutted. AIBU to ask to claim on her insurance for a repair, and will I even have any success?

bombastix · 13/10/2023 08:59

I do not think you understand cats very much. A locked room is literally the thing they hate most and will be desperate to make it their territory by scratching it.

Be a bit more realistic on cats and people, less stress

Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 13/10/2023 09:00

@MiniBossFromAus I don't think I'm unreasonable for asking to shut the door or believing her when she said yes

I don't think she should have said yes

She said no to other stuff

She has since backtracked on door and we have found another solution thanks to PP suggestions

Had cleaner said no from start my sofa would be fine now

I accepted IWBU to ask to claim on insurance

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Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 13/10/2023 09:02

@Gerrataere where are you getting this? How are my kids seeing and hearing me be angry about the cleaner?! Are they on this thread?

And yes kids have accidents

My 9 and 10 year old don't damage furniture and they are happy in their den with us as a family and don't really go in the living room with no TV any more - by choice

It's a not often used room anymore. I go in there with a book.

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Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 13/10/2023 09:03

@Gerrataere you'll really feel sorry for my kids now

They aren't allowed in my study when I'm working!! How's that for a stress factor

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Gerrataere · 13/10/2023 09:06

It's not a show home. It's my home just as much as every one else's and the catas

But the main family room is yours, you have commandeered it as your ‘grown up’ room where the rest of the family are not allowed to relax. Your bedroom would be understandable as your ‘own space’ but the main family living room, then expecting others to follow strict rules and try and herd cats about to avoid any sort of mess or damage is unreasonable. Honestly if you’re so determined to have the room pristine, my only advice is to keep it locked and clean it yourself. Leave the rest of the house to the cleaner.

Gerrataere · 13/10/2023 09:06

slithytoveisascientist · 13/10/2023 09:03

@Gerrataere you'll really feel sorry for my kids now

They aren't allowed in my study when I'm working!! How's that for a stress factor

That’s a straw man argument and you know it…

Laiste · 13/10/2023 09:30

OP i'd leave this thread now if i were you. You'll be here the rest of your life repeating stuff otherwise.

For what it's worth - i have 2 cats which are only allowed out into the back garden (cat proof fencing) and not out the front door
a) in case they get run over and
b) because i believe in not inflicting my pet's shit on other people's property.

and, actually
c) because they cost me an awful lot of money and i don't want them nicked!

You've addressed every daft answer but posters here love to argue black is white, don't read the thread and in the end it's them that look the twats. That's why i love AIBU ! 😂

My advice - do the keeping in with you thing and when your on your holls just lock those 2 doors and don't have those rooms cleaned.

Sausage1989 · 13/10/2023 09:34

HAHAHAHAHAHHA!!! YOU CAN'T BLAME THE CLEANER BECAUSE YOUR CAT SCRATCHED YOUR SOFA!!!

RecklessBlackberries · 13/10/2023 09:43

How clear were you about the importance of shutting the door? Did you just casually mention it, or did you explicitly state "the cat is a destructive one and will ruin the furniture". One is a good habit but prone to occasional slips, the other is explicitly keeping it in mind every time you do it.

I have a cat myself, it doesn't claw the sofa the second it's allowed in a room. It wouldn't occur to me that yours would. So the cleaner might not have realised the potential consequences.

I also think it's horrible to ban your cats from the two rooms in the house that people spend most time in. Cats with the temperament to be house cats like company, even if it's just sitting in the same room.

DangerousAlchemy · 13/10/2023 09:43

We have downstairs cats and an upstairs foster cat - different foster cats that usually stay a few weeks before they get adopted. We have big signs on both sides of 2 downstairs doors (kitchen & living room) saying 'Please keep these doors shut' as downstairs cats aren't allowed upstairs & foster cat not allowed downstairs. It's a pain tbh but foster cat isn't allowed outside or allowed to mingle with my cats. It's the charities rule not mine. One of my DS friends (15) left kitchen door open so my cat Annie ran upstairs & had a fight with my current foster cat. No damage was done & my older DD (19) was home so broke the fight up. I still wouldn't be billing my DS friends mum for the vet bill even if there had been injuries to the cats. I would have claimed on my own pet insurance & the charity would have paid for the foster cat. I was pissed off with my DS friend (who I know v well) but it's happened a few times & people do make mistakes. If your cleaner caused accidental damage in your home (indirectly because she didn't scratch your sofa, did she?) then sure, claim on your own insurance. Anything else makes you look like a twat tbh.

DRS1970 · 13/10/2023 09:45

You won't stand a chance claiming on her insurance. They are your cats, in your house, damaging your furniture, and you employ her to clean, not manage your cats!

Hocuspocus99 · 13/10/2023 09:56

As a cleaner , most of my clients now have pets and I am told to keep doors shut , which isn’t a big ask , all you have to do is check they haven’t snuck into the room after you have cleaned it . However when I often arrive at a property , that rule doesn’t always apply to the occupants who live there , as the doors that are supposed to be shut are open for said pets to roam freely. As for claiming on her insurance I think that is a big no no . They unfortunately are your responsibility , if you feel your new cleaner is not a good fit for your family I think you have to let her go .

toomuchfaff · 13/10/2023 09:59

if they are your cats, then cage them whilst the cleaner comes if you don't want them wondering. Its not her responsibility to keep areas of your home out of bounds to your pets. Put the cats in the carry pens you use for the vets or something. Your cats, your responsibility.

Gall10 · 13/10/2023 10:05

Blondeshavemorefun · 12/10/2023 11:38

I think having house cats is cruel

They need to go out and run climb trees play smell etx

I agree.
I always assume people who have house cats have houses that smell of litter trays.
maybe I’m wrong but unless the litter tray is emptied & cleaned hourly then surely there must be a smell.
Or maybe the cats are trained like the one in film with Robert di Niro & Ben Stiller….but I never saw that one flush the loo!

Cockmigrant · 13/10/2023 10:29

Fireisland · 12/10/2023 11:30

She's bringing her cats with her to work and they've damaged your home? Yes, she should claim on her insurance.

How on earth did you read that OP and jump to the conclusion that the cleaner brought her own cats to work?
I quite enjoyed reading your post though as I had images of the cleaner calmly packing her cats into the car and then unloading them along with her cleaning supplies, leaving them to run amok while she worked. I mean, it could be possible I suppose, there was someone on here a few weeks back complaining that a cleaner had brought her small child or grandchild with her and the child had trashed stuff.

Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 13/10/2023 10:34

Gerrataere · 13/10/2023 09:06

It's not a show home. It's my home just as much as every one else's and the catas

But the main family room is yours, you have commandeered it as your ‘grown up’ room where the rest of the family are not allowed to relax. Your bedroom would be understandable as your ‘own space’ but the main family living room, then expecting others to follow strict rules and try and herd cats about to avoid any sort of mess or damage is unreasonable. Honestly if you’re so determined to have the room pristine, my only advice is to keep it locked and clean it yourself. Leave the rest of the house to the cleaner.

it's not the main family room at all? Thats the kitchen and den. which is also a bigger room as it was built for that purpose.

why do you keep making things up?

that my children are seeing me angry, that one reception room is a main room

at least deal in facts

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Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 13/10/2023 10:36

Gerrataere · 13/10/2023 09:06

That’s a straw man argument and you know it…

Show quote history

I think it's all ridiculous

they have never, NEVER had an issue closing the door

not when it was the main room before we extended the house

and not now when they mainly choose not to use it as there is NO TV and its not the family room

it really doesn't cause them stress

they are in bed when I use it

when guests are here they want to keep the door shut as they want the cats to be happy and the cats dont like strangers or our relatives dog

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Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 13/10/2023 10:36

Laiste · 13/10/2023 09:30

OP i'd leave this thread now if i were you. You'll be here the rest of your life repeating stuff otherwise.

For what it's worth - i have 2 cats which are only allowed out into the back garden (cat proof fencing) and not out the front door
a) in case they get run over and
b) because i believe in not inflicting my pet's shit on other people's property.

and, actually
c) because they cost me an awful lot of money and i don't want them nicked!

You've addressed every daft answer but posters here love to argue black is white, don't read the thread and in the end it's them that look the twats. That's why i love AIBU ! 😂

My advice - do the keeping in with you thing and when your on your holls just lock those 2 doors and don't have those rooms cleaned.

🥰

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Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 13/10/2023 10:37

Sausage1989 · 13/10/2023 09:34

HAHAHAHAHAHHA!!! YOU CAN'T BLAME THE CLEANER BECAUSE YOUR CAT SCRATCHED YOUR SOFA!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHHA!!! I CAN BLAME HER FOR NOT CLOSING A DOOR SHE SAID SHE WOULD CLOSE!!!

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Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 13/10/2023 10:40

RecklessBlackberries · 13/10/2023 09:43

How clear were you about the importance of shutting the door? Did you just casually mention it, or did you explicitly state "the cat is a destructive one and will ruin the furniture". One is a good habit but prone to occasional slips, the other is explicitly keeping it in mind every time you do it.

I have a cat myself, it doesn't claw the sofa the second it's allowed in a room. It wouldn't occur to me that yours would. So the cleaner might not have realised the potential consequences.

I also think it's horrible to ban your cats from the two rooms in the house that people spend most time in. Cats with the temperament to be house cats like company, even if it's just sitting in the same room.

Really clear because it is important to me and DH, it was discussed before she took us on it was also discussed again last week after the bedroom door was left open.

At that point I specifically referenced the two pieces of furniture and poked fun at myself for it, but she agreed and said she understood. And she knew the consequences I was trying to prevent.

What makes you think 'people' spend the most amount of time in these two rooms? We spend the most amount of (non-working) time in the kitchen and den.

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Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 13/10/2023 10:43

DRS1970 · 13/10/2023 09:45

You won't stand a chance claiming on her insurance. They are your cats, in your house, damaging your furniture, and you employ her to clean, not manage your cats!

I dont employ her
but part of the cleaning contract she agreed to when she took me on as a client was to follow certain house rules (which she asked about )

e.g. dont clean study - "ok"
dont use bleach "ok"
keep these two doors shut "ok"
clean hob "sorry no"

we went through the remit and agreed it together.

I think she should have told me at the time she could not keep door closed. same as if she wants to use bleach she needs to tell me.

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Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 13/10/2023 10:45

Gall10 · 13/10/2023 10:05

I agree.
I always assume people who have house cats have houses that smell of litter trays.
maybe I’m wrong but unless the litter tray is emptied & cleaned hourly then surely there must be a smell.
Or maybe the cats are trained like the one in film with Robert di Niro & Ben Stiller….but I never saw that one flush the loo!

Show quote history

This can happen yes

we have an attached garage which is where we keep their enclosed litter trays which has ventilation right next to then

scooped three times a day and changed every 3-4

I don't think it smells (as I can notice it on day 4) but I may well have got used to it, who knows.

it's something I'm conscious of so I check with my mum when she visits and I think she would tell me the truth

I wish my cats could use the loo!

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Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 13/10/2023 10:46

Cockmigrant · 13/10/2023 10:29

How on earth did you read that OP and jump to the conclusion that the cleaner brought her own cats to work?
I quite enjoyed reading your post though as I had images of the cleaner calmly packing her cats into the car and then unloading them along with her cleaning supplies, leaving them to run amok while she worked. I mean, it could be possible I suppose, there was someone on here a few weeks back complaining that a cleaner had brought her small child or grandchild with her and the child had trashed stuff.

Show quote history

She was taking the piss out of me

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Sophsky · 13/10/2023 10:50

You like your furniture more than your cats, and your cleaner made a tiny mistake due to an insane rule. That is all on you.

Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 13/10/2023 10:57

Sophsky · 13/10/2023 10:50

You like your furniture more than your cats, and your cleaner made a tiny mistake due to an insane rule. That is all on you.

Not wanting them to scratch 2 things isn't disliking them

Not letting them in 2 rooms isn't disliking them

The cleaner accepted the 'insane rule' (really, closing a door is INSANE? closing it while doing a handstand maybe, but just closing it?)

She didn't need to accept the insane rule, or any of my other insane rules

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