Page 26 | 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?

LuckySantangelo35 · 17/10/2023 11:40

user123212 · 16/10/2023 11:34

A cleaner doesn't have much money. Why would you do that to her? You're threatening her livelihood over a sofa.

@user123212

how do you know?!

Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 19/10/2023 08:53

Well.

She was due to arrive at 9am today.

I received a cancellation at 8:46. She has a banging headache and is cancelling.

Guess that's that.

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verdantverdure · 19/10/2023 17:57

slithytoveisascientist · 19/10/2023 08:53

Well.

She was due to arrive at 9am today.

I received a cancellation at 8:46. She has a banging headache and is cancelling.

Guess that's that.

Maybe she's on Mumsnet?

Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 19/10/2023 18:12

@verdantverdure 😂 I don't think she is but you never know!

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Keeprunningg · 19/10/2023 22:16

I house sat for a lady once who didn’t let her two dogs and 3 cats anywhere other than the kitchen. It was a nightmare keeping them all downstairs and the cats were terrified of me so ran upstairs past me as soon as I came down and opened the door. The owner was fuming but I couldn’t do anything about it.
It’s not her fault they damaged your furniture, she’s there to clean not petsit. Maybe a word about keeping the door closed again but she’s not liable for any damage your pet has caused.

RoyalImpatience · 19/10/2023 22:44

I have a cat, over a year. She scratches the chairs and Sofia.. All ikea and look fine.. I couldn't get worked up and excited over the teeny tiny marks on the sofa.

No one would ever notice. Infact esp leather looks better when it's worn in.

Op I really think you need to challenge your own mindset set here

Anyotherdude · 19/10/2023 23:39

I mis-read the OP sorry! However, you take out home insurance for accidental damage, which this should be classed as. Why try to “punish” the cleaner by insisting they pay for damage by YOUR cats?
When you get pets, you should be responsible for them - end of. You are hiring a cleaner, not a zoo-keeper…

AliceOlive · 20/10/2023 05:52

RoyalImpatience · 19/10/2023 22:44

I have a cat, over a year. She scratches the chairs and Sofia.. All ikea and look fine.. I couldn't get worked up and excited over the teeny tiny marks on the sofa.

No one would ever notice. Infact esp leather looks better when it's worn in.

Op I really think you need to challenge your own mindset set here

Is Sofia the cleaner?

ThinWomansBrain · 20/10/2023 06:03

Poor cats - not allowed in any rooms where you spend time, the living room and bedroom. But they probably don't like you anyway.

Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 20/10/2023 09:19

RoyalImpatience · 19/10/2023 22:44

I have a cat, over a year. She scratches the chairs and Sofia.. All ikea and look fine.. I couldn't get worked up and excited over the teeny tiny marks on the sofa.

No one would ever notice. Infact esp leather looks better when it's worn in.

Op I really think you need to challenge your own mindset set here

I don't think I do

I think it's ok to want 1-2 things I've worked hard for and appreciate to stay nice

I don't think it's a negative mindset to take care of things and value them and not want to live in damage.

Ripped leather is not worn in leather.

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Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 20/10/2023 09:20

Keeprunningg · 19/10/2023 22:16

I house sat for a lady once who didn’t let her two dogs and 3 cats anywhere other than the kitchen. It was a nightmare keeping them all downstairs and the cats were terrified of me so ran upstairs past me as soon as I came down and opened the door. The owner was fuming but I couldn’t do anything about it.
It’s not her fault they damaged your furniture, she’s there to clean not petsit. Maybe a word about keeping the door closed again but she’s not liable for any damage your pet has caused.

She has said she can't keep the door closed. Wish she had said that when asked the first two times.

Anyway it's irrelevant as I doubt I'll have her back now.

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Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 20/10/2023 09:24

ThinWomansBrain · 20/10/2023 06:03

Poor cats - not allowed in any rooms where you spend time, the living room and bedroom. But they probably don't like you anyway.

I'm not sure how you've got that from reading my posts. As I'm sure after 600 posts you wouldn't have just assumed that there was no additional information from the OP.

But when I'm in the den (main family room) or study (where I spend 6 hours a day) they seem pretty happy to be with me. 🤷‍♀️ they also love being with both my children in their rooms at night. They also like curling up on the chairs in the kitchen with us when we eat. When they aren't venturing out into the garden.

But yes, poor them not allowed into one bedroom and a little used living room. Poor, poor cats. Lucky I don't have a three or god forbid 2 bed house, we'd never have been allowed to adopt them!

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CaroleSinger · 20/10/2023 09:57

Where I think you are being unreasonable is in expecting the cleaner to be running around after your cats in the first place to stop them getting in room a or room b or room c. It's just not her rsposibility. She is paid to clean. Not have eyes in the back of her head to make sure your cats aren't going in rooms they are not allowed in. If you're working from home surely it can't be that difficult to ask her when she's doing those rooms so that you can make sure the cats are with you. I probably wouldn't be coming back either if I was her. It's fine keeping that room arrangement yourself but a bit unrealistic expecting trades entering the house to faff around after your cats.

RoyalImpatience · 20/10/2023 10:30

Keeping a monet on the wall looking nice is one thing but keeping a sofa that's supposed to be used absolutely pristine even on the legs etc is :bonkers.

AliceOlive · 20/10/2023 10:52

ThinWomansBrain · 20/10/2023 06:03

Poor cats - not allowed in any rooms where you spend time, the living room and bedroom. But they probably don't like you anyway.

Cancel the cheque.

SoShallINever · 20/10/2023 10:56

TBH, I think you are setting her up to fail.

CandyLeBonBon · 20/10/2023 10:57

Cats should be allowed out to roam and do their normal catty thing.
Cats scratch.

If you don't want cats to scratch your furniture you either choose different furniture or don't have cats.

I honestly don't understand the point of having an animal with very specific traits I ate to the breed and then trying to control them like this.

It's like expecting a 2 year old to sit through a four hour maths exam!

YABVVVU

EverythingYouDoIsaBalloon · 20/10/2023 10:58

CandyLeBonBon · 20/10/2023 10:57

Cats should be allowed out to roam and do their normal catty thing.
Cats scratch.

If you don't want cats to scratch your furniture you either choose different furniture or don't have cats.

I honestly don't understand the point of having an animal with very specific traits I ate to the breed and then trying to control them like this.

It's like expecting a 2 year old to sit through a four hour maths exam!

YABVVVU

This.

Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 20/10/2023 13:46

CaroleSinger · 20/10/2023 09:57

Where I think you are being unreasonable is in expecting the cleaner to be running around after your cats in the first place to stop them getting in room a or room b or room c. It's just not her rsposibility. She is paid to clean. Not have eyes in the back of her head to make sure your cats aren't going in rooms they are not allowed in. If you're working from home surely it can't be that difficult to ask her when she's doing those rooms so that you can make sure the cats are with you. I probably wouldn't be coming back either if I was her. It's fine keeping that room arrangement yourself but a bit unrealistic expecting trades entering the house to faff around after your cats.

She agreed when she took us on to keep doors shut

Cat isn't there when she is

Cat went into room she left open after she left

She told me she doesn't see the cats

She isn't running anywhere

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Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 20/10/2023 13:46

RoyalImpatience · 20/10/2023 10:30

Keeping a monet on the wall looking nice is one thing but keeping a sofa that's supposed to be used absolutely pristine even on the legs etc is :bonkers.

Again there is a difference between pristine and has stuffing and threads hanging out

It's also not the legs is the sides

Legs (feet really) are wooden

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Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 20/10/2023 13:47

SoShallINever · 20/10/2023 10:56

TBH, I think you are setting her up to fail.

She could have told me on day one she can't close the door reliability

Or after she left it open instead of reassuring me it wouldn't happen again

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Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 20/10/2023 13:48

CandyLeBonBon · 20/10/2023 10:57

Cats should be allowed out to roam and do their normal catty thing.
Cats scratch.

If you don't want cats to scratch your furniture you either choose different furniture or don't have cats.

I honestly don't understand the point of having an animal with very specific traits I ate to the breed and then trying to control them like this.

It's like expecting a 2 year old to sit through a four hour maths exam!

YABVVVU

It's like expecting a 2 year old to not shit on a floor of a room they aren't allowed in

This is achieved by using a nappy or potty and not allowing them into the room in question

Your comparison is rather off

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Original poster

slithytoveisascientist · 20/10/2023 13:51

CandyLeBonBon · 20/10/2023 10:57

Cats should be allowed out to roam and do their normal catty thing.
Cats scratch.

If you don't want cats to scratch your furniture you either choose different furniture or don't have cats.

I honestly don't understand the point of having an animal with very specific traits I ate to the breed and then trying to control them like this.

It's like expecting a 2 year old to sit through a four hour maths exam!

YABVVVU

ALSO

Cats came before house kids and furniture

Things change over a 12-14 year period

it was a condition of adoption they aren't allowed out HOWEVER they can roam in our garden garage and six rooms in house

(Or is six rooms not big enough? Better tell all those 2-3 bed dwellers to get rid of their cats)

So yes, just like I can have plants I don't want them to eat, food I don't want them to eat, furniture I don't want them to scratch, etc, I can put things in place to achieve that.

That's what door closing is for.

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