Cleaner let cats into living room

[slithytoveisascientist]

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?

Look, I was a cleaner for years if the owner said I don't allow dcat or ddog in xyz room they were kept out of said room I.closed.the.door. most animals were compliant I had one who growled at me because I scared her I called the owners over and cleaned the rest of the house while waiting to be introduced to the dog weren't within indoor cats outside only cats free flow cats "is this your cat?" Cats (he wasn't) they are easy creatures to deal with

No. It is not her responsibility to police your cats. It must be difficult for her to do her job and keep your cats under control YABU.

The cats aren't around when she is here?

I think it might also be difficult to retain a cleaner who is expected to lose income whenever the client isn't in the house and instructs them not to come.

@ilovesooty her terms are a weeks notice of session / no session.

I'd prefer she could come if I'm not here but I can't trust her can I?

I dont think you are being unreasonable.For peace of mind,settle them in a room with litter tray,beds and toys and food when she is due.Get a lock on it and keep the key so she cant forget and go in.

EscapeTheCastle

Herding cats is very difficult I hear.

Best. Response. Ever.

Possibly, but when our cleaner lost our housekeys we made the decision to not give her another set (having changed the locks), so she has to come when one of us is in. And if she then decides to not come when I've waited in half the day for her, she has to expect that the day she closes to come may not be convenient, and lose her week's money, no?

Unless you are paying her to cat sit and clean no you can not blame her . You can ask her to shut doors but ultimately your cats your responsibility.

YABU. Sorry.

Classic mumsnet;

OP: AIBU?
Mumsnet: YABU
OP: IANBU!!!

Don't ask then!

Quite a few people think she's not being totally unreasonable

Sure, if that had happened

Instead I've accepted that IWBU to try to claim on her insurance

Which was my question

I didn't ask if IWBU to be annoyed in the first place

I think your cats are your responsibility.

Either shut them in with you, or in their enclosed garden and let her work.

Be kind to your cleaner and tell them you're impossible to work for and you suggest they resign with one month's full redundancy pay and a glowing reference.

Fuck me! You have cats but they are not allowed into the lounge area! You shouldn't have cats, poor barstards. Scratched furniture etc goes with it. Where ARE they allowed?

Swear mumsnetters are cracked in the head. Yes she should pay for damages she got specific instructions and can’t do it does that mean she can leave the front door open and kids could run out if she smashed something expensive she shouldn’t pay of course not. If she can’t do a simple task then she shouldn’t be working. Also for those saying keeping cats out of rooms is cruel and they should be outdoors you’re bigger idiots than anyone else here

Idiot

I'm her client, not employer. She runs a company so I'm not sure your suggestion is valid.

Yeah I tried it once, keeping 5 cats out of a kitchen. They're fast.

fuck me read the thread

If you read up the thread you'll see I've answered this. Once or twice.

Obviously you are not a cat person. They are superior creatures and can behave however they choose, go wherever they wish. That's the beauty of the feline. You are there to serve. If you didn't know this you shouldn't have them in your house.

As the owner of two house cats that have restricted access to certain rooms (our bedroom and baby boy’s room) I understand your annoyance…however, when you don’t live your life in the habit of shutting doors religiously and making sure they don’t sneak past you when entering and exiting, I have had to learn to accept that any visitors to my house just simply can’t be relied on to be as fastidious and fast acting as myself and my husband when it comes to keeping cats in and/or out of rooms. I think it would be unreasonable to punish her for the actions of your cats. I think you have to chalk it up to part and parcel of your cat ownership and come up with a new plan of action for when the cleaner is in ie put the cats in a room that is not to be accessed by her at all & only let out when she has been and gone (this is what I have to do when I have any trades people in working after numerous mix ups and also the cats escaping out of the house too on numerous occasions). I don’t think looking for another cleaner would be worth the hassle unless you were lucky enough to find one who also has an asshole cat of their own that they deal with.

Cats tend to like to sit with their people

Yours can only do that while you're working?

Clean your own house ffs. Poor cleaner. Yes she made a mistake, but claiming on someone whos making min wage?! Appalling