When selling a home and doing repairs are your pets safe?

When selling a home and doing repairs, are your pets safe? I often tell people who want to leave their indoor cats loose in the house during inspections and repairs that it is not a good idea. Sellers often look at me like are you kidding? They say, well, put comments into MLS stating to not let cats out. I say I could tattoo it on their forehead and I still can not guarantee the safety of your pets. Not everyone is cat-savvy or dog-savvy. When Realtors or inspectors are in your house their mind is busy on several aspects of doing their job.  The safety of your animals may not be registering high on their priority list. Your cat radar is not ingrained always ingrained into other people’s heads.

One quick story will shatter your belief that your animals are safe in other people’s hands who are working on your house. A pet sitter friend was house-sitting for a couple and they were remodeling a bathroom so they could put the house on the market. The sheetrock worker was working on the bathroom. The pet sitter told the sheet rocker to watch out for the two cats as he was running to an appointment. When he returned he asked about the cats. The sheetrocker said the cat is fine and pointed to a cat curled up in a corner. The pet sitter said where is the other cat? The sheetrocker said, “What other cat! ”

The pet sitter put up posters everywhere and knocked on doors for days. The owners returned home obviously very upset about the missing cat. The bathroom was finished. Shortly after returning home they heard meow meow and guess what? The cat cries were coming from inside the bathroom walls! They tore open the sheetrock and, indeed the cat had been sheetrocked in the wall. So, when selling a home and doing repairs are your pets safe? You can decide for yourself, but, in my opinion, the answer is no. You can’t make this stuff up. Selling real estate for decades you see so many things out of the ordinary.

If you want to hire animal-savvy Realtors call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors. We have ideas and animal crates and cat condos that we will set up for you to help keep your animals safe. People get so upset about confining their animals. When you take your cat or dog to the vet and they have to stay there for treatment do you think they are running around loose? Nope, they are in crates. Why not teach your animals how to be confined and this could not only save their life, it can help them not to stress out during an overnight at the vet. Experienced animals who do not think confinement is horrible actually find it a nice place for naps. How do I know this? I have so many cats, yes I’m one of that crazy cat ladies. I also have a pack of several dogs some are rescues. I speak from a place of caring and safety for our four-legged friends.

If you want to sell or buy a home and have concerns about your pets call us. We have great resources and even cat condo enclosures we can loan you to help increase the safety of your animals. Full service means we are here to help you with so many things. We can be reached at 916-233-6759. Our RE/MAX Gold offices are in so many locations.

— JaCi Wallace