BenjiS's Profile

Well, I feel pretty lucky about the 1953 bungalow we're in right now, for just now three years. It has plenty of flaws (occasional foundation leaks into the basement, leaky roof until it was finally replaced last Fall, uninsulated brick and plaster, not enough modern electrical outlets, etc), but we get a cute Don Mills house, with a huge yard (bad), deck (good), oak floors, lots of great light, an okay landlord, and mostly quiet, tho our neighbours are mostly seniors. We pay just under $1600, and it could easily be rented for a few hundred more.
My last apartment in Vancouver was mostly awesome. I had 640 square feet of one bedroom, facing North to the mountains, 1955 three story walk up, top floor, wood floors (that I had to paint, they were in such rotten shape), a kitchen I loved, tons of space and light. My rent went from $500 in 2001, to $550 when I left in 2006.
And then there's the one that got away: Before we rented this house, we had applied for an amazing five bedroom heritage house out in Weston, ON. It's owned by the church next door, who wanted a quiet, childless couple. Man, this place was incredible. Huge separate foyer, cloakroom, formal dining, walk in pantry, wide back hall, gorgeous smallish yard and garden, two levels of bedrooms, oak floors, all the old trim and character. BUT. The day after we applied, a woman was shot in the head two blocks away in front of her three year old daughter. This made headlines, and had me researching our new neighbourhood a little more closely. It was a pocket of wonderful homes and neighbours surrounded by a troubled area, with quite high crime. I even went so far as to contact a guy who grew up there via his blog post about Weston, and he mentioned he was trying to get his parents to move out of the area, it was so bad. I still think about that house. Oh yeah: $1300 a month!!!!

nicely done.

thanks for the sensible response. so many of the responses seem to want to deal with increasingly unlikely scenarios, when the most likely cause are the cats.

It's not at all strange for someone to develop allergies at different points in their lives.
I had no luck with my allergy shots (and haven't found much scientific support for them since), allergy meds provide only temporary and partial relief, and eventually reduce in effectiveness for many when used for long periods. I use meds long term to control my pollen and animal dander allergies, which occur in Toronto almost year-round.
I love animals, but can't have any pets. I pet cats and dogs only when I can run to a sink to wash my hands :-), or get my better half to pet 'em for me.

A lot of people posting here seem to think allergies aren't real, or must be caused by something other than a beloved pet. Please let your sister know this is not her fault. It's not because of something she's eating, it's not from some nebulous and undefined 'toxin' (a favourite non-reason for many). I'm assuming that she's found a way to determine that it's the cats and not something in the house (mold is a big one, and really common), and is forced to get new homes for her sweet cats.
This situation stinks, but pretending she's not allergic to cats won't get her anywhere. All my best.