Surviving “Hug A Cat Day” Without Losing Your Mind (Or Your Deposit)

Right, you lot. I’ve just been informed that today is “International Hug a Cat Day.”

Personally, as a hardworking, dam-building beaver, I think dedicating 24 hours to an arrogant furball that spends 90% of its time judging you from a windowsill is a bit rich. Where’s “Appreciate Your Local Beaver Day”? I’ll wait.

But I digress. Since the Renters’ Rights Act (RRA) dropped, pets in properties are the new normal. Landlords can’t just slap a blanket “No Pets” rule on a listing and ignore them anymore. The game has changed.

So, whether you’re a landlord trying to protect your property, or a tenant trying to prove your cat is a literal angel, here is how we keep everyone happy.

For the Landlords: Stop Panicking and Adapt

• The Law is the Law: Let’s get the elephant—or rather, the cat—out of the room. Under the new RRA rules, you cannot unreasonably refuse a pet. And before you start reaching for the calculator to add a cheeky “pet deposit” to the tenancy agreement—stop. Pet deposits are strictly illegal now. Keep your paws off their cash.

• The 28-Day Ticking Clock: Listen up. When a tenant asks to bring a furball into the property, you can’t just ignore the email and hope they forget. The RRA puts you on a 28-day timer. You have less than a month to respond in writing, so stop procrastinating. (By the way, Rentr tracks this for you, so you don’t end up on the wrong side of an Ombudsman).

• Know Your “Reasonable Refusals”: You can no longer refuse a cat just because you think they are arrogant, plotting little menaces (even though they are). BUT, you can say no if you have a rock-solid reason. If the flat’s headlease strictly bans animals, or the bloke in flat 2A has severe cat allergies, you’ve got a get-out-of-jail-free card. Use it wisely.

• Bulletproof Your Inventory: With pets now allowed, check-in inventories are more critical than ever. Take photos of every single skirting board, carpet corner, and door frame before they move in. When the cat inevitably uses the doorframe as a scratching post, you need the ‘before’ photos to prove it’s not “fair wear and tear.” No photos, no payout.

• Hard Floors > Soft Carpets: If you’re doing a refurb between tenancies, ditch the cheap carpets. Go for hard-wearing LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile). It doesn’t hold smells, it’s easy to mop, and it’s practically immune to hairballs and 3 AM zoomies.

For the Tenants: Don’t Let Sir Paws-a-Lot Ruin It

• Distraction is the Best Defense: If you don’t provide a designated scratching post, your cat will correctly assume the door frames and the landlord’s sofa were put there for their personal manicure. Get a heavy, tall scratching post. Not one of those flimsy £10 ones that falls over if a mouse sneezes on it.

• Double-Sided Tape is Your Best Mate: Cats despise sticky things on their paws. Put double-sided tape on the corners of the sofa or the skirting boards they keep eyeing up. They’ll touch it exactly once, look deeply offended, and never do it again.

• The Litter Box Code of Honour: Nobody wants their flat smelling like a giant litter tray. Keep it clean, use an enclosed box if possible, and put a mat down to stop them tracking clay all over the flat. Your landlord’s nose will thank you during inspections.

The Bottom Line

Renting with pets doesn’t have to be a nightmare, provided everyone plays by the new rules.

Whether you’re a landlord navigating the RRA without losing your mind, or a tenant managing an Assured Periodic Tenancy with a feline flatmate, Rentr keeps the paperwork sorted. No illegal fees, no outdated contracts, just smooth, compliant renting.

Now go hug a cat, if you must. I’ve got wood to chew.