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I have a room in my home and am an in-home host; said room has a private bath and is separated from the rest of the house by a pocket door, common living areas. The home is a split 3/2 design and my office is the 3rd bedroom on the guest wing side of the house. I work from home.
I have a cat. Her pic is 4/25 and again 14/25. I do state rightupfront that there is a cat, she’s not allowed in the guest room, but she’s also social (Bengal… no cuddles, lots of talk).
Over the past week, I have had:
IB who stated after 6 messages back and forth that he has “an allergic reaction” to cats. I said he has to cancel; he said nope; long story short… he had a cat for 8 years. I called Air and cancelled his butt.
IB who stated they had allergies and since I said cat doesn’t go in the room, can I guarantee no cat hair? Ah, nope. Cancelled.
I’m on my third “I dislike cat hair in the bedroom…” post booking messages, including this doozy: "However let me be clear that I am not one of those hard to please people and if I was worried about a stray cat hair, I would have chosen somewhere else. " Lady, you booked a house with a pet and then said “Also I don’t mind cats but I really do dislike cat hair in my bedroom. But I think you said the cat does not go into the guestroom?” and your second message.
Of course she’s hard to please. And of course I’m the only shared room at my price point that’s not booked so I’m getting the loonies who want sterile non-pet environments in a cat-owned home…
I’m heading for the gin bottle now, @jaquo and @KKC. @RiverRock, don’t give me “heads in beds.” There’s a stray cat hair on the 8th of 10 decorative pillow shams that I missed during the 5th go-round with the lint roller and black light.
I’m going to raise my rates and see what happens. February is in retrograde. #FML
BENGAL CAT!! She’s amazing and her pelt is soooo soft! But she poofs out hair every time we get a temperature change. Puffy with the recent cold snap and POOF now that it’s 30 degrees warmer…
Perhaps the cat needs to be picture one and just say “the cat goes in the guest room.” That might work. Sadly I had to book an airbnb with NO PETS present. Literally the only acceptable one left in the town for my date. So sad.
Most people start their messages with “We’re looking forward to meeting your cat…” Maybe picture 2 because the one of the pool with the flamingo float is my brand now Little Pink Beach House with a Flamingo problem…
Come see me. Bella would love to roll all over your doggy day care smelling shoes and get tummy rubs.
Well, I don’t like cat hairs in my bedroom either like your #3 example but as our lovely boy likes to sleep on the bed right on top of me (especially on my bladder, the little bugger) or on top of 'imself then I haven’t got a hope of having a hair-free bedroom. But I’d rather have a cat on the bed anyway.
This is just more proof for me that I’m doing the right thing by not using IB. It would drive me crazy to have to be contacting Airbnb all the time to cancel inappropriate bookings.
And though my constant-shedder dog doesn’t go in the guest room, which is accessed not through the rest of the house, but off a balcony, her hair simply flies around everywhere. I’ve never gone around with a black light and a lint roller, and never will, but I do clean very thoroughly and there will always be a stray dog hair somewhere. Luckily, my Request to Book guests really aren’t that fussy about such things.
What a beautiful kitty! I can’t believe the number of requests I get from people who are allergic to cats or think there won’t be any cat hair/dander just because the cat doesn’t go in the bedroom. Maybe do what @KKC says and say that the cat may go in the guest room, or state that there’s no guarantee that there won’t be cat hair that floats in the bedroom. I am leary about accepting guests who have cat allergies, because I don’t know how severe their allergies are and don’t want someone having an anaphylactic reaction in my home. Has Airbnb given you any pushback about cancelling due to allergies? I know the nondiscrimination policy says a host can’t “Substitute their own judgment about whether a unit meets the needs of a guest with a disability for that of the prospective guest” but I don’t know if they’d count allergies as a disability.
The IB cancellation policy allows hosts to cancel if they are uncomfortable. So if a host says “I’m uncomfortable because they have a problem with cats and I have a cat,” and the cat is clearly disclosed, it’s not a judgment on guest disability.
Lovely Bengal. I have been owned by two Ocicats – same talkative personality. At present we have a tuxedo and a tabby that were rescues almost 20 years ago.
Interesting that you ask that - I actually posted about that exact reason. Man states after 6th message (wasn’t reading, not answering booking questions) “I didn’t see the cat. I have an allergic reaction.” I said he needed to cancel. He then got all LOL on me and said “we won’t cancel.” I wrote anaphylactic shock in my message. He pushed back and then stated that they used to have a cat!!
At this point, I’m thinking he’s insane and only wants to stay because I’m close to the Sailing Squadron where he’s buying a boat (and where I sail!!! Ruin my day, why don’t you and put me in an ugly position).
So I call Air. 2 CS people later and both said “Oh hell to the no you don’t need this guy.”
I have 5 house cats though guests usually only manage to see one of them as the others are all scaredy of new people - except for my 3 legged one who sometimes can’t scarper fast enough.
I also have a kitten rescue which is at times popular when guests ask to see any kittens I have in being raised.
The only downside is every now and again I get a whinge from someone who has an ultra sensitive sense of smell but they’re few and far between thankfully.
