Can we live in New York City with our menagerie of animals?

May 3, 2008 1:22 PM

Can we live in New York City with our menagerie of animals?

My partner and I both accepted great jobs in NYC and are moving there in about four months. The only problem? He has a dog and a cat and I have two cats. We've been living together about a year and the animals get along great. The only problem is that I don't even know if it's possible for two people and four animals to live together in Manhattan. Our combined income will be about 110k, a fortune just about any place else, but only enough for about 700 square feet there.

So my question is: have any of you done this? Is it impossible? These are huge promotions for both of us and I'd hate to give up that opportunity. But we're also not going to give up our pets to a shelter or a stranger because that's really unethical. We're just looking for opinions and ideas on making this happen. Even if you tell us it's totally impossible, that's okay. I don't want to be naive about it.

posted by anonymous to pets & animals (10 comments total)

My husband and I lived in a very small one bedroom with two cats, a bird and a border collie.

It can be done if all animals are given enough exercise and play and individual attention. We lived across the street from the park, and that was key for the dog to get plenty of morning and evening runs in.
posted by wayward vagabond at 1:45 PM on May 3, 2008

My boyfriend and I have lived in a very small apartment (not in NYC but in Houston) with 2 cats, a large dog and a large macaw. And I think it is doable though it does get cramped. The cats were easy they just kept to themselves and we stuck the litter box in an obscure area. It might help if you get a screen for the litter box area since some cats get picky if there is too much traffic around their box. They sell attractive solutions for this in many online pet supply catalogs - Fosters and Smith comes to mind.

Is the dog a big or a little dog or in between dog? I had a Golden Retriever Mix and he seemed perfectly fine with walks as his daily excersize. I must mention that he was about 7 years old and very well house trained when we moved in to the small apartment and a pretty mellow fellow. We did take him with us to dog parks( I am sure New York City has many of these), the beach and to petsmart as often as possible. He did get underfoot a bit and that was frustrating.

The hardest was the macaw and finding a good spot for her quite enormous cage but you don't have to worry about that :)

I would be ready to pay some hefty pet deposits and/or pet rent in that area and finding a pet friendly place can take a little more effort.
But all in all I think you could manage since everyone seems to get along now.
posted by fogonlittlecatfeet at 1:48 PM on May 3, 2008

I can't speak with firsthand knowledge to the NYC aspect, since I live in a beach town in Florida, but I have two cats and a not-small dog in my 500 square foot cottage, and it's absolutely not a problem for us. I don't have a fenced in yard, so I walk my dog several times a day, and I take her to a big dog park 3-4 times a week for a couple of hours each time so that she can hang with other pups in a space with plenty of room to run and tire herself out.

I know a few people who live in Brooklyn who own dogs and cats together in smallish apartments, and everyone coexists peacefully. I think you'll be just fine as long as you keep the litter box/boxes scooped and make sure you take the dog on lots of walks and to a dog park if you can (a tired dog is a happy dog).

Kudos for your attitude about your pets, and congrats on the jobs!
posted by mewithoutyou at 1:53 PM on May 3, 2008

Your cats should be fine. I've got two in 380 sq ft (recently downsized from about 500 sqft) and they don't seem bothered. Depending on your schedules, you'll just need to make sure your dog gets lots of exercise, so just be sure to factor in the cost of walkers or even doggie day care. I know it seems tiny to you now... but 700 sq ft is quite respectable in NYC. I'm not sure where you are looking but you can get more space for your money in upper Manhattan- Inwood and Washington Heights or in Jersey City without impacting your commute too much (depending on where you work).

You might have difficulties with some landlords though... some have weight restrictions on dogs and/or limits on the number or animals. But there are still plenty of pet friendly buildings. You may not want to specify the exact number of cats you have if you can get around it.

But really, this shouldn't be a deal breaker for moving to NYC.
posted by kimdog at 1:58 PM on May 3, 2008

Don't feel like you have to live in Manhattan just because you work in Manhattan. You can get more room (and more flexible landlords) if you look in the outer boroughs as well as Manhattan. If you weren't anonymous, I would give you more advice on neighborhoods that would be close to your work, commute-wise.

I have a good friend with 3 cats who does just fine--of course, he owns his place, which might be an option for you.

You should also budget for a broker (anywhere from 1 month's rent to 10% of the first year's rent) if you're worried about finding a place. Get the landlord's OK in writing.

Good luck and welcome to beautiful New York!
posted by sondrialiac at 2:00 PM on May 3, 2008

Kimdog is right about Inwood and Washington Heights. I can't help myself from talking up some outer borough nabes.

If you're going to work in midtown or on the Upper East Side, Queens has some great neighborhoods with good commutes. I've lived in Astoria for a while and I actually prefer it to Manhattan. It takes me 25 minutes door to door to get to work on 57th and 7th. Not much park space, though. If you're working downtown, Brooklyn Heights is great. Park Slope is a little further, but it's very happening and close to the park (yay, your dog will get to run around!)
posted by sondrialiac at 2:09 PM on May 3, 2008

with your salaries, you will be able to afford an apartment with a yard in brooklyn. many neighborhoods in brooklyn are equidistant from downtown/midtown manhattan as many neighborhoods uptown. i lived in both for three years each and hands down loved brooklyn way more.
posted by thinkingwoman at 2:09 PM on May 3, 2008

There is no reason you should have to give up your animals. New York and pets, well, they go together like lox and bagels! New York does have dozens of dog runs, and walking your dog will give you an immediate social outlet for both you and the dog. Cats (particularly if they are indoor) are perfect for apartment living, so they should make the move fine.

In my 15 years in NYC, I've lived in a small apartment with as many as three cats, and never had a problem with the landlord or coop board. Some rental (and maybe some coop or condo) buildings have restrictions on the size of the dog. Cats are usually not an issue. In my last rental apartment, the lease actually said "no pets," but when I asked about it, they said cats were fine. It wouldn't hurt to line up references that say that you are an immaculate and/or responsible pet owner.

And if you are worried about the size of your living quarters, you don't have to live in Manhattan. Depending on where your jobs are, and your tolerance for subway commutes, you could choose to live in Queens or Brooklyn (or even New Jersey, egad!) and get more for your money.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 2:16 PM on May 3, 2008

When I worked in NYC I lived in Jersey city. I had a 3 bedroom 1300 sq ft w/ parking for 1200 a month. I have 3 cats and a dog and recently moved and down graded to a 500 sq ft apt with all the pets- they couldn't care less.
posted by MayNicholas at 5:29 PM on May 3, 2008

My husband and I lived in a 400 sq. ft. apartment in Manhattan with a cat and three pet rats. It was fine, until the cat started to get stir crazy and run laps. Then we moved to bigger apartment in Queens. It all was fine, because our super (in Manhattan) and landlady (in Queens) knew we had the pets, and the super even liked to play with our rats. I wouldn't do it if I had to lie about it -- too stressful.

Make sure you have space for the litter box and that you're near one of the many, many dog runs, and you'll all be okay.
posted by The corpse in the library at 6:46 PM on May 3, 2008