Renting with a cat

From my experience dealing with landlords directly, the owner is concerned more about scratches on the hardwood floors that he just spent 800$ polishing and buffing. Either that, or the smell.

Cats can be difficult to detect. It's not like they require 3 walks a day..

Just sneak it in a suitcase, no one will know or care.

And hide the cat in the hamper whenever the super/building staff need to do something in your apt.

>>From the landlord's perspective, what damage could a 9 lb cat cause? Any advice on how to win them over? <<

Plenty. Have you ever seen (or smelled!) a wood floor that has been destroyed by cat pee? There's no way to repair the befouled areas--they need to be completely replaced.

We are going through that right now in the apartment we recently purchased--previous tenants kept the litter box in a closed-off area in a corner of the dining room and the cat clearly had an aim problem... Now that area of once-gorgeous marquetry-bordered floor is stained, cracked, stinks to high heaven of cat piss ammonia (this after the cat's been gone for a good five years) and has to be ripped out and painstakingly matched and replaced.

As a small-time LL myself I NEVER allow cats or dogs. I *might* make an exception for a well-behaved dog but never, ever for a cat.

no pets is no pets.
the hope for the best/suitcase broker is misleading you and should be disposed of immediatly. No one with that little integrity should be able to profit from your transaction.
some coops have pet allowences for grandfatherd situations which will not be you.
if you are not ready to relinquish tabby post purchase allow me to suggest that you find a pet friendly building. I know lot's of people that want to live in a building WITH NO ANIMALS. We have pets and that is just the reality of the situation.
You are focused in the wrong direction.
Best way to win them over is to give your cat away.

What happened to stevejhx?

some buildings don't allow pets, but still have plenty of "animals'. I

I would focus on pet friendly buildings. They have to be out there. However isn't there a law that says if you live with an animal "openly and notoriously" for three months, even in a no pets building, the landlord can't force you to move or get rid of your pet? I would check with the city on that. Do not think about getting rid of your cat, there are ways to solve this without resorting to drastic and heartbreaking measures.

maybe if you put the cat on the lease