'Being a "good businessman" doesn't mean you have to stop being a human': Landlord who allows "no pets" turns a blind eye to the kitten that his tenant rescued from the rain, showing her kindness when she needed it most

Author image for Mariel Ruvinsky
Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor
Feb 19, 2026 9:00 AM EST

In a world full of terrible landlord stories, it is really wholesome to come across the opposite. 

We think that everyone is pretty used to landlords being universally hated. It's a thing. Same for bosses. It's just the thing that people expect. It's almost jarring to hear about the opposite. Suspicious. And for good reason. Most of the stories that you hear about landlords, especially in the context of pets, are not good ones. Stories about landlords demanding pet rent at ridiculous rates, as if pet rent is not ridiculous enough as it is. Landlords demanding you declaw your cat, either not understanding the consequences or not caring about them. Landlords being superstitious about black cats and kicking their tenants out because of said cats. 

Whenever you hear a story about a kind landlord, you pretty much find yourself surprised. But we don't think it's as rare as it seems. We think that the other stories are just louder. Or at least we hope so. We hope that stories about kind landlords, who act like people and treat their tenants like people, stories like the one that we have for all of you today, are far more common and simply go unnoticed among all the drama. 

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  • 01
    Picture of a cute orange kitten.
    via Unsplash / Lala Azizli

    Picture of a cute orange kitten. 

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    BRINGER Bringer of Rain OF RAIN I'm a landlord. I know, everyone hates landlords. But I have a tenant, Sarah, who has been with me for five years. She's never late. Last month, she called me sobbing because she found a stray kitten in the rain, but my lease says "No Pets."
    via Bringer of Rain
  • 03
    I went over there, intending to be firm. I saw her a lonely woman working two jobs-holding that tiny ball of fur, and I saw her eyes. She wasn't just asking for a cat; she was asking for a reason to come home.
    via Bringer of Rain
  • 04
    "I don't see a cat," I told her, looking straight at the kitten on the sofa. "I see a very small, very quiet... decorative pillow.
    via Bringer of Rain
  • 05
    And my lease says nothing against pillows." I lowered her rent by $50 "for maintenance" so she could afford the vet. Being a "good businessman" doesn't mean you have to stop being a human.
    via Bringer of Rain

  • "Being a ‘good businessman’ doesn't mean you have to stop being a human," that is something that we so desperately wish more people would live by. Being in a position of power over someone else doesn't always mean that you have to use it to do them harm. And yet, so often, that is exactly what happens. You can use that same position for good, and this story is simply something that proves it. It proves that it is possible to be a kind and considerate landlord, that the instant association with that title should not have to be bad. 

  • 06
    Picture of an orange cat on a yellow couch.
    via Unsplash / Ajeet Panesar

    Picture of an orange cat on a yellow couch.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 07
    Carol Bowles-Falkosky My mom had to down size as she got older and she had a cat and the place she wanted didn't allow pets but mom offered to put a deposit down so she could keep her cat and they agreed. Years later when Mom passed away the landlord actually sent me the deposit back. So yes, there are good landlords out there.
    via Carol Bowles-Falkosky
  • 08
    Barb Mack I always let tenets have pets. They always paid on time. I would see them playing with the dogs outside. Was fun to watch. They were grounded people. So glad you like pillows.
    via Barb Mack
  • 09
    Elizabeth Hoang Landlord here, if I had a good tenant, I would/have accommodate. Especially if it's a pet (small only - not a huge pit or a massef) as I know pets have healing powers. But ya gotta admit, there are some BAD tenants out there that make us landlords defensive. So case by case basis is the way to go.
    via Elizabeth Hoang
  • 10
    Picture of a cute kitten on a bedspread.
    via Unsplash / Amanda Kevin - catch_a_vibe_photo

    Picture of a cute kitten on a bedspread. 

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 11
    Trisha OMG! I love this! My landlord and landlady love pets. They love when my dogs play with their dogs. We even exchange dog reels sometimes. When my cat ran away, they were so concerned and followed up regularly on whether we had found him.
    via Trisha
  • 12
    Sophia Platt I did the same thing when I was a landlord. I knew my tenant was a responsible pet parent
    via Sophia Platt
  • 13
    Debbie Feinstein When I had an apartment I asked the super if I could get a pet, the lease I signed said no pets. I said I was thinking of a hamster. He laughed and said get a cat and keep it inside. Gave me a reason to not give up on life.
    via Debbie Feinstein
  • 14
    Picture of a gray kitten on a bed.
    via Unsplash / Clayton Malquist - cmalquist

    Picture of a gray kitten on a bed. 

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 15
    Pamela Todd I literally paid for the adoption and vet bill for my tenant's kitten.
    via Pamela Todd
  • 16
    Jennifer Griggs I had an apt manager that knew I had lost my job but had just adopted a cat. I showed her my new cat since she had recommended the rescue organization from whom I adopted him. I later went to talk to her about the pet lease and pet rent and she said "what cat?".
    via Jennifer Griggs
  • 17
    Gail Just-cornelius I know someone who reduced December rent so tenants could buy Christmas presents.
    via Gail Just-cornelius
  • 18
    Picture of a cat on a sofa.
    via Unsplash / Lea Ren - lea_ren

    Picture of a cat on a sofa. 

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Honestly, we love these comments so, so much. Like we said, it is rare to come across a story that represents landlords in a good light, because the other ones are just so, so much louder. But seeing them here - all these stories that people have to tell - gives us hope. Not only for landlords that we have and will have in the future. But also for the landlords that we hope maybe to be one day. We will break the stigma. We will be one of the good ones. It's possible. Right here is all the proof you will ever need. 

  • 19
    Eleanor Batley I've been a tenant in same cottage for 11 yrs,we have geese chickens cats and dogs, we keep our house clean and animals are well looked after , landlord is so easy going and calls in for a coffee whenever he's here which has been twice in 11 years, fantastic landlord.
    via Eleanor Batley
  • 20
    April Puntastic Sounds like you realized she needed that pillow for emotional purposes.
    via April Puntastic
  • 21
    April McGowan My doctor wrote me a prescription for my cat and the apartment complex had to honor it. There's ways around it
    via April McGowan
  • 22
    Lisa Stewart If only all landlords were more understanding when it came to pets. There are so many cats & dogs needing good homes that could benefit by understanding landlords.
    via Lisa Stewart

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