Roommate Issues

**alicelovesrain** · 07-12-2009 01:51 PM

Hi! I'm a 22 year old female living with another 22 year old female.

I just need advice with how to talk with her.. Or just how to go about solving our problem. My roommate has too much pride. She gets angry every time she is wrong about something.

This is her first apartment, while this is my fourth.

Okay so our big issue is about... Cat litter. Ridiculous, right?

So... The cat litter says it's flushable.. I keep telling her that our plumbing is too old and for us, it just isn't flushable. The management even wrote a letter out to everyone (because our plumbing was being a little finicky) that flushable cat litter IS NOT flushable. She even washes the litter boxes in the bathtub... Which has gotten TONS of cat litter down our drain.. and now it doesn't drain properly at all. And it is continually getting worse. Despite the fact that I keep buying things like draino (which is expensive >.< ) which doesn't even help anymore.

My biggest concern.. is that we are going to have a serious plumbing issue on our hands that WE are going to have to pay for.

I have talked to my roommate a couple times. Explaining that our plumbing isn't like what she grew up with at her parents' house. We live in an old building meaning it can't handle cat litter going down the drain.

Each time I bring it up, she immediately gets angry. She says things like, "No, that isn't right." And completely disregards me. When I try to think of other solutions... like using air-tight buckets to scoop into.. rather than flushing.. She gets really angry at me. She'll pick apart every idea I have and continue to explain to me why it is such a bad idea.

How do I get through to her and still keep a little peace at home?

**CHANDLERS WISH** · 07-12-2009 03:42 PM

Who's cat is it?

If it's yours, then do as you wish..

If it's hers, then say, well I have to let you know, I don't agree, but that's okay, if you are wrong then the plumbing will block up, as per the Managements note and if that happens, I can't afford to help you pay for the plumbing.

I just need you to understand that because you could be right, but I am avoiding any possibilities, due to finances.

CW

**Tina Lee** · 07-12-2009 05:07 PM

I agree with Chandlers Wish..

**yellowpiXi3** · 07-13-2009 04:34 PM

We should be roommates.

LOL jk

It seems to me that she's a spoiled brat. Let her make the mistake. Don't waste your energy trying to talk to a brick wall. I have TWO roommates that are not the brightest crayons in the box. I have tried talking to them multiple times. And as a consequence my bike got stolen out of our garage because they refuse to take responsibility and close the door. (really, how hard is it?)

You will hate yourself later on for spending another thought on this. Trust me you will. Calmly tell her that this is the last time you'll talk to her about this stuff and the next time the drain gets clogged you will have to report to the management and that you will tell them why.... (not really but you can bluff) And tell her that although she can probably afford to fix the plumbing if something drastic does happen you can't. And don't say anything else about it. You need to be stern and treat people like that as if they were kids. If she was some what responsible and has a bit of common sense... she would have read the manager's note and stopped what she's doing right then and there.

I am assuming you share a bathroom?

**yellowpiXi3** · 07-13-2009 04:37 PM

I mean treat HER as if she was a kid. not all people of course.

bc people like your roommate and sadly mine... they aren't going to learn. All they care about is themselves and have no disregard for other people. As long as THEY are doing fine and dandy they could hardly careless about the person in the same house. 5 bucks says she probably thinks you guys pay rent per room... not per apt.

**alicelovesrain** · 07-14-2009 04:04 PM

Thank you for all the replies

In answer to Chandlers Wish: 2 cats are mine and 1 is hers. So one litter box belongs to me and one belongs to her.

I will follow your advice and sit her down just one more time and explain that I will not pay for any plumbing damages if such were to occur. LoL, I hate confrontation with people you have to see everyday.. Alas, it is something I have to do.

Thanks again!