If you’re a cat or dog lover and you’re searching for a place to live in a typical downtown core, you may be depressed to find that most places won’t take pets. Often times, apartment ads online and in the newspaper make it very clear that they don’t accept our furry friends right in the beginning of the ads, but often times, these ads aren’t completely honest. Some buildings accept cats, but not dogs, so to avoid explaining this double standard to those seeking to live there, they simply say that they don’t accept pets at all. My building, for instance, has “No Pets” printed right on the front door, but once you ask, you realize that they happily accept cats, but not dogs. This is an advantage you get from seeking out a place to live in person because you can ask these questions face to face. Other buildings may work the other way around. The building managers and owners may have had problems with cats shredding furniture (in a furnished apartment) but they haven’t had problems with dogs, so they may accept one but not the other. The key here is to always ask, and ask specifically about your pet. They may allow fish or birds, but not cats or dogs.