Woman's Solution for Landlords That Are Strict With Pets Applauded

A social media video that shares how tenants can squeeze their beloved pets past strict landlords has been applauded online.

The viral video, which has been viewed more than 650,000 times since it was first posted to TikTok on December 4, shared one pet owner's hack for other animal lovers living in rental housing. The woman, who goes by @FloridaDogM0m on TikTok, revealed in the lighthearted post that she's mom to two cats that look identical.

The strong resemblance between the feline siblings completely tricks the TikToker's landlord into believing that she only has one cat in the "one pet only" property.

Audiences were treated to a clip of the feline duo, who both have white fur and pointy ears. Their owner had shared in an earlier post to TikTok that can be seen here, that one of the cats is a male called Mr. Mayonnaise, while the other is a female aptly named Miss Mayonnaise.

The post had been captioned: "Renting hack: get two cats that look exactly alike. Landlords can only count money, not cats."

Many landlords in the U.S. prohibit renters from owning pets in the property. The Humane Society of the United States wrote online that this is one of the reasons why so many pets are given up to animal shelters.

However, there are pet-friendly rental properties available. The organization recommends hopeful renters to take their time to research for animal-friendly listings, or contact realtors for more information. Some pet-friendly properties charge a "pet rent" on each animal living at the home.

The organization has some advice for pet owners looking to rent with their companion animal.

"A lease that says 'no pets allowed' should never be signed, even if other pets are seen on the property, or if a realtor, manager or landlord says it's OK," The Humane Society of the United States wrote on its website.

"The only words that matter are the ones written in the lease. If the lease contains 'no pets' language, be sure that it is at least crossed out, if not replaced with language approving your pet(s), and both you and your landlord should initial the changes."

"Pet deposits or monthly fees (if any) should be specified in writing in the lease. Prior to signing, a pet deposit or monthly pet fee can be discussed with the landlord and negotiated," the animal welfare organization added.

What Do the Comments Say?

Since it was shared to the social media platform, the TikTok post has been liked by over 152,000 users. Plenty of TikTokers have shared their funny takes on the viral moment in the post's comments section.

One user wrote: "How do YOU tell them apart though?"

"Until they're both chilling in the same window," another user joked.

The TikTok post can be seen here.

Newsweek reached out to @FloridaDogM0m for comment via TikTok.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.