More on the house hunting.

Found a huge place, three bedrooms, pool, fireplace, garage, pool. POOL. In our price range.

Picked up the phone to call:

Potential Future Landlord: Hello?
Me: Hi, this is (me) calling about your rental ad in the Ventura County Star?
PFL: Yeah?
Me: Um, who am I speaking with?
PFL: Oh, I'm Dan.
Me: Hi Dan. First off, is the property still available?
PFL: Yeah.
Me. Good. Secondly, it didn't say in the ad -- would you accept pets?
PFL: Uh, well, (hem haw hem haw) maybe a small (hem haw) outdoor dog? (Are you asking me or telling me, Mr. PFL?)
Me: I have two indoor cats.
PFL: Uh, well see, the problem is (hem haw hem haw) y'know, the Hair? (I swear, I could hear the capital.)
Me: Bzuh?!
PFL: Yeah, the hair is a problem, but....
Me: So the answer is no?
PFL: Yeah, but...
Me: Okay, thanks! Bye! ::CLICK::

WTF, the hair?! Of all the things cats can do to destroy a place, like not using the litterbox (mine don't have that problem) or clawing up the carpets (mine have scratching posts, but they do have their claws), he's worried about the HAIR!? Yeah, thanks no, Mister I Can't Even Be Bothered To Introduce Myself Over The Phone.

And before someone even asks if there could have been a negotiation on that point, do you really want to have a landlord that worries about whether you vacuum enough or not? Seriously. Our lifestyle, what with the leather scraps and the metal shavings and the wood shavings and the molten lead would cause him to have a perpetual facial tic. No thank you.

ETA: Allergies may have been a consideration, but still, just answer the question. It's a simple yes or no thing. Add to list of requirements: Professional Landlord (hopefully cool).