Renting has robbed me of precious cat years. So I’ve turned to pet-sitting to fill the void

‘I am a cis white lesbian, here to say that some stereotypes are true … It is in my DNA to greet, love, pat and want to have any cat I meet in my home,’ writes Rebecca Shaw. Photograph: Gandee Vasan/Getty Images

We talk about housing a lot in Australia. Whether you are a homeowner, an aspiring homeowner, a lowly lifelong renter like me or a person who the government is happy to let fall through the cracks, you will hear about it.

There’s interest rates, negative gearing and the struggle between development and nimbys who not only want to buy the ladder and pull it up behind them, but also make sure no other ladders are made available in the surrounding areas.