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Is it appropriate to defer a PhD because of no housing available?

Edit: got some ideas on how valid this is and how to seek help from the department. Would like some more examples on deferring a PhD. Thanks!

Original post:

Hi there. 

Background: I am an incoming PhD student in STEM of a public university in US. The program has a very small cohort size (<5 ppl every yr) and the first year of the program is mainly coursework. 

My situation: I am applying for F-1 visa in Canada, and there's no regular appointment available until school starts. I will apply for an expedited appointment but I still don't know whether I can get the visa in time. I have a cat with me, and I don't drive.

Housing issue: the school is in a small town and there are not many pet-friendly apartments. I have called a bunch and most of them are already full until mid September. The left are very expensive ( ~$1500 for 1b1b) and my scholarship may not be enough for daily life if I rent there. I don't have an SSN or valid credit record yet so I can hardly negotiate with the apartment management or other landlords. I haven't seen any post of roommate recruiting in school FB groups or other social media for ~1 month straight.

My questions: 
1. Should I wait until the visa decision is available and then tell the department about the housing issue?
2. Is "I have nowhere to live with my cat" a proper reason for deferring PhD? 
3. If this is a valid reason, how should I communicate with the department so they won't think that I am very irresponsible?

Thanks in advance!
gpt
Generally, being unable to relocate human dependents on time is not considered a valid excuse to defer admission, and furry dependents are pretty much never given special consideration beyond what is granted to human dependents. So, the chances seem slim that your inability to find affordable pet-friendly housing will be sufficient grounds for deferral.

I think it would be best to let the department know now that you are trying to move with a pet and are having difficulty finding affordable housing within that constraint. They may be able to assist you while you wait on your visa appointment, such as by advertising your housing request more broadly or connecting you with other pet owners in the department to discuss options you may not be aware of. This will also avoid blindsiding them if your visa is granted on time but you still struggle with moving.