A woman and her husband are fighting like cats and dogs, and the Internet is so mad about it. Recently, a Reddit thread in which a woman made her husband get rid of his cat went viral for all the wrong reasons.
First of all, though cats and dogs are often considered one another’s polar opposites and nemesis, the truth is they can coexist. In fact, nearly half of all households contain a mix of pets, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. There may be scuffles along the way, of course (just like human siblings and friends fight), particularly as everyone gets to know one another. Unfortunately, the getting-to-know-you process went on too long for one Redditor—but not long enough for commenters.
If you missed the whole cat-related fight, allow us to recap it for you.
Woman makes husband get rid of his cat, looks for support on Reddit
The user, who posted under u/Both_Refridgerator, scratched the surface by telling people she and her husband moved in together about a year ago. The two each had a pet—for her, it was a 3-year-old American Bully. Her husband brought his 18-year-old cat.
“We tried to introduce them to one another by initially separating them, then by introducing them to each other’s smells, followed by letting them see each other whilst at a safe distance,” she wrote. “They appeared to get along, but after a day, the cat began making [its] dislike for the dog very clear.”
She couldn’t get into all of the details because of Reddit’s character limits, but basically, the two pets fought, and the humans tried to keep them separated using gates. The original poster would splash water on the kitty any time it tried to fight the dog. The couple also took the cat to the vet, who gave the animal a clean bill of health. The wife is also pregnant.
“While I’m not saying that the cat would definitely be nasty towards my baby, the way it has acted towards my dog has caused me to worry,” she continued.
Bottom line: She started hinting it was time to break up with the cat, but no family member wanted the kitty.
“I brought up the idea of taking the cat to a cat sanctuary, where it would hopefully be able to find a new home, in a relaxing environment and without fear of being euthanized,” she wrote. “We argued virtually nonstop about this for days until my husband finally agreed to take his cat to said cat sanctuary. However, he is still pretty upset with me.”
The original poster said she has some (former) cat stepmom guilt, but not really.
“I feel really bad for my husband; however, I do feel like it was the right decision, not only for the dog but our future baby,” she concluded.
Reddit scratches back
What happens when a thread makes international headlines that read something along the lines of, “Woman makes husband get rid of his cat?” Reddit hisses.
The top commenter, Barrel-Of-Tigers, implored her to change her tune, responding, “It’s an 18-year-old cat. Not only is it incredibly unlikely to find a new home, but think about how stressful that would be for the poor thing. Please go back and save his cat. I’d honestly never forgive you if I was in his shoes.”
Another poster, Radiantlockpick, worried about the kitty’s mental state, adding, “That poor cat is probably going to get so sick from the stress. I wish I could find him.”
OwenWilsonsWOW-Face felt like the couple could have handled the introduction better from the start, writing, “Am I the only one that had my [significant other] bring his dog over to my house to meet my cat before even considering moving in with him? I understand the ‘slow introduction,’ but I literally had him bring his dog to meet my cat on her turf when they first met.”
However, this commenter said it ultimately worked out (for the pets, at least), posting, “They…were BFFs when we moved in. My cat was devastated when we broke up.”
What would you do?
If you’re looking to add in your two cents, you’re out of luck. A moderator shut it down, saying, “There’s been way too many insults being thrown, and we can’t let it continue.” Though you can’t comment on the thread, it does make for an interesting conversation with friends or your partner: What would you do? Would you give up a beloved pet for your spouse, or would you tell them they no longer fit your definition of the “cat’s meow” and high-tail it out of there? There are often steps couples can take before making such a heartbreaking decision. Having a meet-and-greet before the move, as one poster suggested, can help, as can paying attention to body language and working with a trainer can help the two learn to coexist.
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