His Girlfriend Has Kept Their Adopted Cat In A Cone For Over A Year, So Now He’s Considering Breaking Up With Her And Taking The Cat Away
This 25-year-old guy has been dating his girlfriend, who is also 25, for over five years now. During the second half of 2021, they also moved in together and began discussing the idea of adopting a cat.
At the time, though, he was pursuing his engineering degree, and his girlfriend was attending nursing school– meaning that neither of them was able to adopt.
Still, his girlfriend apparently owned various cats before they started dating, and he was excited about the idea of caring for a new pet, too. So, following New Year’s in 2022, they thought they were finally in a good spot to adopt a feline friend.
By that point, they had enough savings to cover the whole endeavor: including veterinary bills, the adoption fee, and food. So, they began searching at multiple shelters before finally setting on an affectionate little kitten.
“I picked up a cat that was extremely friendly. It hugged me and began purring almost instantly, and that was history. We adopted that cat the next day,” he recalled.
During the first couple weeks of having their new pet, though, things were pretty stressful. Since his girlfriend was busy with nursing school, she did not get a lot of time to interact with the cat. So, he mostly learned about and took care of the cat by himself.
Then, not long afterward, he noticed that the cat started to excessively rub its left eye– rubbing the area completely raw by the time they saw the vet.
The cat was then put on some expensive anti-fungal medications and given oral and topical treatments after the vet concluded it must have contracted ringworm at the shelter.
And during the course of these meds, the cat was put in a cone to prevent any more damage from rubbing.
lalalululala – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual cat
Now, at that point, he claimed his girlfriend was seriously stressed out– claiming that they might have to just give up the cat because they just could not afford the veterinarian bills.
“Even though we absolutely could,” he noted.
Strangely, though, he revealed how he knew that his girlfriend was actually allergic to cats long before they adopted their new pet. Apparently, cat saliva aggravates her eczema and causes her to sneeze and have itchy eyes.
But his girlfriend said she never had a problem with her old cats as long as they were regularly bathed. So, that’s why he and his girlfriend were deemed safe adoptive parents.
However, the entire time the cat’s eye was healing– which took three months– the cat wore a cone. It was able to sleep, eat, and drink with the cone on, so they just never really took it off.
Due to this, his new pet became extremely depressed. It became so sad, in fact, that he actually took it back to the vet.
According to him, the feline would not play with toys or do really anything except try to groom itself and beg for attention. So, he obviously felt horrible for his pet– especially because it took months for the infection to go away.
Eventually, though, the cat’s eye got better, and he was allowed to take the cone off. But at that point, things backfired.
Since the cat had not been able to groom itself properly for months, it started grooming itself constantly for hours at a time.
This sudden behavioral change– which would happen every time the cone was taken off– also caused the cat to become extremely stressed out.
Plus, the cat’s constant anxiety and licking also caused his girlfriend’s allergies to act up. And once she started sneezing more, she just put the cone back on their pet and insisted that they keep it on because of her allergies and the cat’s anxious behavior.
He didn’t really agree with keeping the cone on, though, so he tried to talk to his girlfriend about taking it off eventually. After all, the cat’s behavior would go back to normal if they just stopped using the cone entirely.
But unfortunately, his girlfriend just would not budge.
“And I couldn’t keep advocating for the cat, as I had to focus on graduating. So the cone stayed on,” he revealed.
So, the cat has been wearing the cone for over an entire year now. He admitted to feeling like a monster whenever he looked at his pet because he knew that a cat should never have to wear a cone for so long.
However, he said that the cat has gotten used to wearing the cone. He also claimed to take the cone off whenever his girlfriend is not around– even though she always seems to realize it and sparks an argument.
This means that he and his girlfriend currently bathe the cat and clean the floors every week. Still, though, he just does not agree with how they are treating their pet.
He kept trying to tell his girlfriend that this just was not fair. However, his girlfriend accused him of being unfair by “telling her that she should just deal with her allergies against an animal.”
His girlfriend also told him that he was being more considerate of an animal instead of his own girlfriend– because apparently, she thinks the cat is just obsessed with grooming itself.
Then, during these arguments, he detailed how he was just forced to sit there and listen while his girlfriend played the blame game.
She apparently throws it in his face about how since he chose the cat, the cat is not actually hers– despite the fact they both agreed and wanted to adopt the pet.
Each time they argue about their pet, his girlfriend also claims to resent the cat more and more and blames the pet for getting in the way of their relationship.
So now, his concerns have grown significantly. He is not just worried about their pet anymore but is also seriously concerned about their future together.
His girlfriend’s treatment of the cat has pushed him to wonder how she would treat their future children and, moreover, what kind of example she would set for their kids.
Once he tried to express these concerns, though, his girlfriend said comparing her treatment of an animal to her treatment of their future kids was “the most offensive thing she ever heard.”
In fact, she almost broke up with him over the comment!
So, he actually wound up just lying with her and claiming to no longer feel that way just to keep his living arrangements and relationship stable.
Honestly, though, he obviously does still feel that way, and it has left him feeling seriously resentful toward his girlfriend.
And now, he has been left wondering how the heck to handle this situation.
He revealed how this is actually his first relationship– which is partly why he is having so much trouble putting his foot down. But, since reflecting on everything, he feels like he has three different options.
First, he could just leave the cone on the cat and not do anything about it. Second, he could give the cat away and stay in the relationship. Or, finally, he could just break up with his girlfriend and take the cat with him.
“I am feeling very partial to number three,” he vented.
Still, though, he has been left wondering whether he is being too extreme and if throwing away a five-year relationship over a cat is the right thing to do.
Can you believe his cat has been living in a cone for over a year? Do you think his girlfriend is fit to be a pet parent? Does he need to get the cat out of this situation? What about breaking up with his girlfriend? What would you do?
You can read the original post on Reddit here.
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