Woman Breaks Up With Her Boyfriend Because He Hurt Her Cat, But Her Friends Think She’s Overreacting
"He said that I shouldn't end my relationship over a cat."
evrymmnt / Shutterstock A woman questioned if she was being too dramatic after breaking up with her boyfriend because of the way he treated her beloved cat. Posting to Reddit, the 30-year-old woman revealed that her boyfriend had acted cruelly toward her cat, and because of that, she decided that she no longer wanted him to be a part of her life.
She broke up with her boyfriend because he was violent with her cat.
In her Reddit post, she explained that she has two cats, Coffee and Waffles. Since Coffee was adopted as a stray, he isn't fond of other people, while Waffles is the complete opposite and enjoys company and cuddles.
One day, her boyfriend was at her house cuddling with Waffles while Coffee hid in her bedroom. "He really wanted to pet Coffee because Coffee looked like his childhood cat," she explained. "I told him that it would take time for Coffee to warm up to him and to not rush it."
However, her warning didn't seem to matter to her boyfriend. She went to the bathroom and was scrolling on her phone when suddenly she heard Coffee "wailing in pain." She rushed out and found her boyfriend towering over the cat.
"I shoved my boyfriend out of the way to check on Coffee and he was holding his paw up like it hurt and was cowering in the corner of the room," she wrote. "I asked my boyfriend what happened, and he said, 'That stupid cat scratched me.' He then showed me some scratches on his arm."
She immediately took Coffee to the vet, and thankfully, nothing was seriously wrong. She was advised to let him get as much rest as possible, and he would be back to normal in no time. But the experience made her second-guess whether she really wanted to be with her boyfriend if this was how he treated her animals.
Her friend accused her of overreacting because she decided to end the relationship.
"By the time I got back to my apartment, my boyfriend was gone," she continued. "I texted him to explain to me how Coffee got hurt. He told me that he went in my room to pick up Coffee, Coffee got scared and scratched him, so he threw him against the wall."
Photo: olgaarmawir / Shutterstock
In response, she told him that his actions were unforgivable and that the relationship was over. He tried calling her, most likely to fight her decision, but she refused to pick up. However, when she eventually told her friend at work about the entire debacle, he wasn't exactly on her side.
Her friend claimed she was being "overdramatic" and "irresponsible" by ending her relationship over a cat, especially since Coffee "wasn't even hurt that bad." Now, she's feeling bad about the entire situation and wonders if her friend was right — did she overreact?
Her boyfriend's behavior was extremely concerning.
Not only did she explicitly warn her boyfriend about Coffee's demeanor and past as a stray, but she also provided context about what could happen if he tried to pet the cat without the animal warming up to him first. She cautioned that rushing the introduction could result in the cat feeling scared or defensive.
Despite her advice, he went ahead and disturbed the cat, which was his own fault. To top it all off, he never expressed remorse or apologized for violently throwing her cat against the wall. His behavior is not only concerning but indicative of his lack of empathy and anger issues.
As a pet owner, it's natural for her to want to protect her animals, and if she's with someone who doesn't respect that, then there's no reason why they should even be allowed around her cats. She was not overreacting in the slightest, and her feelings are incredibly valid. He violated her trust, attacked her cat, and tried to play it off as if the cat deserved it.
Photo: evrymmnt / Shutterstock
People in the comments agreed that she did the right thing by ending the relationship.
"I never would trust someone who does that," one commenter wrote. "For me, my animals are my kids, and I have a duty to protect them. I won't even let someone pet-sit if they aren't 100% trusted. Too much can happen. Please don't let this person in your home again."
"I would have done the same. No one touches my cats that way," another user commented. "That behavior was violent and unnecessary. He clearly doesn’t respect boundaries and I am sure it would escalate to you at some point."
"You did the absolute right thing, and everyone around you telling you that you’re being dramatic is lessening the life and well-being of a living creature in favor of maintaining a relationship," they continued.
That commenter isn't wrong — his mistreatment of her cat was a huge red flag. In fact, according to the FBI, "animal cruelty is a predictor of current and future violence, including crimes of assault, rape, murder, arson, domestic violence, and sexual abuse of children."
The woman did the right thing by removing herself from the relationship and not standing for his violent behavior. She's better off with someone who will love her Coffee and Waffles as much as she does.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.