Telha
Falling deeply in love often inspires people to make significant changes, like quitting smoking, changing their diet, or updating their wardrobe. However, things can get complicated when it comes to pets.
His girlfriend, a strict vegan, believed that having a cat conflicted with her principles.
In his Reddit post, the man wrote, “I’ve been with my GF for 7 months. She’s great and we match well in many areas. She’s a vocal vegan and made it clear from the start that it was crucial for her that her partner shares her cruelty-free values. Since I was a pescatarian, switching to a fully vegan diet was easy. My GF was happy I embraced cruelty-free living. We even became known as ‘the vegan couple’ at college.”
But the dilemma about his cat Mittens lingered. “I’ve had her for three years and love her dearly. She’s a loving cat. My GF never felt comfortable around her, claiming it was because she wasn’t used to cats. Eventually, we agreed to mostly spend time at her place, and we stopped talking about Mittens.”
Their relationship grew stronger during the pandemic, and they began thinking about moving in together. That’s when his girlfriend insisted he get rid of Mittens, arguing that having a cat was incompatible with vegan values because cats eat meat.
“I was shocked,” he wrote. “I told her I could not give up Mittens. I argued that I minimized harm by choosing trustworthy cat food brands. Many vegans have cats and think similarly. My GF became upset and questioned, ‘How much meat does your cat eat? How many animals had to die for that food? Would you be okay if it were human meat?’”
Distressed, he left her apartment. He went home and cuddled Mittens, but his mood darkened when his girlfriend sent him a link to a Reddit thread suggesting that domestic cats should be extinct.
He concluded his post, saying, “It’s clear I’m not giving up my cat. It’s hard to think that a great relationship might end over different beliefs. I don’t fully grasp my GF’s stance since many vegans own cats.”
Later, he updated his post on r/relationship_advice, clarifying that his girlfriend’s extreme views on cats were not typical among vegans or vegetarians. “New vegans can sometimes be overly passionate. Most of us just try our best not to harm animals,” he noted.
He also shared that they had broken up. “I would never give up Mittens,” he declared. Reflecting on the relationship, he realized that it was more about control than veganism. He acknowledged a pattern of controlling behavior from his girlfriend.
In the end, he felt breaking up was the right decision due to their relationship issues. Would you have made the same choice?
