Internet commentators have been outraged after a cat owner revealed why their 14-year-old boyfriend suddenly demanded they get rid of their beloved pet.
In a viral Reddit post on the popular “AmILeA**hole” forum, Redditor u/cathaircomputer (otherwise known as the original poster, or OP) said that their cat’s fur was regularly floating around in the expensive gaming computer of their boyfriend, but scoffed at the idea they would have to exile the animal to accommodate his video game habit.
Entitled, “[Am I the a**hole] for refusing to relocate my cat to my boyfriend’s PC?” the post received over 4,000 upvotes and 1,600 comments in the past day.
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“My boyfriend and I have been together almost as long as my cat has been alive (she’s 14),” OP began. “The problem is my boyfriend wants me to relocate my elderly cat because his fur keeps getting in/around his gaming PC.”
Continuing to explain that their boyfriend’s new gaming PC was an expensive purchase, the original poster stated that they had tried everything to keep their cat’s hair away from the computer, including fans, an air purifier, air, spray cans and a fabric cover.
Despite numerous precautions, however, the original poster said their partner remains adamant about finding a new home for the pet they’ve had for a decade and a half.
“He claims he has to open the PC to keep it from overheating during something, and is fed up with cat fur ‘floating around in it’ while he plays,” OP wrote.
“My boyfriend tried to keep my cat out of our bedroom and lock her up, but she’ll be meowing and scratching at the door all night,” OP continued. “She used to sleep next to me and honestly, I like having her there.”
“I don’t like the comments from her telling me she has to ‘go,'” OP added.
Pets and Relationships
For some couples, living together can be fulfilling and help cement relationships that are meant to last. For others, it can be the exact opposite, stopping budding relationships in their tracks.
But even in the most harmonious living conditions, there are arguments, disagreements and small points of contention.
Pets are a prime example.
When living partners cannot agree on which animal to acquire, which animal not to acquire, or whether to acquire a pet at all, impending tension is almost guaranteed and more serious consequences ensue. often lurk around the corner, especially when the pet in question has been around as long, if not longer, than the relationship itself.
“Pets are part of the family, so if your significant [other] doesn’t like or approve of your pet, he or she is basically saying they don’t like and/or approve of your family,” Heidi McBain, a licensed marriage and family therapist, told Wedding Wire in 2018.
“This narrow-mindedness can be very detrimental to your relationship,” McBain added.
And while serious allergies and other medical issues require more thought than mere disdain, demanding that a partner get rid of their long-term pet because of how their fur affects a computer doesn’t seem like the right thing to do. TO DO.
Editors’ reactions
Throughout the comments section of the viral Reddit post, Redditors responding to the original poster were angry at the boyfriend’s repeated pleas to rehome the elderly cat and offered suggestions on how to move on. forward without having to.
“Keep the cat, bring it home,” joked Redditor u/Significant_Pea_2852 in the lead comment for the post, which received over 11,000 upvotes.
“Keep the kitty, ditch the boyfriend,” repeated Redditor u/Alternative-Pool-607, receiving over 3,000 upvotes.
Redditor u/erciauh, whose comment received nearly 3,500 upvotes, assured the original poster that they were right to keep their cat and shifted the focus to their boyfriend.
“Anyone who asks you to ‘get rid of’ a living thing you have an emotional connection to is an asshole,” they wrote. “You are [not the a**hole].”
“MOSTLY for a PC,” Redditor u/cpt_kaddywhak replied, receiving over 1,200 upvotes. “If he suddenly developed a severe allergy, or had a baby…or even had a medical device that was compromised, but it’s a computer!”
“Brother needs to get over himself,” they added.
Newsweek contacted u/cathaircomputer for comment.