Devoted Cat Dad Defies All Odds, Clings To Beloved Felines Despite Pregnant Partner’s Allergies

“She knew that I owned these cats and would comfortably stay over while we were dating.”

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• January 10, 2024

Our narrator (Original Poster) and their partner stood on the precipice of a life-altering adventure—parenthood.

They’d lived separately throughout their courtship, but as they transitioned into this exciting new chapter, it was only right they moved in together.

A 2-bedroom condo was prepped and ready for them to break in. From nowhere, an unforeseen challenge emerged—OP’s partner’s allergies. 

For context, OP owned two short-haired cats that were his pride and joy. His partner wasn’t a stranger to their existence—she usually stayed over for short periods in the past despite minor allergy challenges.

When the little bump began growing within her, the allergies became barely manageable. So, as the couple took the plunge into cohabitation, you can imagine it was quite tricky.

She refused to step foot into their new home as a result and insisted that OP rehome his beloved felines. For OP, letting go of his cats was akin to severing a limb. Instead, he took several steps to make the home more tolerable for her.

He cleaned the litter box regularly, placed them strictly on anti-allergy food, and even permanently exiled them from the bedrooms. Still, all these weren’t enough for her.

Her doctor gave her the all-clear to get some over-the-counter allergy medicine, but she blatantly refused. OP’s partner finally admitted it wasn’t just about the allergies; she simply wasn’t a ‘pet person’ and didn’t want to deal with cat hair.

OP already reached out to a family member to foster the larger cat with the possibility of adopting. But frankly, his heart wasn’t in it. 

Was he a jerk for not wanting to let go of his cats?

Let’s dig into the details

A bit of background

These are the steps OP took to make his pregnant girlfriend more comfortable

Important edits

Here’s how the Reddit community reacted to the story:

“There should have been a serious discussion prior to you guys moving in together and deciding to have a child.”

“NTA. She knew what she signed up for. SHE has a choice to make, not you.“

“NTA. if you have pet when you enter a relationship, you guys are a package deal. She knew you had cats.“

“Deciding to have a baby together under these circumstances is really irresponsible. ESH.”

“NTA. People need to stop using rehoming as a quick solution for pets.“

“I have had pets through pregnancies, deaths, allergies from being pregnant, moving, ect. Pet are for life.“

“NTA. She shouldn’t have moved in. She was over enough to know the effects the cats would have.”

“Why are you living together and why is she pregnant?”

Redditors were aghast they started an entire relationship without discussing her allergies and pet preferences. OP obviously came as a package deal—him and his two cats, it was a critical discussion to be had.

OP’s love for cats clashes with the partner's allergies and pet aversion. The consensus? The decision to have a child in these circumstances was nothing short of irresponsible.

Do you agree with this verdict? Let us know in the comments.

Jesse