Argument Erupt After Family Dumped Cat Responsibilities On Child Despite Her Not Wanting The Cat In The First Place

"I had said beforehand that I didn't feel comfortable with it"

Maryjane

• Published in Animal Stories
• December 24, 2023

For some people, cats make ideal pets, but not for others. All of a cat's needs, including food, water, medicine, exercise, shelter, and, most importantly, company, are met by its owners.

For numerous individuals, the years of unwavering affection and commitment they get from their animal pets surpass their everyday obligations. For some, however, it is not feasible due to their lifestyles.

It is difficult to resist the allure of small, meowing kittens, but they require a lot of care and attention. Cats have the advantage of quickly adjusting to their new environment, though, so that's a plus.

The OP came back from university to stay at home for the holidays, only to find out that her parents and siblings planned to get a cat. When the OP was asked how she felt about having a cat, she did admit to not feeling comfortable.

"There were things that I felt like I would struggle to cope with, especially as cats aren't as easy to train and kinda do their own thing. I also knew that based on a lot of previous experiences over the past few years, I was likely to be pressured to take on responsibility for the cat, which I really didn't want that on top of other things that I deal with already," the OP wrote.

Still, the cat was brought home, and responsibilities were dumped on the OP. Read the full story below to know how everything unfolded.

OP writes

OP found out that her parents and siblings planned to get a cat

OP's sister said that they were all expected to pitch in as a family

OP's mom expected that she and her sister should handle the cat

OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the AH:

AITA for refusing to take care of the cat my sister got. Because I live the same house, apparently its expected that I should help out anyway and I'm still part of the family, so all family should be involved according to my sister.

And the comments from other Redditors roll in...

They shouldn't have gotten a cat in the first place

OP's mom and sister need to step up

The younger children are old enough to care for the cat

The OP revealed some details in the comments

I'm hoping to move out permanently after I finish uni and save up enough (as soon as possible), then I know they can do whatever they please, and I guess if I'm going to be at uni most of the time from October this year, I wouldn't have to deal with the cat as much.

It's not unfair that OP's family want her to pitch in

They decided on getting a cat way earlier

Same on the OP's sister

There are still things to think about if you've determined that a cat would be the ideal addition to your family. Making a decision on this is especially crucial before you arrive at the shelter.

The OP didn't want a cat, but her family did, so why would they dump the responsibilities on her? The OP was declared not the AH, and that's where we draw the curtains.

Maryjane