Woman And Her Cat Stay At Sister's House, She Is Forced To 'Steal' The Cat Back As Niece Claims It As Her Own

"How do 2 months with a cat entitle you to someone’s 7-year-old cat?"

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• August 23, 2023

When OP (26F) moved in with her sister and her family temporarily while transitioning between finishing law school, taking the bar, and moving for a new job, she never expected a rift to form over her beloved cat, Toby. A friendly and affectionate feline, Toby had been part of OP's life for seven years.

During OP's stay with her sister's family, her niece (6F) formed a strong attachment to Toby. The little girl loved the cat so much that she began to think of him as her own.

The situation took a turn for the worse one evening at dinner when OP mentioned to her sister that they might consider adopting a cat once she moved out, taking Toby with her. Her sister's unexpected response was, "What do you mean? We have Toby!"

The misunderstanding escalated quickly, leading to a tearful outburst from the niece and growing tensions within the family. Despite OP's offer to help her sister's family adopt a new cat, the pressure mounted, with her sister, brother-in-law, and even her mother insisting that she leave Toby behind and find a new pet for herself.

OP found herself torn between her family's wishes and her loyalty to Toby, who she considers part of her family. The dilemma led to a divide within the family, with some accusing OP of being childish and others supporting her decision to keep her cat.

OP asks:

OP moved in with her sister temporarily

The issue: her nice fell in love with the cat

This was a strange situation - they really believed Toby was theirs

This whole situation is weird and OP has been losing sleep over it

OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the a-hole:

This is an interesting suggestion:

OP should microchip the cat

"Dow do 2 months with a cat entitle you to someone’s 7 year old cat?"

"Children need to be taught boundaries"

Keeping, not stealing

"Cats are like family, and Toby is yours."

OP responded:

"It’s up to her parents to manage this in a healthy manner. "

This is definitely a bad approach:

No means no, and it is about time this girl learns the lesson

This is a good suggestion

The bottom line is:

OP posted an update

Her sister is delusional

This was definitely an unhealthy environment, and OP and her cat are safe now

OP's sister's reaction to claim Toby as their own, without any prior discussion, was way out of line. Toby's been with OP for seven years, and that's not something you can just dismiss.

OP's offer to help the family adopt a new cat was a reasonable compromise, but the family's refusal and insistence on keeping Toby feels unfair. It's heartbreaking to see a child upset, but let's be real: Toby is OP's cat, and she has every right to take him with her.

The way OP's family has handled this situation has been frustrating to watch. The fact that they've tried to guilt-trip OP by bringing other family members into the situation only makes it worse.

Instead of supporting their daughter and sister, they've turned this into an unnecessary battle.

Damjan