My (22M) vegan girlfriend (21F) wants me to get rid of my cat. UPDATE
A 22-year-old man gave an account of his split from his vegan girlfriend, whose convictions led her to demand he give away his cat, Mittens, as she felt that keeping a cat went against veganism.
After extensive thought and counsel, he chose to dissolve the romance, unable to relinquish his cherished animal companion. The separation, though painful, concluded on good terms.
‘ My (22M) vegan girlfriend (21F) wants me to get rid of my cat. UPDATE’
TL;DR My gf is a passionate vegan and wants me to get rid of my beloved cat because cats eat meat and kill mice. First of all, let me say thank you for everyone who offered advice. There are over 7,000 comments on my original post and I have dozens of PMs.
Frankly, I remain quite astonished by the scale of the reaction. I attempted to read the majority of the comments but, naturally, I couldn’t read them all! I also want to preface this post by stating, as numerous users have noted, that my girlfriend’s radical opinions regarding domestic cats do not reflect the vegan/vegetarian community at large.
Some new vegans can be a bit too enthusiastic, in my opinion. The truth is, the majority of us are simply trying our hardest to avoid harming animals! I wasn’t anticipating such a large discussion in the comments section.
Naturally, the relationship ended. There’s no way I’d ever part with my cat, Mittens. A lot of people commented that the issue was about dominance, not her being vegan, and reflecting on things, I can see a history of her trying to control me. I suppose I didn’t notice it at the time.
I rang up my girlfriend and told her I was not prepared to surrender Mittens, no matter what, and considering the problems we’d been experiencing and our differing perspectives, I believed it was better if we broke up. I mentioned that she should be with someone who felt the same way as her.
She then asked if we were breaking up, I said yes. There was some anger on her end but otherwise the situation actually went better than I expected.. So, yeah. That’s really it.
Here’s what Redditors had to say:
Just_an_Empath − Mittens is beautiful and lucky to have you.
tthurber313 − You choose the right pussy sir. Edit: Thank you for rewards and karma, made my day!Kinda surprised, I was like the 30th comment. Glad for OP and Mittens 🙂
etherealpussy − she’s mad that a cat eats meat? thats gotta be the funniest thing i’ve heard all day, sorry you were in that situation though
AdAdministrative9341 − Omg that cat is adorable. I’m vegan too, but very aware that if not for predators, the world would be overrun by sick, starving herbivores.
Fjordgard − I’m 0% a cat person, but Mittens is one gorgeous animal and you definitely made the right choice!
_kulka_ − *sorry for CAPS in advance*. BUT. AAAAH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CAT You did the right thing. How could you abandon this fluff. You just madey day with this pic. I hope you’ll find someone who shares your views as well 😉
Silmina − Awww, what a beautiful cat! <3 No way would I ever give up my fur babies for a SO. Hope your next relationship goes better!
psycho-pancake − You’re KICKASS for making this decision. I hope the best for you and Mittens and your future endeavors!!!!
Olives800 − It’s so terrible when someone gives up a pet for a significant other. Thank you for sticking by your chosen family member (Mittens)
Upholding your principles, even if it leads to breaking up with someone you love, can be difficult. However, it can be the appropriate decision when the conflict involves a core belief that you cannot abandon. What are your thoughts on maintaining your values, even if it means ending a relationship with someone you cherish?
