When people fall in love, they often make big changes for each other. They might quit bad habits, eat differently, or dress better. But when it comes to pets, things can get tricky.
A 22-year-old man shared his problem on Reddit. His girlfriend of seven months told him he had to choose: give up his cat, Mittens, or end their relationship.
His girlfriend is a dedicated vegan and believes that having a cat goes against her values.
He explained in his post: “I’ve been dating my girlfriend for seven months. She’s amazing, and we get along great in many ways. She’s a strong vegan and told me early on that she wants her partner to share her cruelty-free lifestyle. Since I was already a pescatarian, it wasn’t hard for me to switch to a plant-based diet. She was proud of me for going cruelty-free, and we became known as ‘the vegan couple’ on our college campus.”
Vegan Girlfriend’s Shocking Demand: Boyfriend Must Choose Between Her and His Cat!
When people fall in love, they often make big changes for each other. They might quit bad habits, eat differently, or dress better. But when it comes to pets, things can get tricky.
A 22-year-old man shared his problem on Reddit. His girlfriend of seven months told him he had to choose: give up his cat, Mittens, or end their relationship.
His girlfriend is a dedicated vegan and believes that having a cat goes against her values.
He explained in his post: “I’ve been dating my girlfriend for seven months. She’s amazing, and we get along great in many ways. She’s a strong vegan and told me early on that she wants her partner to share her cruelty-free lifestyle. Since I was already a pescatarian, it wasn’t hard for me to switch to a plant-based diet. She was proud of me for going cruelty-free, and we became known as ‘the vegan couple’ on our college campus.”
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However, the issue of his cat, Mittens, was always in the background. “I’ve had her for three years and I love her. She’s so sweet and cuddly. But my girlfriend was always a bit nervous around her, saying it was because she didn’t grow up with cats. So, we kind of agreed to hang out at her place more, and we didn’t really talk about Mittens again.”
Their relationship grew stronger during the pandemic, and they started talking about moving in together. This led to a serious conversation where his girlfriend surprised him by saying she couldn’t see a future with him unless he gave up Mittens. She believed owning a cat went against vegan principles because cats hunt and eat meat.
“I was shocked,” he wrote. “I told her there was no way I would give up Mittens. I explained that I was doing my best to minimize harm by buying reputable cat food. Many vegans own cats and feel the same way. But my girlfriend got angry and asked, ‘How much meat does your cat eat? How many animals died to make that food? Would you be okay if it was human meat?’”
Frustrated, he left her apartment and went home to cuddle with Mittens. Later, his girlfriend sent him a link to a Reddit thread about why domestic cats should go extinct.
He ended his post by saying: “I’m not going to get rid of my cat. But it hurts to think our otherwise great relationship might end because of this. I don’t really get where she’s coming from, because lots of vegans own cats.”
In a subsequent update on r/relationship_advice, he clarified that his girlfriend’s extreme views on domestic cats were not representative of the vegan/vegetarian community as a whole. “I do think that, sometimes, new vegans can be a little overzealous. In reality, most of us are just doing the best that we can to not hurt animals!”
He also revealed that they had broken up. “I would never, ever give up my cat Mittens,” he said. Reflecting on the situation, he admitted: “Many users said that this situation was about control, not veganism, and looking back, I do see a pattern of control on my girlfriend’s part.”
Ultimately, he decided that parting ways was the best decision given the issues in their relationship. Would you have done the same in this situation?
I Invited My Colleague to Secretly Introduce Her to My Single Grandson – My Heart Stopped as They Saw Each Other
Elsie just wants Josh, her grandson, to meet someone with whom he can consider settling down. When a young new teacher enrolls at her kindergarten, she thinks that she has hit the jackpot. But when Josh meets Allison, Elsie learns that they already have a connection.
I’m a meddling grandmother. Not in a bad way — I just want my grandson Josh to move along with his life. He’s 27 and spends most of his time at work or gaming.
During weekends, he stays at home, working on something around the house, or gaming.
“You need to get out more, Josh,” I said. “I want you to live your life to the fullest! Don’t you want to meet someone?”
“I get it, Gran,” he would say, pausing his game. “But I’m just not interested in that at the moment. Work is taking up all my time and energy, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
“You’re not getting any younger,” I said, handing him chips to snack on.
“It’s because you’re surrounded by kids all day, so you just want great-grandchildren,” he laughed.
Josh wasn’t wrong. I was a kindergarten teacher, and I loved every moment of it. But I was done with the life of raising children away from their homes. Now, at 70, I wanted a quiet life of knitting and baking — a soft life, as Josh put it.
I’m leaving my position at the school at the end of the year. And maybe it’s just maternal instinct, but I wanted to know that Josh would be okay and not so alone.
A few months ago, we welcomed a new teacher at the kindergarten, Allison.
She was a few years younger than Josh, and I loved having her around during the day. So, of course, I thought about setting her up with him.
But I knew my grandson — Josh would never agree to an arranged date. He probably wouldn’t even show up.
The next best thing was to invite Allison over for dinner, where Josh would be forced to meet her.
“Alli,” I said to her one day during school. “Would you like to come over for dinner?”
“Yes! Of course, I would, Mrs. Barnard,” she said. “Since moving here, I’ve really missed family dinners. This will be great.”
I arranged for Allison to come over for dinner on a Friday evening. She went on and on about coming early to help with the cooking or bringing things over.
“Please just let me help, Mrs. Barnard,” she pleaded, as she helped me put the toys away one afternoon.
“You can bring dessert,” I told her. “And call me Elsie.”
I loved her.
And I knew that she would complement Josh well.
But nothing on earth could have prepared me for the connection between Josh and Allison.
That evening, as I was setting the table, Josh walked in.
“What’s this about?” he asked, nodding to the table.
“We’re having a new teacher over for dinner, okay?” I said, putting the cutlery in place.
“Sure, do you need me to help you?” he asked.
Allison arrived, her presence a breath of fresh air, carrying a cake with her.
She hugged me at the door and made herself at home — while Josh was still in his bedroom.
And then, the entire evening was turned upside down.
“Allison?” Josh’s voice came from the doorway, a mix of disbelief and an inexplicable hint of recognition.
“Josh?” Allison answered, her eyes wide. “Mrs. Barnard, this is your grandson? Josh?”
Confusion wrapped the room like a thick fog.
“Wait, you two know each other?” I asked, my heart racing at the possibilities of their connection.
“Yeah, Gran,” Josh said, sitting down.
“How?” I pressed on. We were past the niceties; I needed to know more.
“Allison is my sister,” he declared, each word resonating with the weight of a thousand unspoken stories.
The room fell silent.
“Explain, please,” I told Josh.
Josh isn’t my biological grandson. In fact, I had spent years of my life wanting a child, but I struggled with personal relationships. So, when I was 48, I took the plunge and went to an orphanage.
That’s where I met Josh. He was 5 years old and was a survivor of an accident in which his parents had died.
“Elsie,” Mandy, the social worker, said. “He’s a great kid! He’s curious, charming, and polite as ever. He just needs a chance to get out of here and live.”
When I met him, he was a scared little boy who had lost the most important people to him.
“What about the rest of his family?” I asked. “Wouldn’t they come looking?”
“There isn’t anyone else,” Mandy said. “We’ve searched. Which is why he had to be separated from his sister, too. She was adopted three weeks ago.”
“And the family didn’t want to take Josh?” I asked.
“Sadly, no,” Mandy admitted. “They just wanted the youngest child we had, so that they could have as much of her childhood as possible.”
In the end, despite my asking for more information about Josh’s sister, there was just no way such confidential information could be given out.
I adopted Josh as his grandmother because I was already going gray, and I didn’t want anyone to ask him why his mother was so old.
Eventually, on his 15th birthday, I told him the truth about the adoption — but nothing about his sister because I just didn’t have the information.
So, Josh has known the truth — or as much of the truth as possible.
“Tell me,” I pressed on.
“Gran, after you told me the truth about me being adopted, I felt settled. I mean, you had chosen me, after all. But I just felt that there was more to the story, you know?”
I nodded. I didn’t want to interrupt him. But I would choose this boy every single time.
“So, a few months ago, I went back to the orphanage, and I was told about a sister — Allison. And they were able to give me information because we were biological siblings.”
“And then, Josh found me on Facebook,” Allison chimed in. “We’ve been talking for a while. Although, he didn’t tell me the truth at first.”
“Well, I didn’t know if you knew the truth or not,” Josh retorted. “I couldn’t just say that I found your details in an old file at an orphanage.”
“I didn’t think that our first meeting would happen here, in your home,” Allison said.
“I think we need some dinner,” I said, waking up to get the food.
As we sat down at the table, I silently observed Josh and Allison’s reunion. I had absolutely no idea that there was a possibility that they could have known each other, let alone be siblings.
Josh ate quietly, processing his thoughts while he chewed. Allison’s eyes were glazed over — I wondered what she was thinking, and whether she was okay.
“Gran, why did you invite Allison over?” Josh asked, pouring more wine.
“Because I wanted to play matchmaker,” I said honestly.
Allison started giggling, and soon the room echoed with laughter.
The sense of awkwardness that had initially overwhelmed me transformed into a profound joy — I had hoped to bring love into Josh’s life, never imagining it would come in the form of a sister’s bond long severed by fate.
But their roles in each other’s lives were restored.
Later, when Allison took it upon herself to do the dishes, Josh and I stood outside.
“I can’t believe this,” Josh whispered, his voice cracking with emotion as he turned to me.
“I’m as surprised as you are,” I said, looking at the night sky.
“You’ve given me so much,” he said. “And now, you’ve unknowingly brought Allison back. We’ve been talking, but neither of us had the courage to actually meet.”
The rest of the night unfolded with stories of childhood memories lost and found, of heartaches and hope, and the unshakeable bond of family.
As I lay in bed that night, the house quiet once more, I couldn’t help but feel that their meeting was predestined by some other force.
At least now, Allison will be in Josh’s life, in some capacity or another.
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