Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Who Were Forced To Choose Between Their Pet And Their Partner Explain What Happened

People Who Were Forced To Choose Between Their Pet And Their Partner Explain What Happened

A cat and dog rest together

Photo by Andrew S on Unsplash

Our pets are part of the family.

Any person who doesn't get that is not someone I can know.

They are there through it all.

They help with the good, the bad and the ugly.

So when it comes to choosing between a pet and a person... the answer can make things awkward.


Redditor sugar-soad wanted to know how everyone would choose between a lover and a fur baby, so they asked:

"People who were made to choose between your pet or your partner, how did your ex react when you chose your pet?"

One of my exes wanted me to return my dog to the pound.

Notice I said... EX?

The love

cat dog GIFGiphy

"It really baffles me how some people don't understand how much a pet can mean to someone, I remember one of my dogs dying overnight before a school day at secondary school and my teacher mouthed off to the class about me taking a day off for a pet's death."

ff-at-15

The Kicker

"This was a long time ago but I just started dating this person and I was told they hated my dog, it was a bit of a shock but I was like no biggie just get to know my dog and you will fall in love with him."

"So the next time, we had a doggie date and HE TRIED TO KICK MY DOG. I literally grabbed my dog and turned around and walked away. And that was that!!!"

clarkyto

Screw This

"This is my favorite story from when I worked in a shelter. A guy came in to surrender his cat, with the reason that his girlfriend didn't like her. He starts filling out the paperwork, but partway through he just stops and says, 'Screw this. I'm just going to break up with her instead.' He picks up the cat and walks out the door, presumably to leave his GF. I hope he stuck to it and he and his cat got a happy ending."

hoomphree

Happy Ending

"Not directly relevant, but we once took in a dog, whose human was asked to make this choice. Beautiful weimaraner. The guy brought the dog out to our house (on a hill in the woods with acres to roam - dogs absolutely love it out here - and we spent some time walking around letting the dog get used to the place and meet our other furry residents."

"We could tell it was really hard on both of them when he left."

"The next day he kicked the woman out, and came back for the dog. Happy ending all around, I'd say."

Wildcatb

Momentos

Dog What GIF by Best Friends Animal SocietyGiphy

"Not my story but my friend. His GF forced him to choose between her or dog but that dog was remaining memento from his deceased mother and of course he instantly dumped his GF. His GF went from facefull with expectations to beet red full of shame and anger and smashed his house windows when she left his house."

Manfroo1

Never asked for someone to make choice between a person and a pet.

Living Longer

Cats Reaction GIF by TikTok MENAGiphy

"I remember him saying my diabetic cat needed to go so he could get a dog. We weren't even living together. I looked him dead in the eyes and said. 'My cat will outlive this relationship' considering she was really sick at the time he said it was unlikely and stormed off. We broke up 6 years ago and my cat is still going strong."

buffalosansbuffalo

The Elderly

"I have an elderly rat (going on four years, which is quite the feat for a rat). I’ve raised him since he was a baby with his brother, who passed away two winters ago. When we moved in with my in-laws over the summer, they didn’t want me to bring my rat. I straight up told my partner that I’ll live somewhere else for awhile (we’d been living together for almost three years at that point) because my rat is my responsibility."

"He’s very old, and that I was going to see him through to the end. They were a little upset and accused me of choosing the rat over them, but I explained that he’s an animal that relies on us. It worked out, I convinced my in-laws to let me bring him, and we’re all still kickin. He’s on his last days and I’m glad I’m here with him. He’ll be buried with his brother when it’s time."

queerqunari

Meow First

"She acted like she'd never even considered I'd choose the cat over her. I don't think that thought had ever entered her mind. Then she went into a big spiel about how I'm a loser, I'm missing out, there's only one of her, etc etc. Yeah, I knew all that when I put my foot down over her idiotic jealousy of the cat liking me more than her."

"The cat is now 16 and still with me, happy in her senior years. There's been other women since her, ones that treated me a lot better than she did. It was a total win for both the cat and myself."

Fancy_Cassowary

“Dirty fleabag”

"Not me but my sister choose our cat over her boyfriend of 4 months. He was furious when she dumped him and called her an idiot for picking a 'dirty fleabag' over him. Cat was not a dirty fleabag, he just hated pets and wanted to try to control my sister. I was relieved when she dumped him. I never got good vibes from him."

Aurora_Jones

BYE

White Dog GIFGiphy

"My ex asked me if she thought my dog liked me or her more and I said me. She got genuinely mad and told me I am supposed to just lie to her, didn't last long."

wumbology34

Pets will always win.

Have you ever had to make a similar choice? Let us know in the comments below.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Split screen of Matt Rieck with text overlay on each image.
@mattrieck/TikTok

Dad Slams Chipotle In Viral TikTok After Two Burrito Bowls Cost Him Over $50: 'Am I Crazy Here?'

Inflation continues to be an ongoing problem, with families all over the world continuously dismayed by prices going up on just about everything.

Hence why many people find comfort in fast food, where prices would seem to at least remain reliable.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lupita Nyong'o
XNY/Star Max/GC Images

Lupita Nyong'o Recalls Being Offered More Slave Roles After '12 Years A Slave'—And Fans Are Heartbroken

Lupita Nyong'o may have instantaneously become a Hollywood "it" girl" after winning an Oscar for her first-ever film role in 12 Years A Slave back in 2014, but it's been anything but the typical Hollywood story since.

Nyong'o, who was raised in Kenya, recently spoke to Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo on CNN's Inside Africa about where her career has gone since that big Oscar night.

Keep ReadingShow less
Simu Liu
Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

Marvel Star Simu Liu Sparks Debate After Calling Out How Far Hollywood Has Backslid With Asian Representation

Actor Simu Liu, best known for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, called out Hollywood in a post on social media lamenting Asian actors not getting the same opportunities as their white counterparts.

In a since-deleted post, the actor said the film industry has backslid in Asian representation onscreen, responding after X user @SelfieIgnite posted on X, urging Hollywood to “put more Asian men in romantic lead roles."

Keep ReadingShow less
Tim Walz; Donald Trump
Meet the Press/NBC; Pete Marovich/Getty Images

Tim Walz Fires Back At Trump With A Simple Demand After Trump Uses Ableist Slur Against Him In Deranged Rant

Ever since MAGA Republican President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to release the full files compiled by his Department of Justice and the FBI to indict and arrest registered sex offender and longtime friend of Trump Jeffrey Epstein in 2019, voters have been demanding Trump keep his campaign promise.

Now there's a call for the release of another file the Trump administration has been hiding—the POTUS' medical file. More specifically, the results from Trump’s October 2025 MRI.

Keep ReadingShow less
Vivek Ramaswamy
Noam Galai/Getty Images for Cantor Fitzgerald

Vivek Ramaswamy's Controversial Solution For How To Make Parenting 'More Affordable' Is Not Going Over Well

Billionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is facing criticism after he touted—and later deleted—a video speaking about his plan for how to make parenting "more affordable" by making school year-round.

Ramaswamy is currently campaigning for the 2026 Ohio gubernatorial election and at a time when many around the country are struggling with the rising cost of living, he thinks he's got one major thing figured out.

Keep ReadingShow less