We can put up with a lot for family, entitlement, rude behavior, unreasonable demands, and selfishness. The societal pressure to look after family at all costs can be oppressive, but everyone has their limits.

One woman kicked her fiancé’s pregnant daughter out of her house after she attempted to get rid of her cat. Instead of backing her up, her husband-to-be decided to pick a side, and pretty quickly family drama ensued. OP also decided to share some follow-up with the internet, as the story began to take some twists and turns.

Picking between pets and family is not a choice anyone should be forced to make

Image credits: Remy Gieling (not the actual photo)

But one woman wondered if she was wrong for ordering her pregnant step-daughter to leave after she kicked out OP’s cat

Image credits: voronaman111 (not the actual photo)

Image source: Wise-Hall2842

Throwing away someone’s pet is cruel, entitled, and downright horrible behavior

Image credits: wirestock (not the actual photo)

While non-pet owners might see OP’s protectiveness of Whiskey as a bit extreme, pet-ownership brings with it emotions and feelings that are often as strong as when we interact with family. One 2020 study even found that grief levels over losing a beloved pet were similar to the ones a person feels when a loved-one passes. While, happily, Whiskey is alive and well, it’s pretty easy to imagine the panic and stress OP must have been feeling in those moments when he was gone. That panic, understandably, turned to anger when it became apparent that Kim attempted to harm him on purpose. Regardless, even if OP was not that attached to Whiskey, which seems untrue since she wrote the post from the vet’s office, it was unbelievably entitled of Kim to “dispose of” OP’s property, then lie to her, on top of all her past behavior.

It’s all too common to encounter people who just do not understand the attachment a person might have to a pet, particularly one that has been with them for a longer period of time. Whiskey was an elderly cat, so OP had no doubt spent a lot of time caring for it, particularly in his later years. Kim’s actions were beyond cruel, depriving her, at the time, future-mother-in-law of a loved companion. She did not seek a compromise and, realistically, was not entitled to anything as it wasn’t her house. Kim couldn’t even claim family ties, as her father and OP were not married yet. Even worse, her father somehow seemed ok with this behavior, which perhaps explains a lot of why she acts that way in the first place.

Cats, like any pets, bring their owners a host of benefits

Image credits: Sam Lion (not the actual photo)

Owning a cat can be more than just a live, fuzzy thing that lives in your home. Certain studies indicate that just the presence of a cat helps with lowering stress and blood pressure, all pretty good benefits for anyone who wants to live a long life. Heart disease is still the number one killer in most places, after all. Supporting this study is supplementary data that owning a cat, beyond just being near one, is correlated with a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes. Cats are cute, helping us get little doses of dopamine from watching their antics. They also help with discipline, as the owner needs to keep track of food, vet appointments and other things they need to survive. And last but not least, they are companions, who help keep us sane, even if to an outsider we are talking with someone who basically can not understand us.

This is what Kim was willing to take away from future-family just for her own comfort. As horrible as the experience was, the silver lining is that she can avoid marrying into this family. Kim’s behavior was terrible, but one wonders if it’s just the result of an enabling father. The fact that he thought she deserved an apology after all OP did for her is a telling indictment. OP marrying a man with a moral compass and priorities this skewed would probably end unhappily anyway. Like ripping off a scab, sometimes quickly and soon is better than dragging the process out. Fortunately, Whiskey was found and is ok.

OP answered some reader questions as well

Commenters shared their shock at the step-daughter’s entitlement

OP gave an update later and detailed her plans

Image credits: Prostock-studio (not the actual photo)

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