His Meat-Eating Cat Was Such a Problem For His Vegan Girlfriend She Asked Him To Get Rid of It

Facebook X (Twitter) Pinterest Flip it

A young man went viral on social media for sharing his distressing story about his vegan girlfriend who wanted him to get rid of his precious meat-eating cat. What next?

It’s Either Me Or Your Cat

Most pet owners consider their animal to be an indispensable part of the family. Only the worst circumstances could separate a pet and its human.

This 22-year-old man faced one such tough choice when his girlfriend asked him to do the unthinkable: choose between her or his cat.

His Girlfriend Was An Outspoken Vegan

“I can’t believe I’m about to type this, but here we go,” posted the boyfriend, who sought relationship advice in an online forum. The young man explained that he and his girlfriend, also 22, had dated for seven months before the incident occurred. She was already an “outspoken vegan” when they met, who prioritized a cruelty-free lifestyle. A vegan diet excludes all animal products, including dairy, eggs, and honey.

He Went Completely Cruelty-Free

Since the boyfriend was already a pescatarian (i.e., a vegetarian who also eats fish), he recalled having no trouble in transitioning to a fully plant-based diet. “My girlfriend was proud of me for going cruelty-free, and everything seemed well,” he told fellow Redditors. “We became ‘the vegan couple’ on our college campus.”

Their Relationship Blossomed

After dating throughout the pandemic, the young couple began considering the possibility of taking the next step in their relationship. “We began seriously looking at either buying a new apartment together or having one of us move in with the other,” the boyfriend wrote, and it appeared that both were looking forward to the future.

There Was Just One Thing

Before moving in together, however, the girlfriend decided to strike him with an ultimatum: to choose between living with her or keeping his cat. Mittens, the pet in question, had been in the boyfriend’s care for the past three years. “I adore her,” the online user wrote of his beloved animal. “She’s such a sweet and cuddly cat.”

She Wasn’t a Cat Lover

According to the boyfriend, his partner never fully warmed to Mittens. She excused herself by explaining that she was not raised with cats. Since they preferred to spend time at her place, the Redditor explained that the issue of Mittens “never really came up again in conversation” until the ultimatum.

A Violation of Veganism

Per his retelling, the girlfriend decided that the relationship could not continue if the online insisted on keeping his pet. The reason she gave for such an extreme demand? In her view, “owning a cat is unconscionable for vegans, because they hunt mice and eat meat, and because the very act of owning a pet is a violation of vegan principles.”

His Girlfriend Had Deeply Held Convictions

Stunned, the boyfriend refused to give up his cherished cat. He explained that Mittens’ diet required meat, and he mitigated the environmental harm by purchasing sustainable brands of cat food. Moreover, other vegan pet owners did the same for their animals. Unmoved, the girlfriend allegedly countered, “How much flesh does your cat eat? How many animals died to make all that food? Would you be okay with that being human flesh?”

They Couldn’t Compromise

Unable to reach a compromise, the boyfriend returned home to Mittens. Like many other Redditors, he asked the internet for guidance: “I think it goes without saying that I am not going to get rid of my cat. However, it pains me to think that an otherwise wonderful relationship could be ending because of a difference in ideology.”

Are There Other Issues At Play?

In his original post, the boyfriend concludes by revealing that their fellow vegan and vegetarian friends “all think my girlfriend has lost her mind. Some have suggested that it’s not about Mittens, and my girlfriend just wants an excuse to end it.”

But the online user had not lost hope: he even researched the possibility of vegan cat food for Mittens, but her veterinarian rejected the suggestion. “I’d hate for this bizarre curve ball to be the end of a beautiful thing. I want to try and work something out,” he lamented.

People Aired Their Views on Social Media

Vegans and non-vegans alike flooded the comment section with their outrage. “Good for you. The cat is being a cat. The cat cannot choose and must eat meat to survive,” wrote the top-voted comment. “If you treat the cat well, there is nothing wrong with being vegan and owning a cat. What’s her suggestion? We kill off cats? That’s not vegan.”

He Chose The Cat

Appalled pet owners will be happy to learn that Mittens remains with her owner. In an update, the boyfriend revealed that his relationship came to an end over the cat ultimatum, much to his girlfriend’s displeasure. “I would never, ever give up my cat Mittens,” he wrote, and reflected, “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.”

The Young Man Defended Veganism

For those ready to dismiss veganism as extremist, the boyfriend had one final defense of his lifestyle: “My [ex]girlfriend’s extreme views on domestic cats are 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!”