Redditor Serves Cats Divorce Papers In Response To Girlfriend's Bizzare Cat-Marriage Ritual

"I came home from work and my gf had dressed the cats up and was in the middle of performing a marriage ceremony"

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• May 16, 2023

OP, a 26-year-old male, and his girlfriend, aged 24, had been in a committed relationship for two years and recently decided to move in together, merging their lives and their pets. Both are cat owners, with OP's feline being particularly friendly and sociable, while his girlfriend's cat displays a more aloof and hostile demeanor, often hissing at OP whenever he tries to approach her.

While the couple had been enjoying their cohabitation, an eccentric idea from the girlfriend sparked a disagreement. She proposed a 'pet marriage,' a concept OP found absurd and uncomfortable, especially given his dislike for his girlfriend's cat.

Despite expressing his disapproval of this idea, he arrived home one evening to find his girlfriend conducting a makeshift marriage ceremony for their cats, complete with costumes. Feeling betrayed by her disregard for his wishes, OP decided to retaliate in an equally eccentric manner.

He 'served' his girlfriend with 'divorce papers' for the cats, an action that deeply upset her. This led to a tense atmosphere, with his girlfriend not speaking to him for 24 hours and opting to sleep in a separate room.

Confused and hurt, OP questions his actions, wondering if he's the antagonist in this peculiar situation. He seeks advice, asking if he was in the wrong for not wanting his cat to 'marry' his girlfriend's cat and for his subsequent reaction.

OP asks:

OP and his girlfriend had been in a committed relationship for two years and recently decided to move in together, merging their lives and their pets.

She proposed a 'pet marriage,' a concept OP found absurd and uncomfortable, especially given his dislike for his girlfriend's cat. He 'served' his girlfriend with 'divorce papers' for the cats, an action that deeply upset her.

It's clear that this situation is an odd one, with both parties participating in a somewhat peculiar exchange of actions. From the outside looking in, it might seem like a whimsical dispute about 'cat matrimony,' but it's a scenario that has serious implications for OP and his girlfriend's human relationship.

The girlfriend's insistence on a 'pet marriage' could be her unconventional way of hinting at her own desires for commitment and marriage. While it's crucial to respect each other's boundaries, it's equally important for the couple to communicate their feelings and intentions openly.

She possibly used this roundabout and admittedly bizarre method to convey her desires because of fear or uncertainty regarding OP's reaction to a more direct conversation about their future. On the other hand, OP's reaction, though understandable, could have been handled differently.

He responded to her eccentricity with a comparable level of strangeness by 'serving' her with 'divorce papers' for their cats. This reaction, while it may have seemed fitting at the time, only served to escalate the situation, leading to a cold war of silence and separate bedrooms.

The problem kind of demands funny solutions:

"The cats will be posting in r/JustNoMil next"

Did anyone ask the cats for their opinion?

This would have been a more mature route:

They aren’t actually married, you do understand that?

Definitely.

Some Redditors would do the same

This is so absolutely true

"Everyone is entitled to have their own boundaries. But some boundaries are just way more extreme than others"

In this tangled tale of feline wedlock, it's evident that both parties need to sit down and have an earnest discussion about their expectations for their relationship. OP is not the villain for not wanting his cat to 'marry' his girlfriend's, but he could become one if he continues to avoid addressing the underlying issues that this incident has brought to light.

After all, the path to a healthy relationship isn't a straight line, but it certainly shouldn't involve cat wedding ceremonies without the mutual consent of their human counterparts.

Damjan