I was watching Seinfeld and Elaine’s new boyfriend chooses his cat over her.
Jerry says “Pretty sad losing out to a cat”
So any of you in real life lose out to a cat? Or Dog? or Hamster? or Bird? Or even a car?
If it ever came down to me or a certian '73 Stratocaster…
Oh and the ex didn’t mind me leaving. He got the dog.
Not a relationship win/lose, but…
I hate to admit it, but if my wife is on the couch with enough dogs to preclude a space for me, I sit on the floor.
Never seen that episode, but if a girl ever wanted me to get rid of my cat, then sorry, Rocky wins every time.
Many years ago I was discussing with my ex the possibility of moving in together. He demanded that I choose between him any my two cats.
That’s how he became my ex.
It’s kind of sad to think about, but if a girl had told me “it’s either me or the cat” about a year ago before my cat died, I would have helped her pack her stuff.
Sorry. The cat was here first.
I’m finding it hard to imagine getting to that point with someone. If they weren’t animal folks it would have not gotten that far in the first place with me hey.
Exactly. I remember watching that Seinfeld episode and thinking the same thing. Anyone who makes demands like that in a new relationship is not worth spending time with.
Kinda like… maybe demanding you put your mother in a nursing home. This is not a decision the boyfriend or girlfriend gets to be part of.
I haven’t been in that exact situation, but when I was single…if you didn’t want my cat around, you didn’t get me either.
What kind of a fucked-up person goes around demanding that people get rid of pets they love? The kind that should be dumped. Fuck that, my animals were a part of me before you were. PTFO.
Maybe it would make the OP’s question more interesting to answer if we assume the person was seriously allergic to cats or deathly afraid of dogs. If we all get to assume that the person who wants rid of the pet is a big demanding animal hating asshole I don’t think there will be much variety to the answers.
I’d probably have trouble giving up my dog, regardless.
I would not want to “win”, I would not feel secure around someone who would write off a pet for a new relationship. It is a warning about how they follow up on responsibilities assumed, or empathy.
In a different context, I own African Grey parrots, I occasionally loose emotional manipulation games about what bird gets to snuggle, or what music to play, etc.
I inherited a cat from a college roommate. She got involved with a man who didn’t like animals (or children), and so when they married she gave the cat to me. We all wondered why a woman whose longheld dream it was to live on a farm and have a half dozen kids would want to get involved with a man who wanted neither animals nor children.
So there’s one person who picked a relationship over a pet.
How’d that work out for them?
In which case, to be honest, the relationship likely wouldn’t go past the fist or second date. I would consider it a fundamental incompatibility whether it was by choice or circumstance. I’m horrendously allergic to fragrance. I get wheeping blisters if perfume touches my skin and a trip to the hospital if it triggers a migraine. If I met wonderful person who,it turned out, was a designer of high-end colognes, even if we were compatible in most other ways, it would be an insurmountable obstacle right from the get-go. There would be no second date.
No hard feelings either, but it would be one of those “Oh, what a shame.” moments.
Similarly, much of my life revolves around the great outdoors. If I met an agoraphobic, although it’s no one’s fault, we are incompatible on a very significant level.
I had a date not happen because of my pets.
I was talking to a guy, we had expressed a desire to go out sometime and were just chatting. I mentioned my complete devotion and dedication to my horses. He asked, hypothetically, if he had spent many hours preparing a meal for me, and just before we sat down to eat I learned that one of my horses was sick or injured, if I would wait and eat or leave immediately?
Is that really a decision? Leave immediately. Food reheats. Anyway, we never did end up going out. Dodged a bullet there.