Many of us would die for our pets. And If anybody messes with our pets, they’re messing with us, plain and simple.
Reddit user Day7__07 found herself in that situation when her roommate messed with her beloved pet.
Unsure if she crossed a line with her reaction, though feeling pretty secure in her decision, she went to the popular subReddit “Am I The A**hole?” or “AITA” for perspective.
She asked:
“AITA For getting the police involved when my roommate took my cat?”
Our original poster, or OP, set the scene as to why her kitty was so important to her:
“I (F[emale]22) lost my remaining adoptive parent last year. Dad was my only family; his brothers and sisters (aunts & uncles) wanted nothing to do with me.”
“They never saw me as family and after my dad’s death they cut me out completely, and took almost everything that belonged to my dad. I was able to keep some things to remember him by.”
“It’s hard not having him here. Especially during the holidays, I have no family: No grandparents, no one to wish me merry Christmas or surprise me with a gift.”
“All I have is Tommie. My cat. He’s so adorable and he makes me happy whenever I’m upset or crying.”
Soon came conflict between her and her roommate though.
“I’m currently living with my roommate—we both pay rent equally. I should mention that Tommie and I were here before her.”
“She knew about Tommie and didn’t mind moving in a month ago. But she started complaining about him and made him feel uncomfortable with her treatment.”
“She’d tell me to find a home for him instead of having him live at the apartment, and tried to find him a new owner multiple times before and I told her to stop. Tommie isn’t hers.”
The roommate ignored her answer.
“She posted a photo of him on FB saying she was looking for an owner. I found that out the day before Christmas.”
“She took Tommie and left the apartment.”
“I wasn’t there when that happened and I freaked out. I started calling her number telling her to come back with Tommie or I’ll call the police.”
OP wanted to involve the police immediately:
“Her sister got involved and told me that what she did was wrong, but ‘calling the cops over this’ was too much.”
“I yelled at them both and told them to go bring Tommie back the same day. I ended up calling the police on her.”
OP got the cat back but now faces some blowback from her roommate’s friends.
“I got Tommie back and my roommate got in an argument with the landlord because the police were involved.”
“She, her sister and a few mutual friends are calling me names saying It was awful of me to go to the police and causing this huge issue. Completely forgetting that she tried to give Tommie to a new owner and not let me spend the holidays with him.”
“They’re telling me I overreacted and handled it poorly.”
Reddit provided perspective on the issue by declaring:
- NTA: Not The A**hole
- YTA: You’re The A**hole
- NAH: No A**holes Here
- ESH: Everyone Sucks Here
Reddit doesn’t have any idea how OP could have been the a**hole in this situation.
“NTA. She tried to give away your property and your pet! She stole from you and caused you trauma. Calling the police was your only option.”
“She did something wrong. If her friends and family are saying you have gone too far, I’d bet she has done something similar to each of them and let it slide.”~shopgirl2
“Why are you living with this person?!? (I know it’s probably for financial reasons, I’m not judging you, I’m just horrified on your behalf).”
“Your cat is a LIVING THING and is NOT HERS. Your cat is your family. If someone tried to take my cat they would be out of my life so fast they’d have motion sickness.”
“I want to climb through my computer screen to yell at her on your behalf.”~CryptographerOk5523
“NTA. I would have done a lot worse. You should tell her and her sister that they should consider themselves lucky.”
“And since they all don’t think it’s a big deal good she now lives with them. I would have gone full pro revenge over my pet and make her move out.”
“I’m nice but I have my limits and so should you—don’t let this go there have to be repercussions or she is just going to continue treating you badly. You don’t want that especially during the pandemic.”~Cat900cat
“NTA. Either you or your roommate need to move out ASAP.”
“Given what she did and her subsequent reaction, she is ABSOLUTELY going to try this again. In the meantime, if Tommie isn’t microchipped, he needs to be.”
“I do not usually advocate for this, but Tommie needs to stay in your room (with a lock on the door that only you can unlock) until you are no longer living with this person.”
“Short-term unfair treatment to the cat is worth it until you know you can keep him safe and with you, because your roommate is going to try this again and again until she either succeeds or one of you moves out.”~hannahsflora
In fact, most people think OP’s roommate has serious issues.
“Talk to your landlord now, see if she can be evicted. If she can’t, then find a new place ASAP.”
“And make sure Tommie is safe in the meantime. Get him chipped, if he doesn’t have one, make sure contact infos are up-to-date.”
“I would ask the vet if they know what else you can do to keep him safe, prevent anything bad.”
“Keep Tommie locked in to your room (with keys or any other lock only you can open) when you are not home, keep his food somewhere where roommate can’t get to it.”
“Have a lot of recent photos of the cat and with both you and cat in the photo.”
“I know it’s not ideal for Tommie to be locked up, but better than giving crazy witch with a b another chance to do something to him.”
“Or leave Tommie with a trusted friend, if you can until the living arrangement is figured out. I wouldn’t want to find out how far she would go… give him away again, let him out on to the street, take him to a shelter, get him put down by a vet, poison him…”
“NTA and I wouldn’t drop any charges against her…”
“My aunt’s ex tried to let one of my dogs out of the yard at my grandparents during a visit when a car was speeding down the street.”
“I saw him from the window open the gate in front of the dog just enough for the dog to go through, right after the car appeared.”
“Luckily my dogs are well-trained, well-socialized, well-behaved, so he stayed inside (he is almost 15 now).”
“And tried to kick my other dog (he died years ago at 12) once, when he didn’t realise I was there to see it.”
“I ripped his head off both times and didn’t let him around my dogs without supervision at all, not even leaving them alone in the same room, while I was in the kitchen.”~Cute-Shine-1701
“Op you absolutely need to listen to everyone’s advice and get this psycho out of your apartment. Keep Tommie away from her. Period.”
“Lock him in your room and lock his food in there. Do not let her near him. I wouldn’t put it past her to try to poison your poor baby.”
“Do you have a trusted friend who can watch Tommie while you get the psycho evicted?”~LondonCalling07
“NTA. She stole your cat, your only family, and tried to give him away. Your roommate is a terrible person, her sister and friends are just as bad.”
“How on earth does someone that entitled and awful even have friends? I’d be looking for a new roommate.”~cillianellis
“NTA I’d actually need the police to haul me off this roommate if it were my cat she’d stolen and done who knows what with.”
“You did completely the right thing to get Tommie back, swiftly. If you’d faffed around, who knows what could have happened to him. He could have been dumped in a kill shelter or on the streets.”
“BTW, Merry Christmas and I hope 2021 is good to you and Tommie, and that you’ll both find yourselves surrounded by good, decent, caring people instead of that vile roommate and those cruel relatives of your dad’s.”~Dashcamkitty
After all, who tries to secretly give away a poor, defenseless kitty?
“NTA -She knew the cat was part of the roommate package. She repeatedly tried to get rid of the cat without your consent.”
“You technically used the police for what they’re for in this case – theft/catnapping.”
“In your shoes, I’d be speaking to the landlord about your roommate’s illegal behavior and seeing if you can separate the lease to no longer live together.”
“For some property managers/landlords, that’d be enough to evict her, as a violation of her lease.”
“In the mean time, don’t let her have access to your cat as much as possible, because she’ll do it again, as she’s proven.”~Designatedwork
“NTA. Get your cat chipped. Throw out the roommate. She has created an unsafe environment to you and is now a proven thief.”
“You are not obligated to have a thief in your living space. Her sister, that is ok with her stealing and possibly selling your belongings can take her in.”~undead_ramen
“NTA, you called the police which is the appropriate level of pissed off when someone steals from you, especially when it is a pet.”
“And don’t let them force you to get rid of your cat, as you said that cat was here before her, she doesn’t get a say if he stays or not.”
“Also never leave Tommie alone with her ever again, she and her sister seem unhinged enough to try this again in the future.”~VegetableSouthern100
“NTA. SHE STOLE YOUR CAT!! I would have drowned her in the bathtub.”
“My cats are my kids (bite me, pets aren’t kids people) and if I came home to find out she just rehomed them. She’d be lucky to not be dead. Terrible roommate.”
“That’s a gut reaction above. In thinking calmly and rationally, she stole something of yours and basically gave it away. Had no intention of returning it.”
“That is a situation in which contacting the police is warranted. It’s her own fault that the landlord got involved after a crime was committed. Her theft.”
“NTA X 10000. I hope Tommie isn’t too shook up over all this and you guys spent some quality time together once you got him back.”~thefr0stypenguin0
OP is in no way the a**hole, as Reddit emphatically reinforced.
The next challenge is keeping herself and her cat safe from harm while this roommate is still around—a task that has the potential to be more arduous than a simple Reddit post could convey.