Reply #44: I don't think that's what this thread is about.

[Withywindle]

I'm sorry about your childhood experiences. But seems to me the OP is talking about someone who gets involved with someone who already has a pet and THEN starts making demands.

Sorry, but someone who adopts a pet has made a commitment. If the pet's presence predates that of the SO, then the commitment that was made first wins out.

Most of the pet owners I've ever known, are upfront about the fact that they and their pet are a package deal - someone who doesn't like animals or is allergic needs to be aware of that fact going in, and if they can't deal, then they can't deal; nice while it lasted but that's a pretty irreconcilable difference. The pet owner is not at fault for refusing to ditch the loyal companion who loves them more unconditionally than any human ever can. An adult relationship situation is not the same as a child: adults can break up, if they must, and still support and feed themselves.

Being single is better than living with someone you can't trust, and someone who would try to emotionally blackmail me to choose between them and my pet is by definition untrustworthy. If it was a true health condition, I'd expect to know about that before the situation even got to the level where it would be an issue. There are plenty of fish in the sea, and anyone who can't live with my cat would surely be happier with someone else, as would I, and I would let them go with no hard feelings. Most good people would understand and accept that.