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Person Gets Bashed By Cat-Allergic Ex-Roomie For Getting A Cat Before She Was Able To Gather The Rest Of Her Things
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Person Gets Bashed By Cat-Allergic Ex-Roomie For Getting A Cat Before She Was Able To Gather The Rest Of Her Things

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The majority of you will probably agree that living with a roommate is far from easy – different lifestyles, a lack of personal space and privacy, communication issues and domestic squabbles, the constant need to compromise, whatever. 

The author of today’s tale, for instance, had to refrain from getting themselves a pet because their roomie was allergic; however, when it was established that she was moving out, they got a cat but were dubbed “selfish” when the woman came over to collect the rest of her things. 

More info: Reddit

This netizen wasn’t allowed to get a cat because their now ex-roommate is allergic

Image credits: Tranmautritam (not the actual image)

She eventually moved out, but they agreed to hold on to her things for a couple of weeks

Image credits: Sam Lion (not the actual image)

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Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual image)

Image source: u/Mediumglassofwater_

AITA: Friend yelled at me for getting a cat” – this web user took to one of Reddit’s most judgmental and philosophical communities, asking its members if they’re indeed a jerk for housing a cat after their allergic roommate had already moved out. The post managed to garner nearly 9K upvotes as well as 1.5K comments discussing the situation.

Who wouldn’t like to live alone in the comfort of their own house, right? Unfortunately, though, with whopping, sky-high, arm-and-a-leg kind of prices and various intricate life situations, sometimes we have to resort to getting a housemate in order to afford a place altogether.

Yes, it can be fun to share a home with your pal! You get companionship and 24/7 emotional support; you split expenses, of course; you get help with chores; and you sleep like a baby knowing that you have a better chance of tackling a burglar since there are two of you. However, as with everything, there are also a bunch of cons that can put a strain on even the most solid friendships. 

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In some instances, you get lucky and end things rather peacefully – in others, you try to be nice by granting them one last favor but end up getting called selfish for doing something that is no longer their concern. 

Life’s typical fashion, eh? 

Anywho, if we were to speak about today’s story in particular, it’s obvious that a pet allergy is not a joke. Sneezing, a runny nose, itchy and puffy eyes, and for asthmatics, added difficulty in breathing – it’s pure hell! Besides, according to this piece from Allergy Insider, a trusted source that helps people better understand the problem, it turns out that a cat allergy is a pretty common thing, as it affects 7%-25% of the population. 

Moreover, any allergy can potentially become lethal if it causes anaphylactic shock! But, let’s unpack and find out whether the author of the Reddit post was, in fact, a total jerk.

The OP then finally housed a stray cat – however, upon the ex-roomie’s visit, got blasted for being “selfish”

Image credits: Vlada Karpovich (not the actual image)

Now, the netizen always had pets growing up – however, they had to sacrifice that for their cat-allergic roomie until they eventually moved out to pursue a job. Luckily, though, they had some outdoor cats hanging around; the OP frequently fed them but made sure that they never entered the house for obvious reasons.

When it was discovered that the roommate was leaving, the Redditor agreed to hold on to her stuff for a couple of weeks and, in the meantime, housed one of the stray cats.

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Their ex-roomie’s door was always kept closed – plus, they’d spring-cleaned the entire place before her visit and got her some allergy meds as a precaution. The problem is that the OP never mentioned the cat to their friend, which some might see as a potential “red flag,” though there’s always a possibility that they might not be as close at the moment for such life updates.

Surprise, surprise, the ex-roommate comes over and gets puffy-eyed immediately; she begins to ask questions, and the post’s creator confesses to welcoming a fluffy friend while assuring her that none of her belongings were contaminated.

Naturally, it got pretty bad, so the two had to go out on the porch so the woman could finally breathe – however, once that was sorted, she began bashing the OP for being “selfish” and “inconsiderate” towards her, essentially provoking them to not speak to each other for almost a week.

Now, it seems that the author had gone above and beyond to make their ex-roomie’s visit as comfortable as possible, yet the majority of you will probably agree that a simple “Hey, I’ve got a cat now, btw” would have probably helped them avoid this nasty conflict.

What are your thoughts on this?

Fellow online community members shared their thoughts and opinions on this situation

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nigelsulley avatar
Nigel Sulley
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Going with a soft YTA.. you knew your friend was allergic, you knew she would be back, but clearly you don't know how allergies work.. I think you had good intentions to want to clean up for your friend and help out but you should have found how bad her allergies were.. luckily it wasn't too severe like a peanut allergy but it could have been very bad.. I don't think you intended for this but you didn't really think if through when adopting the cat while your friend was still going to come back..

katebaker_2 avatar
madbakes
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Exactly. She's not an AH for getting a cat, but for not telling this friend about the cat when OP knew they were going to be staying the night.

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yupan avatar
Yu Pan
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

YTA for not warning the ex roommate of the cat. Cat hair and dander get everywhere, closed door or not, even if you clean excessively. Unless you are employing industrial strength cleaner and have an army cleaning your place and turning your place into a semiconductor clean room, someone who is severely allergic to cats will get a reaction. Informing her is just basic decency. It has nothing to do with Op being generous to allow her storage or her place her rule etc. Because I'm so kind to provide you a place to storage means I now have the license to endanger your life? Or because this is my place now so I don't need to disclose to you how my place could potentially cause bodily harm to you? That's false equivalency on the Op's part. I can't fathom why Op wouldn't just let her know ahead of time that there is now a cat in the place so the girl can decide if she wants to go through with this. Everyone who wants to come to my place will always be told that I have a cat.

amyfrothingham avatar
Amy Frothingham
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She's not the jerk. She's literally keeping her friends stuff when she doesn't live there anymore. She also made sure the space where her friend would be staying would be hair/dander free. Did you read the whole post? I'm allergic to cats and even I don't think she was this AH. But I do think anyone calling her an AH is actually one themselves.

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darkdorkychick1778 avatar
brandyy17
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

im going to say NTA. her roommate no longer lives there and she had no right to tell the OP she is selfish and inconsiderate. she no longer lives there the OP is free to do as she pleases. not only that the OP was considerate she knew her roommate left stuff there and made sure the cat didnt get into it. she also gave the cat to a friend while she was there and cleaned up the place. yes u can argue she couldve told her ex roommate she got a cat but 1 poor choice over the multiple good choices she made isnt enough to say the OP is the a$$hole. the cat never got near her stuff, wasnt even there wen she came, the OP is nice enough to let her keep stuff there and let her stay there as well as tried cleaning the whole place just so she could b confortable. her kindness out weighs her mistake of not telling her about the cat. the OP also isnt selfish or inconsiderate at all. its her home. that would b like calling my parents selfish and inconsiderate bc they move to florida which was always a dream of theirs. the OP always wanted a cat and wen she finally could have one she got one. thats her right.

razinho avatar
Ron Baza
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

“You can leave your stuff at my place. You can stay over. I am not going to tell you that there will be a cat walking around the home, and even though the cat has gone out you will immediately swell up as soon as you enter. Your allergy is so bad that you will have to go outside in order to breathe.” These are not the words of a friend.

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nigelsulley avatar
Nigel Sulley
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Going with a soft YTA.. you knew your friend was allergic, you knew she would be back, but clearly you don't know how allergies work.. I think you had good intentions to want to clean up for your friend and help out but you should have found how bad her allergies were.. luckily it wasn't too severe like a peanut allergy but it could have been very bad.. I don't think you intended for this but you didn't really think if through when adopting the cat while your friend was still going to come back..

katebaker_2 avatar
madbakes
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Exactly. She's not an AH for getting a cat, but for not telling this friend about the cat when OP knew they were going to be staying the night.

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yupan avatar
Yu Pan
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

YTA for not warning the ex roommate of the cat. Cat hair and dander get everywhere, closed door or not, even if you clean excessively. Unless you are employing industrial strength cleaner and have an army cleaning your place and turning your place into a semiconductor clean room, someone who is severely allergic to cats will get a reaction. Informing her is just basic decency. It has nothing to do with Op being generous to allow her storage or her place her rule etc. Because I'm so kind to provide you a place to storage means I now have the license to endanger your life? Or because this is my place now so I don't need to disclose to you how my place could potentially cause bodily harm to you? That's false equivalency on the Op's part. I can't fathom why Op wouldn't just let her know ahead of time that there is now a cat in the place so the girl can decide if she wants to go through with this. Everyone who wants to come to my place will always be told that I have a cat.

amyfrothingham avatar
Amy Frothingham
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She's not the jerk. She's literally keeping her friends stuff when she doesn't live there anymore. She also made sure the space where her friend would be staying would be hair/dander free. Did you read the whole post? I'm allergic to cats and even I don't think she was this AH. But I do think anyone calling her an AH is actually one themselves.

Load More Replies...
darkdorkychick1778 avatar
brandyy17
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

im going to say NTA. her roommate no longer lives there and she had no right to tell the OP she is selfish and inconsiderate. she no longer lives there the OP is free to do as she pleases. not only that the OP was considerate she knew her roommate left stuff there and made sure the cat didnt get into it. she also gave the cat to a friend while she was there and cleaned up the place. yes u can argue she couldve told her ex roommate she got a cat but 1 poor choice over the multiple good choices she made isnt enough to say the OP is the a$$hole. the cat never got near her stuff, wasnt even there wen she came, the OP is nice enough to let her keep stuff there and let her stay there as well as tried cleaning the whole place just so she could b confortable. her kindness out weighs her mistake of not telling her about the cat. the OP also isnt selfish or inconsiderate at all. its her home. that would b like calling my parents selfish and inconsiderate bc they move to florida which was always a dream of theirs. the OP always wanted a cat and wen she finally could have one she got one. thats her right.

razinho avatar
Ron Baza
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

“You can leave your stuff at my place. You can stay over. I am not going to tell you that there will be a cat walking around the home, and even though the cat has gone out you will immediately swell up as soon as you enter. Your allergy is so bad that you will have to go outside in order to breathe.” These are not the words of a friend.

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