Woman Says Her Marriage Is ‘Over’ After Husband Brings Home Puppy After Repeatedly Refusing Her Requests for a Cat

A woman turned to Reddit for advice after realizing that a disagreement over a new family pet might signal deeper issues in her marriage.

In her post, she explained that her husband texted to say his parents had given their children a puppy. “I’m home because I had to stay for work, and he’s with the kids at his parents’ house,” she wrote. “The kids are happy. I know I should be happy too, but I just feel sad.”

She shared that she had wanted a cat for years, but her husband always refused, citing “the cost, the care, and possible allergies.” Out of respect, she eventually stopped asking. What hurt her most was how quickly those concerns disappeared when a dog came into the picture. “Now there is a dog,” she said. “It’s not that I don’t like dogs — I think they’re sweet. It’s just that when it was something I wanted, there were so many reasons against it. Now it’s suddenly okay, and he didn’t even ask for my opinion.”

The woman said her husband didn’t consult her before making the decision. “He just told me through text that we have a dog now, as if it were already decided,” she explained.

Commenters expressed sympathy and frustration on her behalf. One person wrote, “Hang on, your husband and his parents bought a dog for your children without consulting you? Presumably this dog will live in your home, and you’ll have to look after it. Forget the dog-versus-cat debate — the fact that he didn’t consult you on something this large is disrespectful. I’d be livid.”

Another suggested a bit of rebellion: “Get a cat. He didn’t ask you before getting a dog, so go get a cat. When he asks why, point to the puppy.”

In an update, the woman admitted that many commenters were probably right — she’d likely end up being the one to care for the puppy. “I’ll probably end up being the one to take care of this 6-week-old puppy,” she said. “Since I work from home, it’ll most likely fall on me in the long run.”

She realized that her sadness went beyond pets. “I don’t even think it’s about the cat or the dog anymore,” she confessed. “It’s about how he makes decisions that affect both of us without really considering me.”

This wasn’t the first time it had happened. “We talked about getting a car around early 2020, and by September he had already bought one without telling me,” she wrote. When she questioned the timing, her husband replied, “We already talked about it. You said you liked this car. You said you liked this color.”

Even though she liked the car, she never agreed it was the right time to buy it. “Eventually, all I did afterward was sign the documents,” she recalled. “There have been other situations like that over the years too.”

As she reflected on her marriage, her tone grew more somber. “My heart just feels heavy because I’m realizing he’s always been like this and probably always will be,” she wrote. “And now, for the first time, I understand what people mean when they say they knew the moment their marriage was over. I think I might be having that moment right now.”