A man has taken to social media to ask for relationship advice after claiming his vegan girlfriend has requested him to get rid of his pet cat.
Taking to Reddit, the 22-year-old man - writing under the handle throwRA78wdhsg - told fellow social media users that he has been dating his 21-year-old girlfriend for seven months.
He claims that his girlfriend is "amazing" and that they're "super compatible in a lot of ways".
During their relationship, he has also adopted a plant-based diet.
"My GF was proud of me for going cruelty-free and everything seemed well. We became 'the vegan couple' on our college campus," he writes.
And after growing closer throughout the pandemic, the couple is now contemplating living together. But there's one furry thing standing in their way - the Redditor's cat, Mittens.
"After a lot of talking and planning, my GF sat me down and dropped a bombshell on me," he writes, adding: "She said that with this next phase of the relationship, she did not see a future with me unless I was willing to give away Mittens. She said that she believed owning a cat is unconscionable for vegans, because they hunt mice and eat meat, and because the very act of owning a pet is a violation of vegan principles."
The "stunned" boyfriend says that he attempted to justify Mittens' place in their home by explaining that he only buys the feline cat food from reputable brands, to which his girlfriend replied: "How much flesh does your cat eat? How many animals died to make all that food? Would you be okay with that being human flesh?"
He adds: "I would have really appreciated her telling me about her cat opinions before we got serious."
After storming out, his girlfriend later sent him a link to a webpage advocating the extinction of domestic cats - leading to the boyfriend turning to social media for help.
"I think it goes without saying that I am not going to get rid of my cat," the boyfriend confirms, adding: "However, it pains me to think that an otherwise wonderful relationship could be ending because of a difference in ideology.
"I don't even really understand where my GF is coming from because like I said, a lot of vegans own cats. Now granted, cat ownership can be a controversial topic in vegan circles and I probably would not have gotten a cat if I had been vegan at the time, but I have Mittens now, and she deserves to eat."
After explaining that he is cautious against vegan cat food, the boyfriend ends his post by asking: "Where do I even go from here? I will not compromise on Mittens and I don't think my GF will compromise either."
One cautious commenter told the original poster: "Dude this is not a good relationship? 7 months together and you completely adapted to her vegan lifestyle? Already starting to talk about moving in together and her wanting you to get rid of your cat? Sounds like a super controlling relationship."
Another added: "Coming from a vegan: Dump her. No one who ACTUALLY gives a damn about animal welfare would render a pet homeless for NO REASON. Further, anyone who actually gives a damn about animal welfare understands that DIFFERENT ANIMALS HAVE DIFFERENT DIETARY NEEDS."
And a third wrote: "You are young and sound like a nice guy. You can always find another girl. You will never find another Mittens. The former's demands are cruel, controlling and way out of bounds."
What do you think the boyfriend should do? Let us know in the comments section.