When you’re a pet owner and go on vacation, one of the first things you have to organize before you head off is someone to look after your fur baby while you’re gone. For this one Reddit user (23F), this was a non-issue as she was going away without her boyfriend (44M), so he was able to look after her cat while she was away. Or so she thought, anyway…
A Cat Replacement?
The original poster (OP) explains that she recently went on vacation to visit family and left her boyfriend of three years at home to look after her two cats (Baxter and Badger).
Before she went, she was anxious about leaving Badger with him because he had been peeing on her boyfriend’s clothes and scratching him in his sleep. OP’s boyfriend has only recently moved into the house and believes the cat has a vendetta against him. On the other hand, OP thinks it’s just a period of adjustment for Badger while he gets used to another male being in the house.
Before going away, OP’s boyfriend said to her that she either had to get rid of Badger or he would move out, as he was fed up with being attacked by the cat and finding pee stains on his clothes. OP refused to give Badger up, which caused a series of arguments that were left unresolved before she went on vacation.
When she got home, she was stunned to find Badger lying on her boyfriend’s lap, and the pair suddenly seemed inseparable. While at first, she felt relief, after a few days, she started to notice a few things which have made her believe that “Badger” wasn’t actually Badger.
Firstly, he seems skittish around her, and secondly, Baxter seems very wary around him. This is very unusual as the two cats previously used to play with each other all the time. OP has told her boyfriend that she thinks he has replaced Badger with another cat, but he has called her crazy for even thinking he would do that.
OP is understandably devastated and is convinced the Badger is gone, regardless of what her boyfriend says. Taking to Reddit, she wanted to know if there was any way she could prove that her theory was true.
Microchipping Is Key
The moral of this story is the importance of microchipping your pets, which many people in the comments were quick to point out. One user told OP that the only way she would get a concrete answer on the legitimacy of Badger is by taking him to the vet and getting his chip checked.
Other people suggested that OP was to blame if her cat had been replaced for leaving him with someone who had made it known that he didn’t like him. Meanwhile, others said that she needed to “dump” her boyfriend instantly if she thought he could even do this.
Some people, however, thought that Badger’s new behavior was entirely plausible. One user said:
“Who fed Badger when you were gone? If it was bf, then Badger’s behavior is very understandable. Cats are not stupid; they like being fed.”
What would you do if you suspected someone had replaced your pet with a different one? Would you even need a vet to confirm what had happened? Let us know your theories in the comments.
Read the full story here. This article is produced and syndicated by The Impulse Traveler.
