Sometimes we genuinely believe we've done the right thing. We think we've made the best decisions by acting out of kindness, logic, or necessity, until someone stops us and calls us out.
Today's Original Poster (OP) was in a conversation with a friend when she revealed that she had rehomed her cat. However, after listening to the details of the story, the OP pointed out that all she had actually done was abandon it.
More info: Reddit
You may think you're a really decent human being, but all it takes is for another person to call you out for being not-so-great
Image credits: Sam Lion / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The author's friend told them she decided to rehome her cat because of its bathroom habits
Image credits: anon_mouse82
Image credits: Helen / Pexels (not the actual photo)
However, by the time she went further in the story, she revealed she had just left the cat outside a salon before they opened
Image credits: anon_mouse82
The author stopped her there and called her out for abandoning the cat, not rehoming it
The OP's friend told them she had rehomed the cat after struggling with its bathroom habits. More specifically, the cat wouldn't use their litter box but would use the bed instead. She explained that she placed the cat in a carrier and left it outside a local salon before it opened, later finding out that one of the employees had decided to adopt the animal.
While she thought everything went smoothly, the OP disagreed, saying that what she did wasn’t rehoming, rather it was dumping. Rehoming, according to them, would involve finding and vetting a new owner ahead of time, not just leaving an animal outside and hoping for the best.
The friend’s response was to get defensive, accusing them of “judging” her actions. Although the OP stood their ground, they couldn't help but what wonder if they were in the wrong for insisting that what their friend did was not rehoming as she claimed.
Bad bathroom habits is one of the most common behavioral issues in cats, according to VCA Hospitals. They state that while medical conditions can be a factor, behavioral issues like litter box aversions often play a role. A cat may refuse to use its litter box due to the type of litter, the box itself, or its location.
Fixing the problem involves making the litter box more appealing and addressing any underlying health or environmental triggers. In this case, the friend's cat may have had a treatable condition, making its abandonment even more troubling.
Image credits: gpointstudio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Unfortunately, abandoning cats is all too common. According to Cool Catss, many people assume cats can fend for themselves, but in reality, abandoned cats face extreme dangers and have a low survival rate. Some owners give up their pets due to allergies, life changes, or health issues, while others simply misunderstand feline behavior.
The SPCA distinguishes between abandonment and proper rehoming. Abandonment means leaving a cat to survive on its own whether outside a building or on the roadside, while rehoming ensures the pet goes to a responsible, committed adopter. This process involves reaching out to friends, family, social media, or rehoming websites.
Netizens affirmed that the friend's actions was indeed abandonment, not rehoming, and that she deserved to be "judged" for it. They also pointed out that checking back to see if the cat was adopted doesn’t erase the fact that she left it outside with no guarantee of safety. Others even went further by questioning the woman’s character and suggesting that anyone who would abandon a pet so carelessly isn’t worth befriending.
What do you think about this situation? Do you think the friend truly believed she was rehoming her cat, or was she just trying to justify abandonment? We would love to hear your thoughts!
Netizens strongly supported the author, affirming that their friend had indeed left the cat to be on its own, not rehome it
Image credits: Huy Phan / Pexels (not the actual photo)
