I Replaced My Wife’s Cat While She Was Away

It might seem unbelievable at first, but a very common source of problems in relationships is pets. As silly as it may seem to non-pet people, these pet problems can become major issues that ruin relationships. Research shows that many couples find themselves arguing over their beloved animals for many possible reasons. However, the most common disagreement is about pets’ behavioral problems.

One of Bright Side’s readers, Liam, found himself in a similar situation. He sent us an e-mail where he asked for some advice from other Bright Siders.

Hey Liam! Thank you for your email! The Bright Side team got together and thought about your interesting situation, and here’s what we think about it.

• Communication is important in relationships — in fact, it’s an essential part of any healthy partnership. Ups and downs are inevitable, even in the best relationships, but a healthy communication style can make it easier to deal with conflict and build a stronger and healthier partnership.

• Sit down, talk to Isabelle, and come clean about what you did. First of all, make sure to tell her every detail of what actually happened, and don’t try to put the blame on her or be judgmental. Tell the story from your point of view, and hopefully, she will understand why you did it. Most importantly, apologize to her.

• People make mistakes all the time, that’s what makes us human. So, you might be wondering what makes a good apology.

• The 3 Parts of an Effective Apology
  Step 1: Tell her that you feel really guilty about what you did. Just share your remorseful feelings with her. But also tell her that you think it was for the best.
  Step 2: Admit your mistake. This requires admitting responsibility for your actions or behavior.
  Empathize with Isabelle; the most important thing is that you demonstrate that you are trying to understand how she feels.
  Step 3: Make the situation right. In your case, this is almost impossible, but try to come up with something that can compensate for your mistake.

• In the future, stop keeping secrets from your significant other. Finding healthy ways to honestly express yourself to your partner is the best way to build a trusting relationship that endures the test of time.

Have you ever had an argument with your loved one over your pet? What would you do if you were in the same situation as Liam?