Reddit Stories - BETRAYED by a HOUSEMATE_ The Saga of the NEGLECTED Therapy Feline_

Episode Date: September 23, 2025

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #betrayal #housemate #neglected #therapyfeline #roommateissuesSummary:A tale of betrayal unfolds when a housemate neglects a therapy feline, causing tension and conflict in the shared living space. The emotional saga highlights the importance of communication and respect in interpersonal relationships.Tags:redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, betrayal, housemate, neglected, therapyfeline, roommateissues, communication, respect, conflict, relationships, emotional, tension, sharedliving, tale, interpersonal, unfold, importanceBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6237355/support.

I hope you enjoy this story. Housemate acquired a therapy feline, yet declined to tidy up after it. Consequently, I recorded all occurrences and departed. Twelve months later, she reappeared with her cat and we concluded, Up in a fight. Hey, Reddit, I'm in a messy situation, literally, and I need some outside perspective. I'm a 24-year-old woman, and I live with my roommate, Claire, who's 23. For the most part, we'd been good.

We clicked when we first met, had similar ideas about keeping a place tidy, and we split the chores right down the middle, 50 to 50. It was all smooth sailing. Then, a few months ago, Claire got an emotional support animal, a cat. I'm going to name the cat snowball. Now, I'm not a cat hater. I don't have any allergies, and honestly, I thought it might even be kind of nice to have a furry little.

creature around. I was totally fine with it at first. Maybe even a little excited at the idea of having a pet around without the full responsibility. I had pictured us chilling on the sofa, the cat purring between us. But, reality set in pretty quickly. The problem isn't the cat itself, it's the aftermath. Misty, sheds like there is no tomorrow. I'm talking clumps of white fur, everywhere. It's on the couch, on the chairs. clinging to the curtains, even somehow magically floating in the air. It's like living in a perpetual fur storm. And it's not just the hair.

Misty has this habit of knocking things over. Little things at first, like pens off the coffee table, a stack of magazines. But then it escalated. One time, Misty launched itself off a bookshelf, taking a whole row of Claire's decorative ceramic figurines with it. They shattered on the floor, pieces everywhere. I spent a good hour helping her pick up the shards, feeling a little knot of resentment starting to form. And the scratching. Misty seems to think the legs of our

dining table, thankfully Claire's, not mine, are its personal scratching post. They're covered in these deep gouges. The real issue, though, is that Claire doesn't really clean any of this up. Or, not adequately, anyway. She'll maybe run a hand over the couch to brush off some fur. But it's back within an hour. She'll pick up the bigger things Misty knocks over, but she leaves the smaller messes. And the scratching? She just shrugged and said, that's what cats do. She keeps saying that Misty is an emotional support animal, and that having her helps with her anxiety. She says that the shedding and the occasional chaos are just part of having an ESA and that it's a small price to pay for the comfort Misty provides. Meanwhile, my own anxiety is,

is going through the roof. I like things clean. I need things to be organized. The constant mess is genuinely making me stressed. It feels like I'm living in someone else's disorganized world. It's not just a visual thing either. It's the feeling of constantly having to be careful, of knowing that at any moment, another thing might get knocked over, another cloud of fur might settle on the clean laundry I just folded. So, I finally brought it up. I tried to be as nice as possible. I said something like, Hey, Claire, I'm noticing a lot of cat hair around lately,

and it's been a bit overwhelming. Could you maybe try to vacuum a little more often? She immediately got defensive. She said I was being insensitive to her needs, that Misty was helping her through a tough time, and that I should be more understanding. She told me that cleaning actually stresses her out, and that the whole point of having Misty was to reduce her stress,

not add to it. Then she said something that really got to me. She implied that I should be helping to clean up the cat messes, since I supposedly benefit from Misty's presence. I don't. I'm neutral about the cat, at best. I certainly don't feel like I'm getting any emotional support from it. I'm just getting a lot of extra cleaning.

I ended up cleaning the whole house it took four whole hours. I was so tired. I had back pain. I'm sticking to our original. agreement. I do my half of the chores, cleaning the kitchen, the bathroom, taking out the trash, all that stuff. I even vacuum my own room and the common areas occasionally, just to keep things from getting totally out of control. But I refuse to spend hours every week dealing with the excessive amount of cat hair and the other messes that Misty creates. So, Reddit, am I the A-Hole here?

Hi, I'm Darren Marler, host of the Weird Darkness podcast. I want to talk about the most tool in my podcast belt. Spreaker is the all-in-one platform that makes it easy to record, host, and distribute your show everywhere from Apple Podcasts to Spotify. But the real game changer for me was Spreeker's monetization. Spreaker offers dynamic ad insertion. That means you can automatically insert ads into your episodes. No editing required.

And with Spreaker's programmatic ads, they'll bring the ads to you, and you get paid for every download. This turned my podcasting hobby into a full-time career. Spreaker also has a premium subscription model where your most dedicated listeners can pay for bonus content or early access, adding another revenue stream to what you're already doing. And the best part, Spreaker grows with you. Whether you're just starting out or running a full-blown podcast network, Spreker's powerful tools scale effortlessly as your show grows. So if you're ready to podcast like a pro and get paid while doing it, check out spreeker.com. That's S-P-R-E-K-E-R dot com. I being a heartless roommate by refusing to take on extra cleaning because of Claire's ESA? Update 1, a few days later, okay. So I wanted to give a quick update based on some of the comments and questions I got on my first post. First off, thanks for the feedback, everyone.

It seems like most people are saying I'm NTA, which is validating, but there were a few ESH and info votes, so I want to address those. One of the main info questions was about whether Claire has an effective. official ESA letter. Yes, she does. She showed it to me when she first got Misty. But honestly, it doesn't really matter, because our apartment complex allows pets anyway. There's a pet fee, which Claire is paying, so the ESA letter just means she doesn't have to pay extra for having a cat specifically. It doesn't give her any special rights to, you know, let the place turn into a fur-covered disaster zone. The other clarification I wanted to make is that Claire does

clean. She's not a complete slob. She does her share of the regular chores, like dishes and taking out the trash. It's just the cat-specific messes that she's neglecting. The constant shedding, the things Misty knocks over, the scratches on the furniture, those are the things she's not dealing with adequately. After reading all the comments, I decided I needed to try talking to her again. I really wanted to find a solution that would work for both of us, without involving a landlord or anything drastic. So, I waited until we were both home, and I asked her if we could chat for a minute. I tried to be super calm and non-confrontational. I suggested a compromise. I said, look, I understand that Misty helps you, and I'm not asking you to get rid of her. But the mess is

really getting to me. How about this? You commit to cleaning up the cat-specific messes, vacuuming the fur, wiping down surfaces, dealing with anything Misty knocks over, at least three times a week. And in return, I'll do a general vacuum of the whole apartment twice a week, just to help keep things under control. I thought it was a pretty reasonable offer. It acknowledged her needs while also addressing my concerns about the cleanliness of our shared living space. But she refused. She said it was too much pressure to have a specific cleaning schedule for the cat messes. She said it would make her feel like she was constantly being monitored and judged. She claimed that having to clean up after Misty on a set schedule would actually increase her anxiety,

which, again, defeats the whole purpose of having an ESA. Then, a few days ago, I found cat hair in my food. I had a sealed container of leftovers in the fridge and when I opened it up, there was a single, white cat hair, right on top. I know it's not the end of the world, but it was just the final story. straw. It felt like a violation, like the cat hair was invading even my personal food space. It made me feel nauseous, and I had throw away the food. It's getting harder and harder to stay calm and rational about this. I'm starting to feel genuinely resentful, and I'm constantly

on edge, wondering what mess I'm going to find next. I'm seriously considering trying to involve the landlord, but I'm worried about escalating the situation. I don't want to make things even more awkward or hostile between us. But I also don't know how much longer I can live like this. Our lease is up in six months, and I'm starting to count down the days. Update two, one week later, all right, things have not improved. I haven't gone full nuclear yet, but I did take a small step towards involving the landlord. I didn't directly complain about Claire or Misty, but I did submit a general maintenance request for something unrelated, a leaky faucet, and in the additional comment section, I mentioned that there was excessive pet hair throughout the common areas of the

apartment. The landlord responded to the maintenance request pretty quickly, and they sent a general email to all tenants in the building, reminding them about the pet cleanliness policies. It was a pretty generic email, nothing specific to Claire, but I was hoping it might at least make her think twice about letting the fur pile up. It didn't. There's been absolutely no change in her behavior. Misty is still shedding like crazy. and Claire is still not cleaning it up. I even saw Misty jump onto the kitchen counter, right next to where we prepare food, and Claire didn't even blink. So, I decided to try one last thing before resorting to more drastic measures. I scheduled a formal roommate meeting. I know, it sounds super official, but I felt

like I needed to make it clear that this was a serious issue. I even prepared a written chore chart, specifically outlining the responsibilities related to Misty. It included things like vacuum living room rug, minimum 3x slash week. Hi, I'm Darren Marler, host of the Weird Darkness podcast. I want to talk about the most important tool in my podcast belt. Spreaker is the all-in-one platform that makes it easy to record, host, and distribute your show everywhere, from Apple Podcasts to Spotify. But the real game changer for me was Spreaker's monetization.

Spreaker offers dynamic ad insertion. That means you can automatically insertion. ads into your episodes, no editing required. And with Spreaker's programmatic ads, they'll bring the ads to you, and you get paid for every download. This turned my podcasting hobby into a full-time career. Spreaker also has a premium subscription model where your most dedicated listeners can pay for bonus content or early access, adding another revenue stream to what you're already doing. And the best part, Spreaker grows with you. Whether you're just starting out or running a full-blown podcast network, Sprinker's powerful tools scale effortlessly as your show.

grows. So if you're ready to podcast like a pro and get paid while doing it, check out spreeker.com. That's S-P-R-E-A-K-E-R.com. Wipe down surfaces to remove cat hair daily. Clean up any items knocked over by Misty immediately and address scratching damage to furniture, ongoing. I presented it to Claire during our meeting, trying to be as calm and reasonable as possible. I explained that I wasn't trying to be controlling, but that I needed a clear agreement on how were going to handle the cat-related messes. I even offered to take on some extra non-cat-related chores to balance things out. She refused to sign it. She said the chore chart was controlling

and passive-aggressive. She accused me of trying to micromanage her life and said that it was making her feel like she was living in a prison, not a home. Then, she started crying. She said I was attacking her mental health and that I was being completely insensitive to her struggles with anxiety. She told me that I had no idea how much Misty helped her and that I was making her feel like a terrible person for needing an emotional support animal. The whole thing was a disaster. I felt bad that she was crying, but I also felt like she was manipulating the situation to avoid taking responsibility. I'm not backing down, though. I'm sticking to the original chore division, plus doing the occasional extra vacuuming that I volunteered for.

but I'm not going above and beyond to clean up after Misty. I'm also starting to document everything. I'm taking photos of the messes and noting the date and time. I'm not sure if I'll ever need this evidence, but it makes me feel a little bit more in control of the situation. And, most importantly, I'm actively looking for a new apartment. I've started browsing listings online and contacting landlords. I'm determined to find a place that is clean, cat-free, and drama-free when my lease is up.

Update 3. One month later, things have definitely escalated. It's like living in a passive-aggressive war zone. Claire has started leaving notes around the apartment, criticizing my chores. Little things, like did you forget to wipe down the counter after you made breakfast? Or the trash can is overflowing, again. The thing is, I am doing my chores. I'm meticulously following the original agreement, and I'm even doing the extra vacuuming I volunteered for. Her notes are completely unfounded. It's like she's trying to deflect attention away from the cat mess by making it seem like I'm the one slacking off. It's gotten to the point where we barely speak to each other.

When we do interact, it's incredibly strained. She's become withdrawn and hostile, and I'm constantly on edge, waiting for the next passive-aggressive-aggressive note or snide comment. One day I was cleaning up the cat hair, and then she came and said sarcastically, Oh, I see you are finally cleaning. I was furious that I just left. I went to a nearby cafe and calmed myself down. But the worst part, the thing that's really pushing me over the edge, is the smell. The apartment is starting to smell faintly of cat urine.

It's not overwhelming, yet, but it's definitely there. A subtle, unpleasant odor that hangs in the air. I haven't mentioned anything to Sarah because I don't even want to talk to her. I'm pretty sure Claire isn't cleaning the litter box often enough. I haven't actually seen her do it in weeks. I don't want to go snooping around in her room, but the smell is becoming increasingly noticeable, and it's making the whole apartment feel unclean, even in the areas that I do keep tidy. I tried using air fresheners, but they just masked the smell temporarily.

I had a friend over the other day, and even they commented on the smell. They didn't say anything directly about cat urine, but they made a face when they walked in and said, is something off? It was mortifying. I made some excuse about a cooking experiment gone wrong, but I was so embarrassed. I've stopped inviting people over altogether. I've officially reached my breaking point. I can't wait until the lease is up. Six months feels like an I've started researching options for breaking the lease. I've been reading up on tenant rights, looking for legal loopholes, and even considering talking to a lawyer. I know it's going to be a hassle, and it might cost me some money, but I'm at the point where I'm willing to do whatever it takes

to get out of this situation. My own well-being, my mental health, has to be my priority. I can't keep living in a messy, smelly apartment with a roommate who refuses to take responsibility for her pet. Update four, three months later, final update. Okay, Reddit, this is it. The final update. I'm officially out. It's been a long, stressful thing, but I've finally managed to escape the furry, smelly, passive-aggressive-aggressive nightmare that was my living situation.

First, the lease breakage. After a lot of research and back and forth, I managed to negotiate a lease break with the landlord. It wasn't easy. I had to pay a fee, basically two months rent, which stung, but honestly, it was worth it for my peace of mind. I presented the land... Hi, I'm Darren Marler. Host of the Weird Darkness podcast.

I want to talk about the most important tool in my podcast belt. Spreaker is the all-in-one platform that makes it easy to record, host, and distribute your show everywhere from Apple Podcasts to Spotify. But the real game changer for me was Spreaker's monetization. Spreaker offers dynamic ad insertion. That means you can automatically insert ad. into your episodes, no editing required. And with Spreaker's programmatic ads,

they'll bring the ads to you, and you get paid for every download. This turned my podcasting hobby into a full-time career. Spreaker also has a premium subscription model where your most dedicated listeners can pay for bonus content or early access, adding another revenue stream to what you're already doing.

And the best part, Spreaker grows with you. Whether you're just starting out or running a full-blown podcast network, Spreaker's powerful tools scale effortlessly as your show grows. So if you're ready to podcast like a pro and get paid while doing it, check out spreeker.com. That's S-P-R-E-A-K-E-R.com. Lord, with all the documentation I had collected, the photos of the messes, the dates and times, copies of the passive-aggressive notes Claire had left, everything.

I also explained the situation calmly and rationally, emphasizing that I had tried to resolve the issue with Claire directly, multiple times, but that she had been unwilling to cooperate. The landlord was surprisingly understanding. I think the photos of the cat urine stains on the carpet, which I discovered after moving some furniture, were probably the deciding factor. Claire, of course, was furious. She accused me of going behind her back and sabotaging her.

She claimed that I was exaggerating the situation and that the landlord was being unfair. But the landlord had seen the evidence, and while they didn't explicitly take my side, they agreed to let me break the lease without any further penalties. The actual moving-out process all right, to say the least. Claire avoided me as much as possible. I just focused on packing my things as quickly and efficiently as possible.

I hired movers to help with the bigger items, just to minimize the amount of time I had to spend in the apartment. The new apartment is everything I dreamed of. It's clean. It's quiet. It's cat-free. The first night I spent there, I just sat on the floor, surrounded by boxes, and breathed a sigh of relief. Claire, predictably, sent me a long, angry text message after I left. She accused me of being a terrible friend, a horrible roommate, and basically, the worst person in the world.

She said I was selfish, inconsiderate, and that I had ruined her life by moving out. She even claimed that I had traumatized Misty by abandoning her. I read the message and then I blocked her number. I didn't need that negativity in my life anymore. I'm done. In future roommate situations, and I am planning on having roommates again, eventually, because living alone is expensive, I'm going to be upfront and honest from day one. Clear expectations, clear communication, and a willingness to address problems before they become insurmountable.

I've even been thinking about creating a roommate agreement template, something that covers all the basics, chores, guests, noise levels, shared expenses, and, yes, even pet responsibilities. It might seem a little formal, but I think it could prevent a lot of misunderstandings and conflicts down the road. Maybe I'll even post it on Reddit, see if anyone else finds it helpful. As for Claire, I don't hate her. I'm angry, and I'm definitely still resentful, but I also recognize that she's probably going through a tough time. I don't know the specifics of her. I don't know the specifics of anxiety, and I'm not trying to minimize her struggles. But I also know that her mental health isn't my responsibility. It's hers. And using an emotional support animal as an excuse to avoid

basic hygiene and shared responsibilities is just not okay. I'm so glad to be out of that situation. I'm starting a new chapter in a clean, cat-free apartment, and I'm determined to make it a positive one. I might even get a plant. Something that doesn't shed. Or maybe a fish. Something low maintenance. But definitely no cats. Not for a long, long time. I think a small little dog that won't cause much trouble would be good. A hypoallergenic breed, maybe. Something small and fluffy that I can be responsible for, and that won't trigger a repeat of the Great Cat Hair Cat Hair Catalystrophe of 2023. Edit, writing a small update to this.

A few months after I moved out, I surprisingly received a friend request from Claire, on Facebook of all places. I was shocked. I accepted it. She sent me a message saying she was sorry. But it was not a proper apology. The apology was filled with excuses and she still blamed me for everything that had happened. I had a new roommate.

Her name was Jane. She was neat and tidy just like me. She even made a roommate. Hi, I'm Darren Marler. Host of the Weird Darkness podcast. I want to talk about the most important tool in my podcast belt. Spreaker is the all-in-one platform that makes it easy to record, host, and distribute your show everywhere from Apple Podcasts to Spotify.

But the real game changer for me was Spreaker's monetization. Spreaker offers dynamic ad insertion. That means you can automatically insert ads into your own. episodes, no editing required. And with Spreaker's programmatic ads, they'll bring the ads to you, and you get paid for every download. This turned my podcasting hobby into a full-time career. Spreaker also has a premium subscription model where your most dedicated listeners can pay for bonus content or early access, adding another revenue stream to what you're already doing. And the best part, Spreaker grows with you. Whether you're just starting out or running a full-blown podcast network,

Spreaker's powerful tools scale effortlessly as your show grows. So if you're you're ready to podcast like a pro and get paid while doing it, check out spreeker.com. That's S-P-R-E-A-K-E-R dot com. ... agreement, which I found it funny because I was going make one myself. One day when I and Jane were watching a movie, I heard a knock. It was Claire. I was beyond shocked. I slowly opened the door.

Claire had bought Snowball with her. She said she wanted to apologize in person. She started talking but I wasn't even listening to her. All I could see was Misty jumping on my new sofa. I immediately told her to get out. Claire started yelling at me again. Jane came and tried to calm us down, but Claire pushed Jane. I was furious.

I pushed Claire back. We started fighting physically, pulling each other's hair, punching and kicking. Jane finally separated up. Claire left crying while holding Misty. I had bruises on my arm. My legs were hurting. Jane aided my bruises. After that incident I blocked Claire from everywhere possible. That was the last time I ever saw her. It's been almost a year now, and everything is going great. Jane and I are best of friends, and we respect each other's space and boundaries.