When we’re going through hard times, sometimes all we need is for someone to notice that we really are having a hard time. Even though this doesn’t solve the problem, it’s nice to know that someone sees how hard we’re trying.
The OP should have noticed how uncomfortable his wife was with the new family members, but instead, he chose to deal with the situation in the worst way possible. His dad’s house burned down, so he had to move into a hostel.
OP told his dad he could stay with them, but his dad turned him down and instead asked for help with something else. He has a dog and three cats that had no place to live all of a sudden.
This was supposed to be a short-term solution, but they ended up taking care of the animals for four months. OP said that the cats and dogs changed his wife into a different person.
He gave several examples of things she did that were “not okay.” When the OP’s wife ate, the dog tends to whine and stare at her, which drives her crazy.
She would then tell the dog to go to the other room, but the dog would find a way to stick his head out of the doorway again to ask for food. She ate her dinner on the porch to get away from the dog and have some peace.
Even the three cats, which she likes a lot more than she used to, have been getting to her.
The cats would knock over anything she is holding as soon as they want to play with her. They will jump up and grab whatever she is holding, whether it’s her phone or a book.
They also jump on her bed at 3 a.m. every night to wake her up.
OP has seen this happen and says it’s understandable that she’s upset with the cats, but he thinks her “overreaction” is silly.
When the cat stole her phone while she was on the phone, she had enough.
She also told the dog to get the f*ck away when it kept jumping on her while she was cooking. She yelled at the OP that she was sick of always being attacked.
The OP responded to her anger with his own and told her to stop being such a drama queen. She walked out of the house without turning off the stove and hadn’t been back since.
Four months without an end in sight is not really a temporary situation.
OP knows that the animals will be staying with them much longer than he agreed to, but he still doesn’t understand why his wife is so upset.
The OP was busy watching his wife get annoyed by the animals until she snapped.
They probably went after her because she has been taking care of them most of the time.
She was frustrated because she had to put up with animals she didn’t want to begin with.
Even though the OP knows how she felt about pets, he still thought of her as a drama queen.
When the OP agreed to take in animals, he showed how little he cared about his wife. She can only feel sorry for his dad for so long before her true feelings come out.
Her life was turned upside down, and she had to make changes that made her feel bad. OP needs to say sorry now before her anger gets worse.
The fact that OP doesn’t care about how she feels just shows her that he cares more about the animals than about her.
OP must find a solution before his wife leaves him alone to take care of the animals.
This woman has to bring her food to the porch so she can eat in peace in her own home.
Instead of calling her a drama queen, the OP should have apologized to her and promised to start looking for another place to keep the animals safe.
It’s one thing to decide to get a pet, but it’s a whole different thing to be given four animals that don’t behave well.
OP needs to realize how much he screwed up before his wife gives up more than just the animals and finds them new homes. He needs to find the right way to apologize to her if he doesn’t want to be a single man who has to fight off four pets.
Either he finds another way to take care of the pets, or he lets his wife slowly figure out what a selfish jerk he is. Depending on what he decides, he will either live with his own pets or his dad’s pets in the near future.
