A man has suggested he and his wife move out of their house while she's pregnant with their first child, as she's developed an allergy to his cat and he doesn't want to have to rehome the pet.
The man explained in a Reddit post that his wife has only started to suffer from allergies related to the cat since she's been pregnant, and although she wants him to ditch the moggy so that she can stop sneezing, he's unwilling to do so.
Instead, the dad-to-be thinks it's best if both he and his wife move into her parents' house for the duration of her pregnancy, so they can see if her allergies go away once the baby is born.
He wrote in his post: "I have known my wife for seven years, we've been married for four, and she's six months pregnant with our first child.
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"I have an indoor-only cat who I raised from a kitten to his current age of 16 years. My wife and I are the only people he's been around regularly. My wife has suddenly developed allergies to the cat. We talked with our doctor and he said sometimes this can happen.
"My wife wants me to rehome my cat. I don't want to do this - he's old, he only knows me and my wife, he only knows our home, he's not been around other people or animals. I think it will be very stressful for him and at this age, it might just kill him."
The man said he would be willing to "look into" rehoming the cat once his baby arrives if the allergies continue, but wouldn't budge on the matter before then.
He added: "I offered my wife a compromise. We can stay with her parents - who live 10 minutes away and have no issues with us taking the spare bedroom - until the baby is born and then if the allergies persist for her or the baby I can look into (very carefully) finding my cat a permanent new home. I'd check in on my cat every day.
"My wife called me a huge a**hole for prioritising my cat over her and the baby's health. I just don't want to traumatise my cat over something that might be temporary."
Commenters on the Reddit post were split over whether the dad-to-be was out of line or not, with some saying that he needs to do what's best for his wife, and others agreeing that he should wait to see what happens when his baby is born.
One person said: "That's not a compromise. Kicking your wife out of your home when she's 6 months pregnant is really, really not something you want to do if you value your relationship at all."
As another added: "You ARE choosing your cat over your pregnant wife and child, and causing her undue stress. What is wrong with you? She is allergic. Allergies get worse over time. I understand not wanting to re-home your pet, but you need to get your priorities in order before this baby is here."
But someone else disagreed, stating: "Allergies, in general, get worse over time - but allergies that develop during pregnancy often fade away weeks after the birth. It’s also possible the cat has nothing to do with it, and she has pregnancy rhinitis. I can understand not wanting to put the cat through the stress of rehoming for a temporary condition."
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