Navigating Pet Ownership & Relationship Differences: A Communication Guide

Question
I have a question about responsibilities and the role in a relationship. My partner had 3 cats when we got together and bought a house together. I am not a fan of in house animals and have more of a farmers mentality. I don't see the logic in spending the time or money on a pet like she does. But I knew going into the relationship that this is how she is and thus don't voice my opinion about that kind of stuff. However an issue arose where she thought she should take the cat to the vet. Not an emergency, it was a scheduled thing. Anyhow she picked up the cat and brought him home and then ask me to watch it because it had anesthesia. She was going out to dinner with friends. This really pissed me off, I feel like she thinks she can just dump her responsibilities onto me because of our relationship status. At first glance I guess some may say what's the big deal. But I was still working and thus needed to be on a totally different floor of the house than where she wanted the cat. If it was unavoidable then I could see, but she knew ahead of time - and then at the last minute dumped it on me so she could go have fun.

Am I being unreasonable?

Answer
Hi KC~

No, I don't think you're really being that unreasonable at all.  She didn't communicate with you that well, and it was just an all around bad situation that she put you in.  And in a way she took full advantage of you and knew that you had the responsibility of working, so that you couldn't fully concentrate your attention on the cat.  When a cat is under the influence of anesthesia it can sometimes call for ones undivided attention should something go wrong with it, b/c you simply never know how an animal or person will react to medications.  Anyway, she didn't go about this in the proper way, and it could have been handled better by her.  You have every right to be upset with her, and she needs to know and hear this from you (in a constructive yet firm way).  It's different if you weren't busy and if she let you know in advance that she wanted to go out for dinner with her friends and get away for a while, and not to just dump this in your lap at the last second and expect you to be okay with it.  I'm trying to see this from both angles here, hers and yours.  Talk to her and explain to her how this made you feel, and how perhaps it should've been handled as opposed to the way she went about it.  Try to work these differences out and hopefully she'll be willing to sit down with you and actually hear you out.  So that in the future this doesn't happen again and present other issues.  I hope this helps you some.