Man, this story is a bummer...

If you’ve ever owned a pet, you know that the excruciating decision to put them out of their misery is the last thing in the world you want to do, but it’s also the most humane.

The guy who wrote this story on Reddit thinks his girlfriend needs to put her cat out of its misery ASAP, but she doesn’t see things that way.

Is he acting like a jerk?

Read on and see what you think.

AITA for not supporting my girlfriend in delaying putting down her dying cat?

“I’m 44M, in a year and a half long relationship with Dee. She’s 39.

We live separately – I am part carer for my elderly parents (78 and 77), my mum has Parkinsons and my dad is in good health, just old. Both are utterly refusing any help/care/advice, my mum is getting more difficult and argumentative with her condition and long story short, I just simply can’t move out. They just simply need care of some sort.

D seems happy enough with this, she lives two hours away in a smallish flat with her three cats but we visit each other often and I generally see her 2 – 3 days per week.

He has to do everything…

The only difficulty with the relationship is she has no friends or family here – I am acting as her partner, brother, parents, friends, and sister (yes).

One of her cats is about 12 years old and was taken into the vet four weeks ago panting. It turns out the cat had fluid buildup around the lungs and several masses pressing on that area too. It looks like the poor thing has cancer and will not survive.

Now, I was always a dog person but have become accustomed to her three cats and although they are still absolutely HER cats and not mine, I do like them and they appreciate a scratch on the head from me.

It’s time to let this pet go…

The sick one is getting worse. The fluid was drained. The poor thing is listless, has no energy, and has to be syringe fed and given medicine. To be fair, Dee is very good at all of that. But it only sits on hard surfaces so it can’t be comfortable.

When to have an animal put down is a very hard call. I feel it the most important decision you will ever make for your pet, so it has to be done at the correct time. I think the correct time is now, or even several days ago, before the cat gets in worse pain.

This came to the fore when the cat went back to the vet with an infected anal gland. That must have been horrible. Steroids and antibiotics were added to the list.

D does not want to put the cat down just yet. She wants to do it when the time is right and when the cat has lost her spark. She says that is not the case yet.

I haven’t argued with her about it – for now I’m doing what I do best… I give support and try and keep her happy. She’s crying almost constantly as she has been though a lot personally with this cat.

I asked two groups about this. My parents, who think the time has long past to put the cat to sleep. I asked a group of friends, they were 50/50 but one of the girls said that I am not a cat owner and besides, I should always support my girlfriend’s decision even if I don’t agree with it.

Now what?

I stated back that an animal’s comfort is on the line here but she doubled down and called me an ******* for disagreeing with my girlfriends like that.

I don’t think I am a jerk. I think this poor cat needs to be put out of its misery before it ends up in more pain than it already is.

AITA for not thinking the cat needs to be put to sleep ASAP?”

Reddit users spoke up.

This person shared their thoughts.

Another reader spoke up.

This individual chimed in.

Another reader said he’s NTA.

And this individual weighed in.

No animal should have to suffer like this…

If you liked that story, read this one about grandparents who set up a college fund for their grandkid because his parents won’t, but then his parents want to use the money to cover sibling’s medical expenses.