March 22, 2026 at 7:55 pm

Mom Says It’s a “Sin” to Leave the Cats Alone, But This Owner Refuses to Keep Rearranging Her Work Schedule

by Diana Whelan

sleeping tabby cat

Pexels/Reddit

When two rescue kittens joined the household, she agreed to help make sure someone was always home with them. At the time, it seemed reasonable — they were young, nervous, and needed attention.

But two years later, the cats are adults, and the arrangement hasn’t changed.

Read on for the story.

AITA for refusing to continue adjusting my work schedule to accommodate my cats?

My mother and I share an apartment together. We adopted two rescue cats two years ago. They are certainly nervous and clingy by temperament.

My mother and I both work a combination of remote and on site so that the cats have someone home and do not need to be left alone all day.

I agreed to this arrangement while the cats were kittens (under one year). The cats are now two and my mother continues to want me to adjust my schedule to be home half days.

How exhausting.

I am finding it draining to work at home, stop working, travel to work, then restart.

Furthermore, I am taking on a clinical student in March and will need to be on-site more.

I am perfectly fine with the cats spending days home alone as they are adults. My mother said this is a sin and is trying to make me feel guilty and says she has “so much anxiety”.

Oh brother.

I cannot accommodate her anxiety or this arrangement, but her guilt trip has me questioning myself or if I truly am an a****** for leaving the cats alone full days.

but…millions of people have pets and go to work everyday?

AITA?

Redditors quickly weighed in on the situation, and many had strong opinions about whether the responsibility should really fall on her.

This person says Mom needs to deal with her own anxiety.

Screenshot 2026 03 09 at 9.02.26 PM e1773104874194 Mom Says It’s a “Sin” to Leave the Cats Alone, But This Owner Refuses to Keep Rearranging Her Work Schedule

This person agrees…she needs anxiety meds.

Screenshot 2026 03 09 at 9.02.37 PM e1773104881800 Mom Says It’s a “Sin” to Leave the Cats Alone, But This Owner Refuses to Keep Rearranging Her Work Schedule

And this person adds that she has control issues.

Screenshot 2026 03 09 at 9.02.47 PM e1773104887706 Mom Says It’s a “Sin” to Leave the Cats Alone, But This Owner Refuses to Keep Rearranging Her Work Schedule

Most cats nap for 16 hours a day, so expecting a human to rearrange their entire career around them might be the real overreaction.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.

Diana Whelan | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Diana Whelan is a contributing writer for TwistedSifter specializing in family dynamics, viral internet culture, and interpersonal relationships. Drawing on her extensive professional background as a senior copywriter in the digital marketing space, Diana excels at transforming community-driven conversations and trending social media debates into relatable, highly engaging narratives.

Rather than simply aggregating online drama, Diana brings a balanced, humorous, and empathetic editorial voice to everyday dilemmas and parenting moments. She has a keen eye for finding the human element at the center of complex relationship conflicts and viral social trends.

Outside of writing, Diana is usually spending time with her husband and two kids, planning elaborate themed parties, or chasing down new family adventures. Fueled by a little too much caffeine and a love for a well-placed pun, she can often be found unwinding with a glass of wine and her very patient golden retriever.

Connect with Diana on LinkedIn and Instagram.