Boyfriend Told Me “Zip Your Lip” After Hurting My Cat
The Original Post
minute details have been altered for privacy.
im laying in bed gaming and i have food. my cat cinnamon kept trying to get it so i kept shooing her off and it wasn’t working. my boyfriend, lets call him S, rabbed her by her scruff and tried pulling her away which made cinnamon cling to a heavy body pillow and S didnt stop pulling her until her claws came free. i got upset and said he did not need to do that especially with her claws stuck like that because it can hurt her.
he looks at me and says “zip your lip. thats what you need to do. you need to zip your lip.” and i said “what??” he goes “youre a special kind of breed aren’t you” and i said “S what do you mean?? you can hurt her.” and he says “so what am I supposed to do?? shes clinging on” I said “stop pulling her away and unhook her claws????” and he just looks at me like im fucking dumb for like ten seconds and gets the cats out and then starts acting like nothing happened. I said I need to be alone. im also high(devils lettuce) so I dont know if im overthinking or looking into things. im sick to my fucking stomach and my heart hurts.
reddit wtf do I do about this? i sent him this message:
“what happened with cinnamon really upset and triggered me, especially how it was handled and how i was spoken to. i need some space tonight to cool off. we can talk when i’m calmer. please no long messages back.” to which he just replied “ok”.
im contemplating leaving him over this. but again, im high as hell right now and need to process this fully when im sober so I dont want to make any big decisions right now. is there anything I can do to fix this, or is this something unrepairable? if anyone needs any clarity ill happily reply to any questions in the comments.
What Reddit Said
Reddit’s response was swift and unforgiving. Users immediately called out the boyfriend’s disrespectful language and dismissive attitude. The top comment with over 3,000 upvotes made it clear that no partner should ever speak to their significant other that way.
Moreover, Redditors pointed out deeper issues beyond just the rude comments. Many noted that his treatment of the cat showed concerning behavior patterns. However, users also validated OP’s decision to wait until sober before making major relationship decisions.
The Verdict
The consensus was crystal clear: this boyfriend’s behavior is unacceptable. When someone tells you to “zip your lip” after you advocate for your pet’s safety, they’re showing fundamental disrespect. This represents classic relationship red flags that often escalate over time. Reddit unanimously supported OP considering leaving this toxic relationship.
Original post from r/relationship_advice (1,781 upvotes, 533 comments)