'My boyfriend is constantly bothering the cat just for his own entertainment': 24-year-old girlfriend babysits her friend's sweet and skittish cat, but her boyfriend shows red flags when he's with them

Even if we aren't full-time pawrents, most of us know instinctively how to treat an animal: with patience, gentleness, and respect. Cats especially tell us who they are in the quietest of ways - the shy tilt of their head, the soft purr of approval, or the way they curl into our lap when they feel safe. To disregard that trust, or worse, to treat a cat like a joke for your own entertainment, cuts against what it means to be a true friend to animals.

That's why so many of us are angry at stories like this. Because it's not just about "teasing a cat". It's about ignoring clear boundaries from a vulnerable creature - one who has already known fear and needs kindness above all else. And if someone can't extend compassion to a gentle, skittish cat, how long before that same lack of empathy shows up in the relationship, too?

We've always believed that the way a person treats animals reveals who they really are. It's not about being a "cat person" or not - it's about respect, empathy, and care. For us, kindness toward cats is a non-negotiable. You don't torment a creature for fun. You don't scare them because you're bored. You either love them, or you step back and let them be. Period.

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This sweet, gentle boy deserved naps, snuggles, and peace - not to be startled or teased for someone’s amusement. Stories like this remind us that cats don’t just test our patience, they reveal our character. A skittish kitty with a history of hardship needs extra softness, not extra stress. The truth is simple: if you can’t treat an animal with empathy, you don’t deserve their trust. Cats know who’s safe, and so should we.
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