‘I will not let him get away with it. All of my animals are incredibly precious to me, no matter how physically small they are.’: Woman’s misplaced trust in her dishonest boyfriend results in a tough breakup over his deceptive replacement of her pet fish

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Sep 30, 2025 11:00 AM EDT

There seems to be a rather troubling trend amongst male partners in relationships doing things to the pets of their female companions. In some cases, it's genuinely a case of misunderstanding or incompetence. While other cases involve bad actors who are out to cause trouble.

But whatever the reason may be, it seems as though it is rather dangerous to leave your pet in the care of a partner. And while this might not be the news you want to hear, especially considering how much you would like to put your trust into your partner, it is the truth that has arisen from several stories including this one in which a woman was given the ole switcheroo, which as you might expect did not work and did not go down all too well. So hold onto your hats and get to finding a pet sitter for the next time you go out of town because you seriously cannot depend upon your partner for things like this…
 

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  • 01
    I never post on here, ever, but I'm seriously so confused. I returned home this morning from a 3 week trip in Japan to find my betta fish looking completely different. Now
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  • 02
    granted, my fish did get sick while i was away due to an infection a new Pleco had brought to the tank. I guess I'm just concerned that my boyfriend lied about my fish surviving.
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  • 03
    I've had my betta for months now and he has never ever looked any different, or sick, and I did get him from my boyfriends brothers ex-wife after she abandoned him and I thought I had brought him back from what he looked
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  • 04
    like then, which was not good or no where near what he looks like now. The first photo is my fish when I left. The second is what I've come home to. I really need answers. He's reduced in size, the tail is shorter and flared
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  • Huh, that is really weird, and how unsettling too, you go away on holiday and come back to what looks like a completely different animal. Like, you can’t say that this is some sort of Pokémon and that while this woman was away it evolved so it looks completely different now. 

  • 05
    significantly more, and the obvious, he's completely different colors. He was magenta and purple, and now blue and orange? He also has a scar of some kind on the other side of his body, which is no where to be seen on him now.
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  • 06
    Update in Comments: Hello Everyone. It will not let me edit this post. But im here to tell you all that he admitted to it not being the same fish. It
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  • 07
    Cheezburger Image 10559086336
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  • 08
    took as far as me threatening to break up which is childish to me but thats the length i had to take. I have told him i do not want to continue a relationship with a
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  • 09
    liar so as of right now we are no longer together. Thank you EVERYONE for commenting and confirming that I am not crazy and giving me information to back myself up. I
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  • 10
    appreciate everyone's advice and concern and certainly hope you guys are pleased with this update! If anyone has further questions I'll still be answering. Thank you again.
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  • 11
    Edit: I will also point out that the new fish will stay with me despite his offering to take him off my hands, and will not be treated any differently or less attended to. I
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  • Lol, this is hilarious, the now ex-boyfriend essentially does not want to part ways with the replacement fish he maliciously put in the tank. What a sad turn of events. One might hope that he would have more dignity about him and own up to the strange series of decisions he made.

  • 12
    have named the new fish "Dunno" and he will be very well loved with me. I have yet to find out what my ex has done with the original fish, I was too angry and heated that I forgot to ask and will
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  • 13
    not get another chance for that closure until later on when he gets home from work. All signs point to he flushed it though.
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  • 14
    Commenter: I'm so sorry, did he tell you what happened to your old fish? :( OOP: Yes, he confirmed whatever infection that had spread in
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  • 15
    the tank had killed my betta sadly. Commenter: im so sorry for your loss. i can only imagine how you feel after all this.
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    Cheezburger Image 10559086592
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  • 17
    maybe you can look into rehoming the imposter? just so he isnt given up on but neither are you. also, glad to hear you stood up for yourself and said goodbye to that meany head. if hed lie about your pets life, who know
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  • 18
    what else hed lie about. hes got some growing up to do. OOP: Thank you! I will say that rehoming the fish has not been a thought I've dawned on at
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  • 19
    all, that's just not how I roll yknow. I have to think about how scared that fish must've been getting into that new environment.
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  • 20
    And, I have to be sure my boyfriend actually rid the infection of the tank before plopping a new fish in there. So I can't send off a possibly sick
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  • 21
    fish who had no contribution to my boyfriend's actions. I would never forgive myself for punishing his little life for things he can't help! I will be
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  • 22
    keeping him, and making sure he has a great life. I will be replacing quite literally everything in the tank and deeply cleaning my filters though!
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replacement boyfriend break up woman animal stories Precious incredible results deception reddit story small pet tough fish dishonest trust animals
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