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[thexphial]

If a couple gets a pet together, who should keep the pet if they break up? Should it be the person who makes more money? The person who really wanted the pet to start with? The person who has custody of the kids (if there were kids involved)? Should they share custody? Something else?

Comments

[box_of_rocks]

They should decide this before they get the pet.

[mistressemi]

When my wedding broke up, my ex and I had 4 cats. I moved back in with my parents and couldn't take them all (I happily would have). So we ended up splitting them up based on who the cats were the most attached to. Bug and Rhapsody didn't like him at all, so they were definitely going with me. And Ophelia followed him around all the time. Tag loved us both, so it was hard to choose. I wanted to take him because Ophelia would have been glad to be the only cat again, and Tag adored Rhapsody, but my mom wouldn't let me.... so the only choice left was to let him stay with the ex.

[soapfaerie]

For me, a big thing is not breaking up bonded animals from each other. I'm not a fan of breaking up 2 dogs or 2 cats or whatever bonded pair you have. I brought 3 cats into my current relationship. One of them has become a Daddy's Girl, and thinks my bf is made of gold (or catnip). But the 3 cats are quite bonded, and if my bf and i broke up, he'd agree to keep them together.
I think it's often automatic - whoever the pet "belongs" to bond-wise often will fight for the pet. If the split is amicable, a sharing funds for the care might be arranged. For example, my ex and i got a cat when we moved in together. Jeeves was bonded with both of us, but was MY baby. When we split up, he came with me. A few months later, it was time to put Jeeves down courtesy of an ongoing illness. My ex came with me, since he did love the cat too. And he actually was an amazing comfort, and also paid the bill to have him euthanized. He even paid to have him cremated for me, since i had no real place to bury him.