AITA for refusing to pay for a $1000 coat?
Picture this: a cozy apartment, a fluffy cat that knows the difference between a litter box and a sofa, and a woman with a down coat so expensive it could double as a small house. She brings the coat over for a casual hangout, slips it onto the couch like a lost sock, and leaves. Hours later, the cat, in a dramatic display of independence, decides the coat is the perfect spot for a little pee‑spray performance.
You, being a seasoned pet‑owner and part‑time janitor, immediately advise her to treat the coat with a bio‑enzymatic cleaner. She shrugs it off, takes the coat home, and, two weeks later, texts you: “The coat is ruined. Should I replace it? Should I bill you?” First time she brings up money. Cue the dramatic “I’m sorry, but I can’t replace a $1,000 coat.”
She follows up with a flurry of moral lessons: “Cat pee is forever,” “If my pet ruined something of yours I’d make it right,” and a reminder that she once paid for your rug when she accidentally turned your couch into a red‑wine spill zone. She even insists on sending you $50, which she later complains she didn’t send.
You’re juggling rent, bills, and kids. A $1,000 replacement is out of your league. The cat’s little mischief? The cat’s little mischief. Your house? The house is your house. The coat? It was the lady’s coat, left on your couch, now… ruined.
She’s a nurse earning $120k, lives with family, and apparently can’t afford to replace a coat. You’ve been helping her manage debt, setting up an IRS payment plan, and trying to keep her from losing her wages. Now she’s asking you to foot the bill for a coat she left in a cat‑friendly environment.
The question on the subreddit: Am I the asshole for refusing to pay for a $1,000 coat?
Comment Thread (in true Cheezburger style)
“I would never say that my pets peeing or ruining someone's stuff was their fault. Even if they left it on the floor, I would feel so bad I would still try to replace it. Even if that meant slow payments. But maybe it's just how I was raised.”
“That holds water if she was instructed to hang it, then declined, then given instructions on how to clean it and declined.”
“Exactly, she could've had it cleaned the next day at OP's expense and it would've been fine. Waiting weeks is crazy. It's her problem now.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I feel horrible about what happened. If I were swimming in cash and it wasn’t an issue, I probably would’ve just bought a replacement even if I didn’t feel responsible, just to avoid the stress. But that’s not where I am in life right now. And honestly, I would never expect someone to pay me back if the situation were reversed. Maybe that’s just how I was raised.”
“I agree. Cats shouldn't be pissing on guests' stuff, and it's not usually reasonable to worry about that happening to something on the back of a couch. It's not like she left the coat on the floor. However, it's also not reasonable to have a $1000 coat and make it others' problem.”
“I think offering to take care of cleaning the coat is fair. If that doesn't work, maybe they can find a used replacement and contribute to the cost? Pay it over time?”
TL;DR: Cat pee + expensive coat = financial nightmare. Host offered cleaning, lady demanded a $1,000 replacement. Verdict: You’re not the asshole, but the situation is a mess that only a cat‑friendly lawyer and a nurse with a $120k salary can solve.