How Getting a Pet Changes Your Romantic Relationship

Balancing two loves can be tough. A lot of relationships look like this: First comes moving in together, then comes adopting a pet. Maybe you've argued over whose day it is to walk the dog or maybe you realized what a great dad your dude will be one day thanks to his pet-parenting skills. Taking care of an animal is a good way to gauge how well you work as a team and to find out what makes your partner tick. It might even be something that helps you decide if you want to take the next serious step in your relationship. Here, nine women divulge what happened when they and their partners added a furry friend into the mix.Jenn S."After about two years of dating and one of living together, my boyfriend and I decided to get our cat Janis as a way to relieve any tension in our tiny, practically studio-sized New York City apartment. It turned out Janis was just what we needed. She is the perfect distraction when one of us is occupied or just needs some alone time—and it's great having another cuddle buddy in the house! Just a year after getting her, we welcomed her little brother, Jimi, into our tiny apartment so she wouldn't be lonely while we were at work. Now we're one big happy family." —Jenn S.RELATED: 9 Beauty Lessons I Learned from My CatBrianna S."When my boyfriend and I got Bailey, we immediately fell in love with her. It may sound strange to non-pet owners, but she is legitimately like our child. The first time she got sick, my boyfriend rushed right home from work, made her a special meal with chicken and rice to help calm her stomach, and cancelled his plans so that he could stay home and keep an eye on her. It really spoke volumes about how my boyfriend would be as a father and how he would step up to share the responsibility of real children someday. He is the most caring pet owner, fiercely defends her if anyone makes a negative comment about her, and loves her more than anything—besides me. Raising a pet together really took our relationship to the next level. It helped both of us to see the other in a parenting role and facilitated discussions about how we would raise our kids someday." —Brianna S.Tonya R."I rescued an abandoned dog on New Year’s Eve. He's been a point of contention in my house because he's so attached to my boyfriend. We've fought because the dog wants to take my place. The dog wants to take my place in bed, and he snaps at my hand if I try to move him. He also pees on my clothes. He loves me, but he also wants to replace me—classic doggy Oedipal complex." —Tonya R. Flor A."I got Elliot, a peach-faced lovebird, when I was living in California back in October 2011. I brought him to New York with me the next year when I moved back here. Ben, my then-boyfriend and now-fiancé, picked us up at the airport and was the first person that Elliot saw in New York City. Elliot is four years old and loves Ben. When I am at work and Ben is home, he will spend time with the bird, feed him bagels, pizza, or whatever carbs he can find him. Ben really cares for the bird. I’m lucky—not loving Elliot as much as me was not an option. Elliot has such a personality for such a small bird, and sometimes you do need patience with him. Even when he has a fit, Ben will still kiss him or give him food. I'm lucky that I have a man that understands my love for my pet. He knows I will never abandon my baby bird and that I’ll take care of Elliot no matter what."—Flor A. Sandra Roldan"All my terms of endearment, pet names, baby voices, and cute-speak are directed at my cat, not my boyfriend. Plus, I prefer to sleep in my own bed with my cat than sleep in my boyfriend's bed with no cat." —Sandra Roldan, WomensHealthMag.com senior web producerRELATED: The Scary Way Your Cat Could Be Changing Your PersonalityElizabeth A."The boyfriend tried to declare a ‘no cats in the bedroom’ rule in our new apartment, which I couldn't get on-board with. Needless to say, the cats won!" —Elizabeth A.Kathy D."My boyfriend and I have been living together for a while now, and we thought the next logical step would be—no, not a baby—but something like it. We got a husky in January. We had spoken previously about how much of a commitment it would be, so we got him while I was on break from school, and fortunately, my boyfriend was able to work from home. We've been super hands-on, and it’s brought us closer. We go for long walks now and are more active because of him. It's gotten to the point where we alter our plans for him. If we're out, we make sure to be home for his feeding time and potty time or we just take him with us. We also find ourselves going on a bunch of puppy dates, which is fun and tires our dog out." —Kathy D. Christina Heiser"Around the time that I moved out of my parents' house three years ago and into my own apartment, my mom got an adorable orange tabby cat. On the weekends,  I force my boyfriend to hang out at my parents' place so that we can both play with her. He was never an animal person, but Zoe changed his mind. We’ve lived together for a year and are planning to get a kitten of our own when we move into a new apartment. Even though we don’t have one of our own yet, spending time with my family’s cat and planning to adopt one of our own has brought us closer. We’ll e-mail each other photos of kittens that are up for adoption at local shelters, and we’ve talked about what we want to name him or her like it's a baby—my top pick for a boy is Zeus. We just can’t agree on the breed—I love orange tabbies, but he wants a gray one." —Christina Heiser, WomensHealthMag.com senior associate editorRELATED: Science Says There Really Is a Difference Between Dog People and Cat PeopleAngela W."Getting a puppy changes a lot. Greg and I had been dating for more than two years, and three months after we moved in together, we rescued our dog Milhouse, a lab mix and 50 pound full-grown boy. I know you should never compare your dog to a baby, but really, it's good prep! This past March, we met up with his neighborhood dog friend Link—we let the two of them off their leashes together, and as myself and Link's owner went to get the dogs, they started to get very devious, walking out onto a frozen pond. After 10 minutes of yelling at both dogs to come back in, we finally got them both on a leash and I took Milhouse back into the apartment. He then had a much-needed bath, and Greg kept him from jumping out of the tub while I scrubbed him down. Greg and I have become better at working together, discussing problems with each other, and adjusting our schedules. We work really well as a team, and that makes me feel good about our relationship." —Angela W. 

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