Animal-Loving Bhopal Couple Divorces Over Pet Conflicts

The bond of a Bhopal couple, built on a shared love for animals and fostered through online interactions and photos of their pets, ended in divorce. The couple, who met through their mutual fondness for animals, married after their friendship developed. However, after they began living together, disagreements about their pets led to significant conflict. The husband claimed that his wife’s cats would harass his dog, while the wife brought her cats against his wishes. The husband also mentioned that the cat would often go near the fish tank. Despite attempts at reconciliation through family counseling and mediation, the couple decided to divorce. According to family counselor Shail Awasthi, the situation represents a broader issue of isolation within families, where people sometimes place more importance on their pets than on human relationships. He explained that marriages can collapse when neither partner is willing to adjust, reflecting a growing trend of people believing that pets can take the place of human connections.