A family court in the central Indian city of Bhopal is dealing with an unusual case of marital discord, where a couple who married less than a year ago is now seeking divorce reportedly because their pet dog and cat cannot get along.
The pair, who tied the knot in December 2024, underwent court-mandated counselling and has filed for a legal separation, counsellors said, according to reports.
The husband, a Bhopal resident and an IT professional working from home, and his wife, who hails from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and works in the city, initially bonded over their love of animals, NDTV reported.
But what once drew them together has now become the central point of dispute.
During counselling sessions, the wife alleged that her husband’s dog repeatedly disturbs and has even attacked her cat, leaving her anxious about its safety. She described the situation as “unbearable”.
According to the wife, the dog “continuously barks at her cat, leaving it scared and stressed, sometimes even refusing to eat”, India Today reported.
The husband has countered that, before marriage, they had agreed the wife would not bring all her pets with her.
“Despite this, she brought her cat from her parental home,” he reportedly told counsellors, adding that the cat now loiters near the household aquarium and causes further trouble.
According to India Today, the husband said the cat has also “turned violent towards the dog multiple times”.
Attempts at mediation have failed. Both families have intervened, and multiple counselling sessions have been held in court, but neither spouse is willing to part with their pet.
“We have tried to counsel the couple several times, but the wife is not willing to give up her cat. We are making every possible effort to save this marriage,” counsellor Shail Awasthi said.
Mr Awasthi added that the case highlights a deeper issue of growing emotional dependence on animals amid rising social isolation.
“People seek companionship in pets, sometimes placing them above human relationships. When both partners refuse to adjust, marriages like these collapse. It reflects a trend of people taking relationships lightly, believing pets can substitute for human bonds,” he said.
