A woman on Reddit is sharing how she has put her pets’ safety over having her nephew visit. 

“I (32F) have always had a rocky relationship with my sister (37F). Growing up, she was my first bully, and to this day, our interactions are tense and draining. She, her husband and her 4-year-old son visit my home every few weeks to see my mom, who lives with me,” she began.

The woman shared that the problem arises when her nephew visits and terrorizes her cats.

“Here’s where the conflict comes in: I have two cats, including a 1-year-old tortie who is not fond of being harassed. Every time they visit, my nephew chases the cats, throws toys at them, traps them in rooms, and screams in their faces. My tortie has nearly scratched him before. I’ve asked my sister to help manage his behavior around my cats, but she either dismisses it or enables it. For example, when he demands the cats, she’ll pick them up and try to hand them to him,” she said.

Interactions between the family members reached a boiling point when the sister and her nephew visited recently.

“During their most recent visit, I wasn’t feeling well and went to lie down after saying a quick hello. Not long after, I heard my nephew yelling at my tortie and chasing her around the house. He demanded my sister bring him the cat, and she actually tried to hand my tortie over to him. I came out and calmly reminded her not to force my cats to interact because it stresses them out,” the woman shared.

“She got defensive and snapped, ‘Do you not want us here?’ I tried to explain I wasn’t feeling well and just needed a quiet day, but she doubled down, accusing me of being mean and selfish. I finally said, ‘Right, everything revolves around you,’ and walked away,” she continued.

The sister ended up crying from the interaction and called the woman “cruel.”

“She stormed out crying, told my mom I was cruel and unapproachable, and later texted me that I’m a bad sister because I don’t ask about her or her child. (For context, the last time she called me was just to brag about her promotion — she never asks about me or my life.) Now my mom is upset with me for hurting her feelings, and I’m wondering if I was too harsh. On one hand, I feel like I’m justified in setting boundaries for my home and my cats. On the other hand, I can’t help but wonder if I could have handled this differently?” she concluded.

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Users in the comments section sounded off, with them siding with the woman.

“Your sister and your nephew are treating your home like their home. It’s not. They don’t live there, and, as guests, they should follow your house rules. I’m sure if your cat could speak, she’d say the same thing,” one person said.

“Tell your mom she can go live with your sister if they can’t be respectful of you and your animals,” another added.

“If your sister can’t manage her child & stop actively putting your cats at risk of injury, she can pick mom out & take her someplace else to visit. I suggest lunch, a park or her home. If she refuses to respect you & your home then she is in fact unwelcome,” someone else chimed in.

“Tell your mom that she can go live with your sister if the problem is your sister feelings and not yours. You are a doormat,” another shared.