Custody...of the Pets? 

Pet lovers in the throes of divorce--are you struggling over who is going to keep Fido? Ouch. It can be a really difficult and painful experience deciding which spouse is going to get the pets that once shared your marital home.

As a pet lover myself, I could not fathom living without my cats. Seriously, I'd grab them and leave the country if anyone tried to take them from me. In my case, two of my cats were acquired long before I got married. I don't worry about anyone trying to stake a claim to them. But my other two came along after we wed, and I'd worry about that.

Sometimes it isn't a problem. Maybe your ex never really cared one way or the other about your pets in the first place and has no qualms about you taking them with you. Perhaps you entered the marriage with your dog in tow and the ex wouldn't even bother trying to stake a claim. It can be easy.

But then, sometimes, it isn't easy. What if you both love the pets equally? You adopted the pet together, as a couple, and much like with a child, there will be a battle on the horizon. I've heard stories and seen movies where one party just snatches up the pets in question, just to be spiteful. Sometimes they don't even keep them! They just wanted to hurt you. As far as I know, there aren't custody agreements regarding pets; it is what it is. It is a grey area, to say the least.

Plus, it isn't really feasible to have alternate weekends and wacky visitation schedules with pets. So how to decide?

Try to consider each other's feelings. If you both loved the pet(s) in question, try and work it out rationally. Is one of you moving to a small apartment where the pet wouldn't be as comfortable? If you have children, who will the custodial parent be? If the pet is very comfortable with your kids, maybe it should go with them. Will one of you perhaps not have the time to take care of the pet anymore? Remember that your pet loves you back and deserves some consideration as well. Try and be a big person and do what is best, not simply what would make you happier.

Pets are often overlooked since they are not human, but true pet lovers know that animals are part of the family and should be treated as such. It can be hard to part with your pet if you decide to divorce, but if you truly know that the other party would take better care of your cats or dogs (or birds, snakes, rabbits, etc...), don't fight just for the sake of fighting. It might feel good to stick it to your ex, but if you end up not taking good care of Fido, everyone gets hurt in the long run.