Jessie is getting married in three months and just found out that one of her bridesmaids is planning on bringing her young daughter as her plus one. When Jessie asked who would be watching the child during the wedding, she said she was also bring the child’s emotional support cat who will keep her busy. Jessie doesn’t want a child at her wedding, let alone a child with a cat. But the bridesmaid has already bought a dress, flights and hotel
Jessie: So. So I have a bridesmaid. She’s a really good friend of mine, and I’m getting married in three months. And she told me the other day that her plus one for the wedding is her ten year old daughter.
Ayla Brown: Okay. That’s not unusual, is it? Unless it’s an adults only web wedding.
Jessie: Well, so that was the whole point. The point was we weren’t expecting any kids at our wedding. Okay. I was just going to be adults only, but it was kind of unsaid. So maybe I should have said it, but it was kind of unsaid. And so when she responded the other day and said she was bringing her ten year old, I said, okay, no problem. So is your mom coming, you know, to help keep an eye on her because she’s my bridesmaid.
Ayla Brown: And she’s going to be busy? Who’s watching the ten year old, since at ten you’re not really old enough to take care of yourself, but you’re also not being bottle fed and you’re not a newborn..
Jessie: Yeah, but here’s what’s weirder. She tells me that her daughter will be fine because she travels with a service cat like a support cat.
Ayla Brown: Say, that wasn’t me laughing. That was Jim. You guys all heard. I’m trying to be open minded about this, because when you say service animals, I think animals that are helping people in need. And so, the ten year old has a service cat.
Jessie: Yes, she has a service cat. And she has assured me that her and the service cat just kind of sit in the corner and entertain themselves and that she’s not going to be a bother to the wedding. But I just feel like that’s kind of weird.
Ayla Brown: Like, yeah, what if someone has a cat allergy, right?
Jessie: But is that a real thing? Is a service cat like a real thing?
Ayla Brown: Does she have documentation that says that she can?
Jessie: You know, she said that the cat travels with her, that this is not the first trip, that they’ve done it before and that she travels with this service cat.
Ayla Brown: You know, like if you go into a restaurant or a store and you see some people with service dogs. So does that mean she can bring the service cat into restaurants? I guess.
Jessie: So. I would think so. But that seems weird because there’s so many people allergic to cats,
Ayla Brown: For sure, But there are people who are allergic to dogs too. So, you know, this is a problem on so many levels. So are you going to disinvite your bridesmaid with the daughter with the emotional service cat?
Jessie: That’s my dilemma right now. Like, that’s really what I’m trying to figure out. First thing is, do I just say, okay, well, never mind. You can’t be my bridesmaid. But she’s already purchased the dress. She’s already bought the plane ticket. You know, she’s already invested in being a part of my wedding. So I feel bad disinviting her. But the other part of it is, do I allow her ten year old daughter to be the center of my wedding with this cat?
