AITJ for refusing to go to my bestfriend birthday because of my cat?

i have a best friend, let’s call her jenny, and her 25th birthday is coming up this sunday. we’ve all been looking forward to it for weeks because a month ago we planned this party together, picked the theme, and even discussed who’d bring what. everyone in our friend group is excited to celebrate with her, and i was really hyped too, because birthdays are a big deal and jenny is like family to me.

a few days ago, she told me something that completely caught me off guard: no pets are allowed at her party. she knows i have a cat, Trixie, and that i live alone. i explained that i literally can’t leave her alone for hours, she’s my responsibility and i can’t just drop her off anywhere or hire a sitter.

i even offered a solution: i have a cat cage that i could carry her in safely, and she wouldn’t disturb anyone. i assured her i’d keep her contained and that she wouldn’t be a problem. but jenny still said no, flat out. she didn’t seem to want to compromise at all.

after thinking it over, i realized i couldn’t just ignore Trixie or risk her being alone for that long. it hurt because jenny is my best friend and i really wanted to celebrate with her, but i had to put my responsibility to my cat first. i told her i wouldn’t be attending the party, even though it was her birthday.

it’s frustrating because i feel like i tried to meet her halfway, but she wasn’t willing to meet me even a little. it’s a tough situation.. i want to support my best friend, but i also have to care for Trixie. this whole thing has left me disappointed and questioning how flexible our friendship really is when it comes to something i care so deeply about. 🐱