It’s very true because I know too many people who underwent all kind of issues with that during and post divorce. Usually it’s accomplished by tugging on your heart’s strings.

The worst ones are the ones that insist on 50/50 custody with the pets. You’d be tied to the person for next how many years. If it’s turtle then it might be another hundred years lol

And some let it go until they start harassing you about it years after divorce. My husband and his ex split the cats but she’d not leave him alone demanding the other cat. We were already a couple just not living together yet, the kids told her about me and I suspect that’s why she demanded the other cat so I’d not end up with it. He gave it to her because it was just not worth the fight. She was good with cats, so he didn’t feel too horrible, just sad

Sadly many people do these kind of manipulation with kids all the time but if there are no kids or kids are adults, they’d use pets in their manipulation games