Surviving the First Year of Marriage: Rob's Cats

Dr. Phil speaks with newlyweds about what they should've discussed before they got married.

It was a difficult first year of marriage for Sandi and Rob. Their problems began when Rob brought his two cats into their house.

"I've had my cats for 12 years," says Rob. "She didn't give me any indication that she didn't like my cats."

Sandi's daughter is allergic to cats. "They spread their unwelcome cat dander into our house," Sandi says. When her daughter woke up in the middle of the night having a hard time breathing, she ended up in the emergency room.

"I've done everything I can to adjust to her hatred of my cats," says Rob, who turned one of their suites into a cat palace. He even sealed the suite off from the rest of the house, so that the dander wouldn't travel.

"Am I being too selfish in asking him to get rid of the cats?" asks Sandi.

Dr. Phil starts by admitting he is a "serious cat man," and shows the audience some pictures of his cats. "Robin hated my cats," he says.

Robin defends herself, saying, "It wasn't so much the cats, it was you with the cats." She demonstrates how Dr. Phil would snuggle with the cat while she stood there saying, "Hello? I'm here."

Sandi can relate, because Rob often snuggles with his cats too.
Dr. Phil tells Sandi and Rob that it's not

about the cats, it's about their problem-solving skills. He says to Rob, "If it's a health issue that puts your daughter in jeopardy, it isn't even a close call. You've got to do something responsible with the cats, you've got to find them a home."

He turns to Sandi, "If you are resenting that he pampers the cats and not you, that's an emotional issue. That's not a cat issue. You've got to deconstruct this and find out what the real issue is," he says.