Friend Group Does Not Like Co-Worker
DEAR HARRIETTE: Over the summer, I became extremely close friends with a new co-worker. We talked whenever we worked together and eventually began hanging out outside of work. The semester just began and all my other friends have returned to campus, and a few of them don't like the co-worker I befriended. Before I knew my co-worker, they were all friends and didn't end on the best of terms. I'm in an extremely awkward situation. I love my co-worker and we've become close, but I also adore my friends; however, I don't want their own history to cloud my feelings. How should I move about this situation and navigate my friendships? -- Friend or Foe
DEAR FRIEND OR FOE: Unfortunately, you cannot force this friend on your current friend group. You can choose to be that person's friend and spend time with the co-worker separately. In that case, be sure to let your friend group know you two are friends. That way nobody is surprised if you all find yourselves at the same place. But don't be naive in thinking you can transform their bond. Don't try.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I was pet sitting my friend's cat, and it ended with an emergency visit to the vet. Everything was going fine until I noticed she vomited multiple times around the house, so I called my friend to alert her and took her cat to the vet. It turned out the cat ate the roommate's hair tie and needed to get a $7,000 surgery, which I agreed to before talking to my friend. She was understandably extremely upset when I told her what happened. She was worried about her cat and was also overwhelmed by the unexpected $7,000 surgery. I feel awful this happened while the cat was in my care, even though I had no idea she had eaten the hair tie. I was watching the cat responsibly and acted as soon as I realized something was wrong. Now I am worried about who is responsible for paying the vet bill. My friend believes that because the cat was under my care when she became sick, I should be responsible for at least some of the cost. I don't think that is fair, because I did not give the cat the hair tie or know she had swallowed it. I also feel like this was a completely unexpected accident that could have happened even if my friend had been the one watching her. Should I be responsible for the $7,000 vet bill simply because the cat was in my care when the accident happened? -- Pet Sitter
DEAR PET SITTER: This is an extremely unfortunate situation. No, you are not responsible for footing the $7,000 bill. The mistake you made -- a big one -- was to go ahead with the surgery without informing your friend and getting her consent to do the surgery. Just as with humans, a doctor should get consent from a responsible party. You did not have the authority to OK that surgery and the contingent expense. If you ever watch a pet again, don't agree to an expense, surgery or any other extreme situation without express permission from the pet owner.
========
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)
Copyright 2026, Harriette Cole
COPYRIGHT 2026 Andrews McMeel Syndication. This feature may not be reproduced or distributed electronically, in print or otherwise without the written permission of Andrews McMeel Syndication.
Comments