October 13, 2026
Who gets the cat?
Judges really do not want their courts cluttered up by arguments about it.
THE CASE
The judge in Burton v. Harrison eventually took the time to award ownership of the cat to the proper person.
But first they commented:
[9] Yet here we are with two very experienced counsel arguing over Maui the cat. One is spending his client’s funds to do so, the other is being paid by the government. The court is funded by the government.
[10] This is an abomination.
The issue of who was entitled to the cat was part of a family law proceeding.
As the judge also noted, family law courts are backlogged. The system is struggling. The law of Ontario is clear that cats are property. As much as we may love our pets, other issues such as parenting and support are more pressing and important.
The judge did not award possession of the cat to either parent. Instead, they determined that the cat was a gift to one specific child. Presumably, the cat now simply goes where that child goes. This was supported by evidence that the cat loved the child, and the child loved it.
THE REAL ISSUE
The waste of valuable court resources is a serious issue,
So serious that the REAL issue is how judges react to parties who waste their time.
Judges are people too. They have limited patience for time wasters.
The use of the string word “abomination” is a big clue.
If you appear to be the one wasting time on minor issues, like who gets the cat, that creates the very real risk to you that the judge will think that you are not being reasonable.
And at the end of the day, reasonableness often equates with fairness, and fairness often is the deciding factor in cases.
Unfortunately, in addition to parties who lose perspective, some lawyers seem to be comfortable arguing about every minor issue, losing sight of the big picture.
In family law, where parenting is so much about attitude, creating a bad impression may tip the scales as to what are the best interests of the child, or the reasonableness of a support request.
This applies to disputes outside of family law as well.
WHAT WEILERS LLP CAN DO TO HELP YOU
We understand how judges think, what they want to hear, and what they DON’T want to hear.
We are hard working, smart, practical lawyers. Part of being practical means that we are not cheerleaders. We do not just tell clients what they want to hear. We give our clients sound advice.
We help clients see the big picture and chart a course to the best and most cost-effective result
Even when that means telling a client that arguing about the cat is a bad idea.
If you need sound cost-effective advice and representation about family law, or other disputes, give Weilers LLP a call. We might be the right lawyers for you.