When Revenge Smells Like Cat Poop: The Wild Tale of an Abusive Ex, a Nightmare Apartment, and Sweet, Petty Justice
Breaking up is hard to do—even harder when your ex is a tornado of chaos, destruction, and questionable hygiene. What happens when you finally snap and decide to get some closure…by involving the landlord, the housing authority, and maybe a little petty revenge? Pull up a chair, because this is one Redditor’s gloriously messy, oddly cathartic story of abuse, boundaries, and the world’s grossest bathtub.
Let’s set the scene. Five years of walking on eggshells with a verbally and sometimes physically abusive boyfriend—a man whose mother still swoops in to bail him out, whose self-destructive tendencies are rivaled only by his ability to destroy property. Our protagonist, u/ThrowingDoots, never moved in with him (smart) but lived just a few blocks away. After finally breaking it off, she got sucked back in, as so many do—because toxic relationships have a gravitational pull that would make a black hole jealous.
But this time, the cycle snapped with a bang. After three days of “fun” that involved her ex taking her money, gaslighting her, and capping it off with wild accusations (“you stole and then replaced thousands of dollars”—sure, Jan), OP got a front-row seat to his living situation. And, reader, it was a horror show, somewhere between a Hoarders episode and a post-apocalyptic survival bunker.
We’re talking roaches, “spa-sized bathtub turned litter box with a 6-inch layer of cat poop,” no running water, trashed walls and ceilings, and knee-high garbage. There were “relics” of their relationship (half-eaten food, anyone?) still rotting in place, and the toilet had become a biohazard level threat. Even the most hardened Cleantok influencer would have noped out.
Now, as OP astutely observed, this wasn’t just a sign of depression—it was wanton destruction of someone else’s property. “Clearly this is a manifestation of his depression, but it’s also an egregious destruction of property and a perfect representation of how he treats the people and things in his life,” she wrote, summing up what many in the r/PettyRevenge community were thinking. As u/InternationalOil540 bluntly put it, “If he wasn’t living like a hoarder & slob there would be nothing to report... now you’re fed up and this is a way to hold him accountable for something.” Sometimes, accountability comes with a side of schadenfreude.
But here’s the twist: The landlords weren’t some faceless corporation. They were young professionals, making ends meet off this one property, raising kids, and not the type to do annual inspections. OP felt a kindred spirit—she too is a homeowner, renting at cost to family, and shuddered at the thought of her own property being trashed by someone like this. As she wrote, “Their only crime was ethically renting an apartment to this black hole of a man.”
So, equipped with righteous anger and a healthy dose of pettiness, OP filed complaints with the housing authority, the HDLC, and the landlords themselves. “I can’t unslap my face or get rid of all the things he’s said to me over the years, but I can prevent further decrepitude and get some solace out of it. And get him out of my neighborhood,” she declared.
The Reddit community erupted with support, concern, and a few pearls of wisdom:
- “Stay as far away from him as you can…” advised u/Significant_Limit_68, echoing the chorus of “block him everywhere and go full NC (no contact) forever.”
- “The cycle of going back is so hard to break but someone with that history is only going to keep escalating,” warned u/Wsbaugh73, a sentiment that resonated with many who know how tough it is to break free from abusive patterns.
- “Taking a life in his past—yeah, he needs help,” commented u/punkrockloser58, touching on the heavy trauma at the core of her ex’s dysfunction (and OP clarified: it was an accident, but still deeply unresolved).
- The practical side of the community couldn’t help but worry about the neighbors and the poor cat. “If he has roaches ALLLL his neighbors have roaches. I am living with this hell right now because of filthy nasty neighbors. Good for you for reporting him and fuck him,” ranted u/Flat-Mountain-2414, bringing a real-world perspective to what happens when one bad apartment turns an entire building into an insect theme park.
There were also voices of experience and empathy, like u/Switch-in-MD, themselves a recovering alcoholic and landlord: “The disease of alcoholism hurts us, and those around us, way too much. It’s tragic... You were absolutely right to use appropriate reporting standards to protect the other tenants and give the landlord notice of the property damage. He doesn’t get a pass because he is sick.” Sometimes, tough love is the only real love left to give.
But what about the morality of petty revenge? Was this just a scorned ex-girlfriend’s vendetta? Not so fast. As several commenters pointed out, reporting the disaster wasn’t just about vengeance—it was about protecting the property, the community, and the future. “Telling the landlord is the right thing to do. They will be grateful. Also the neighbors before rats, mice, or ants invade the place,” wrote u/catincal, who speaks for every city dweller who’s ever suffered because of one nightmare tenant.
As for OP, she owned her actions. “Yes, I’m a scorned ex girlfriend for very good reason, and I will own that—but I’m not a victim, I am naive and believe in lots of chances,” she confessed, and the community rallied behind her. Sometimes, the right thing and the satisfying thing are one and the same.
So, what’s the lesson here? If you’re stuck in a toxic cycle, let the disaster of your ex’s apartment be your cautionary tale—and your nudge to finally break free. Petty revenge might not heal old wounds, but it can be the first step to reclaiming your life, your neighborhood, and (if you’re a landlord) your security deposit.
What would you have done in OP’s shoes? Ever had to get creative to hold someone accountable? Share your tales of petty revenge—and hard-won freedom—in the comments below!
Original Reddit Post: My ex was abusive, so I called his landlord.