When Shower Hairballs Attack: A Tale of Petty Revenge, Poor Vision, and One Patient Husband
Let’s face it: living with others means navigating all sorts of household quirks, from toothpaste cap etiquette to, yes, the eternal battle of the shower drain. But what happens when you add bad eyesight, a long-haired cat, and a mischievous husband to the mix? You get a story equal parts hilarious and relatable—one that’s made Reddit’s r/PettyRevenge community both laugh and rage.
Imagine stepping into your shower, blissfully unaware of the world’s details because, without your glasses, you can only see blobs of color. Now picture sharing that shower with a feline friend who’s just as prone to shedding as you are. This is the daily reality for u/lawrish, whose tale of shower hairball drama has the internet in stitches—and maybe, just maybe, inspired some to finally clean out their own drains.
Love, Hairballs, and the Art of Not Seeing
Our protagonist’s morning ritual is a blur—literally. “Without my glasses I just see colors,” they confess. Like many visually-impaired folks, showering with corrective lenses on is a non-starter; the world turns into a Monet painting, and the only clues to what’s what are the colors of shampoo and conditioner bottles. Meanwhile, the real trouble lurks beneath their feet: a drain slowly choking on a cocktail of human and cat hair.
The plot thickens with Cali the Cat, a long-haired feline who shares a peculiar fondness for showers. Between Cali’s shedding and the author’s own, the drain stands no chance. But since u/lawrish can’t see the mess, the responsibility falls—by default—on her husband. “Husband complains that he got tons of hairs out of the drain, Cali and I look at him with sad eyes and promise to do better and we move on. Crisis averted,” she confesses, tongue firmly in cheek.
But, as Reddit’s top commenters are quick to point out, vision impairment is no excuse. “I’m borderline legally blind without my glasses on and I always put my glasses on, grab a paper towel, and get the hair out after the shower,” notes u/livelaugh-mitski, echoing a sentiment that would gather thousands of upvotes. Others, like u/Unhappy_Mountain9032, describe showering “by memory” and just scooping out the hair on autopilot. The consensus: not seeing isn’t the problem—forgetting (or conveniently ignoring) is.
When Petty Revenge Takes the Form of a “Bug”
But what happens when years of “I promise to do better” finally reach a breaking point? Enter the husband’s moment of petty genius. One day, as u/lawrish preps to brush her teeth, glasses firmly on, her eye catches a nightmare: a GIANT BUG on the shower wall. Panic, screaming, and a desperate search for a cat with a sudden aversion to pest control ensue—until her husband appears, laughing, and tells her to look again. The monstrous bug? Just a giant hairball, strategically placed for maximum visibility and (unintentional) terror.
Reddit’s response? Applause. “Your husband has the right idea. I'm glad you acknowledge that you deserve it,” says u/ClassicFantastic787, while u/witchymoon69 keeps it simple: “Well played. You deserved it.”
Of course, not everyone is so forgiving. “Weaponized incompetence,” snarks u/not_blood_kin2024, while u/Sekelton points out that repeated empty promises erode trust: “Stop doing this. It's incredibly disrespectful and the kind of thing that builds resentment.”
A few, however, admit to similar confusion—u/half-intestine-hoe confesses, “I’ve also fallen victim to thinking hair in the shower were bugs bc of my vision. And my cat’s name is Cali, too!” Sometimes, bathroom horror stories are universal.
Community Solutions: Hairball Hacks and Relationship Survival
If there’s one thing Reddit loves more than drama, it’s a solution. And the suggestions came thick and fast:
- The Wall Stick-and-Peel: “I started sticking what hair I can… to the wall of the shower, and then pulling it back off the wall as I'm getting out,” shares u/Milliebug1106. Not only does this keep hair out of the drain, but you can do it by touch—no vision required.
- Hair Traps and TubShrooms: Countless users, including u/tykytorch and u/Audiostarr, swear by drain covers like the TubShroom, which catch hair before it can wreak havoc. “It works really well and is easy to clean,” they promise. Even OP is convinced: “[I’m] going to look into that, it sounds like it could work great.”
- Routine, Routine, Routine: Several commenters, like u/AdAccomplished8342, recommend making drain-cleaning a post-shower habit: “Sometimes you'll get hair, sometimes you might not. But now it's a habit so it always gets done.” Others suggest leaving a sticky note as a reminder (u/WildYear1810).
- Accessibility Hacks: For the truly visually challenged, u/PlumPat61 suggests labeling bottles with bold letters using a magic marker, while u/YarnHoardingDragon keeps an old pair of glasses on a string by the towel rack.
And let’s not forget the creative types: u/RedHeeded collects hair to spell out “I love you” messages on the shower wall (it hasn’t solved the problem, but it’s certainly memorable), while u/No-Culture-698 makes “faces and landscapes.” It’s bathroom art at its hairiest.
The Real Takeaway: Respect, Compromise, and a Little Laughter
Beneath the laughs and lighthearted revenge lies a deeper message, echoed by many in the thread: living together means cleaning up after yourself—and respecting the little chores that keep things running smoothly. As u/Tomj_Oad bluntly puts it, “It sounds like you're just being lazy and claiming you're 'too blind' to do it sounds like you're 14.”
But just as important is the ability to laugh (eventually) at our own foibles—and to appreciate a partner willing to teach with a clever prank rather than a fight. After all, as u/No_Thought_7776 admits, “I'm the person shedding in my home. I'm surprised I have not gone bald.”
So next time you step out of a steamy shower, remember: a few seconds of drain duty (with or without glasses) might save you from plumbing nightmares—and from your own “giant bug” surprise.
What’s your most ridiculous household chore standoff? Have you ever fallen victim to a hairball prank—or staged one yourself? Share your best stories, hacks, and petty revenges in the comments below!
Original Reddit Post: Shower revenge