My daughters autistic brother is ruining her life. I'm so sad for her.

Content Warning; Animal Abuse.

My daughter is nine, her brother is eleven. He isn't my son, and this isn't an anti-autism post or anything.

He's higher needs and can be violent. He has an autism dog who has helped him a ton and my daughters mom got her a cat a year ago, to kind of balance out. I have her Friday-Monday, but am heavily allergic to cats (prescribed allergy meds just to be around my daughter - I went into anaphylaxis with the over the counter stuff, and still feel like I have the worst cold in history when she comes over) so the cat doesn't travel with her.

On Monday I drove her home. She went inside and I heard her screaming almost immediately. The cat had gone into her brothers room and pissed in his 'special blankets' these blankets are a very sensitive subject for him - he broke his stepdads wrist when the man tried to pick one up.

The reaction was horrific. He, apparently, had walked in to the cat on the blankets, and in a fit of rage hit/dragged the cat so hard he shattered one of its legs. This was ten minutes before my daughter walked in.

I just had to sit there and listen to her scream because she'd picked the cat up and I couldn't touch her after that.

They took the cat to the vet and ultimately he was euthanised. I suspect there was something more than a shattered leg, but thats all I was told about.

My daughter is heartbroken. Her mom and stepdad have told her she can't get a new cat due to risk her brother poses. She's put his ashes in her bedroom at my place. To be honest I think she's trying to move in full time. As soon as she turns twelve and can pick she 100% can.

I've told her she can get a puppy with me if she wants, but she doesn't really like dogs. She's asked to stay with me full time for a bit, which her mom is barely tolerating. I feel horrible. I can't protect my baby.

I understand her brother can't help it. He's in therapy every day of the week. But as he gets older he's getting worse. My ex had a baby last year that was adopted by her sister in law because he was just too dangerous.

It makes me so angry she let that baby go somewhere safe but wont let our daughter stay with me full time.

He's stamping out her fire. It was her birthday in February, and I got her a sequin dress which she loved. But told me she couldn't take it back to her moms because it would make her brother angry.

She's nine. He's got her terrified to wear her favourite clothes in her own home and now he's killed her best friend.

I'm so angry. Its not his fault but I want to shake him into next week. I see him and I seethe with rage. I try and remain sympathetic - she does. Tells me she doesn't mind, that its okay because he doesn't understand.

And he really doesn't. Even now he's all happy smiles, when I took her back to her moms to pick up her cats ashes he ran to give her a hug and kiss her cheek and tell her that he loves her.

She's said she doesn't love him anymore and that makes her sad, which I understand. She can't forgive him. I don't blame her.

I need to get my feelings out and remain okay for her. So here I am. I don't know what to do from here. Probably go to court, again, and fight for custody, again, and maybe this time I'll win. Who knows.

Thanks for reading, if you did. I'm going to take my girl to McDonalds.