Worrying so much about animals

[AllThatTwitters]

I have always been sentimental about animals but nowadays it really occupies my mind quite a lot, and it just upsets me so much that there is SO much animal suffering worldwide, and even so many pets that are badly treated. They are vulnerable babies and it has pretty much been proven now that a dog has the same emotional range as a toddler and that other animals can also feel emotion.
I have gotten to the stage that if I wake up during a rainy night I fret about all the horses/dogs etc left out in the rain, and Jesus don't even get me started on the heatwaves....
Does anyone relate? I pour love on my own pets and I donate to charities but it doesn't assuage the worry!

I disagree. Killing an animal for food is part of nature. Even other animals kill for food.

Causing unnecessary suffering through negligence or cruelty is something different entirely.

I get this. I also think it's partly down to the fact that animals are usually completely helpless. They don't understand what is happening to them and have no way to change it. People usually have choices.

The thing is people ARE animals. In our arrogance, we seem to think that we are more important than any other species, but this isn't really true.

Grandad always used to say that on the day of judgment, the animals will talk. They will speak of how they were treated.

I hope that he is right!

She's waking in the night because horses, that live outside naturally, are in the rain. That's what I'm talking specifically about.

It's literally nothing to do with animal cruelty.

Not to mention that it IS unnecessary to eat animals.

Not that I don't, but I'm not woken by anxiety in the night over horses in the rain.

@MidnightMeltdown "Grandad always used to say that on the day of judgment, the animals will talk. They will speak of how they were treated."

Human animals already are speaking of how they are treated....

CurlewKate I knew it wouldn't be long before someone said this! Why would I need therapy? I don't hate children/people,and I would certainly never ever harm one in any way,or wish harm on one. I just can't get worked up about them the way I do about animals. I think Nw2 has summed it up perfectly by saying that animal suffering upsets them far more because animals are innocent,whereas people are usually to blame for all the problems.

Animals aren't factory farming each other in horrific conditions so they can eat. Its a stupid comparison.

You do you.

Many people will think it's odd that you're feeling more distressed about animal cruelty or abuse than you are about humans.

Doesn't necessarily mean any side is wrong.

If you feel like it's seriously impacting your life, seek out some counselling for that.

I agree with you OP and all the other posters in this thread, I get it. I knew people would come along and nitpick about veganism or daring to say animal suffering affects us more than human suffering.

I’m so glad to hear there are others who care so much about animals too. It is wonderful to have that love and respect for them and their place in the world.

@ALongHardWinter "people are usually to blame for all the problems."

Children? Right.

CurlewKate No,people,i.e. adults,cause the children's problems.

I don't understand why some people get worked up when a group of people state how hard they find animal cruelty. Then comparing how we kill animals, treat them in general to the wild or say that humans matter more.

There is room for people to love both animals and people, to feel a deep sadness at how vulnerable and innocent animals are treated by us. It's always us. Humans.

Animals suffer incomprehensible misery because of US. As a species humans are the ones who treat the planet, the animals and each other in the worst possible way. However mention that and there's outcry at how sad it is to feel so much for an animal vs a person.

I'm fine stating that I feel more for animals than I do for humanity. Doesn't mean I need therapy. The world needs people who recognise the cruelty that is done day after day to animals because as a whole we can try to do better for them.

I'm like this with the elderly. Even tho there's a high chance they will have family and are not lonely, they are just alone at that moment when I interact with them, I start to worry about them and honestly sometimes leave an interaction with tears in my eyes feeling awful that they're probably alone. I know it's not that same so probably a wasted contribution

@ALongHardWinter No,people,i.e. adults,cause the children's problem"

So it's OK to be indifferent to the suffering of children. Right. I really, really suggest that you need therapy.

Yes. But animals also cause animal problems.

When people seem to think that the majority of animal problems are caused by humans and therefore, animals are superior in some way is a silly argument.

It's not at all equivalent to humans causing human children problems.

That's why people who don't think animals are in some way biologically superior get criticised.

I don't buy anything tested on animals. I'd love to buy posh perfume but I can't find any that isn't tested on animals so I don't.
I don't eat meat, I have rescue dogs and volunteer/ support them. I feed the wild birds and encourage wildlife in my garden, don't participate in animal attractions as a tourist. I only look at trophy hunting/fur farms etc stuff on Facebook because it exposes celebs so I can avoid watching anything that they feature in- Phil from location location, Alan Titchmarsh, Tyson Fury etc I hate them all. There are loads but there's also lots that help animals- Chris Packham, Joaquin Phoenix etc.

Can’t relate at all. I sometimes find it hard to sleep when I think about the suffering of women and children in the world though.

"The world needs people who recognise the cruelty that is done day after day to animals because as a whole we can try to do better for them." Of course it does. It is possible to also recognise the cruelty done day to day to humans. It's not one or the other.

I feel like this when I think about starving or abused children, people doing back breaking work in poor countries damaged by climate change caused by developed countries, women and girls under the Taliban, the idea of people captured by the likes of Fred West, people dying of terminal diseases in horrendous pain etc. There’s no room in my head to obsess about animal cruelty as well, although if I see it, I feel very bad in the moment.

Totally feel the same. This has basically stopped me from holidaying abroad as the stray animals upset me so much. You feel so powerless, it's very hard. I was sat watching the pigeon in the rain this morning thinking how soggy and miserable they looked, daft really.

I have worked in several slaughter houses. Let me assure you it would make a difference to them.

Focus on things you can do, like going vegan so that female cows don't repeatedly have to give birth and have their babies taken and slaughtered so we can have their milk.

@CurlewKate

We can worry about both children and animals. It doesn't have to be one or the other.