To think allowing your dc to chase ducks / birds is just wrong

[Fairylea]

Just come back from a visit to the nearby pond to feed the ducks with my family. Ds and dd were enjoying throwing some duck seed and looking at them.

Along came 2 boys of a similar age to my dd (9) with their mum who proceeded to run at our gathering of ducks and frighten the life out of them. Effectively enjoying making them run away and scaring them. The mum looked bemused until she saw me glare at her and then she half heartedly said to the boys "oh don't do that, that family is feeding them".

Now yes some might say they are just ducks, does it matter etc. But I've seen so many dc do this recently (we visit the pond a lot) and parents seem to think it's some kind of acceptable game. It's cruel and unnecessary. Feed the ducks or birds ffs don't bloody chase them!

I admit it's perhaps rather petty but I think it's so wrong to teach children to take delight in scaring animals even if it is just chasing them.

Rant over. And breathe.

No idea if I'm being unreasonable or not. Surely I can't be the only one who feels like this?

My mum is scared of birds, absolutely petrified. She can't go into a house with a bird there in a cage. She would obviously stay away from areas like parks which might have a lot of birds or ducks in them. When I was a child I used to have to chase the birds away from the street if they were in the way. I hated doing it as I didn't like them when they became flappy and still dont.

I am a nice person (well I think so anyway) and my mum being scared of birds has not meant Ive grown up to be abusive.

And I don't think kids should be indulged in learning it's fun to scare something that can't really defend itself.

^ this.

I just don't understand the mentality of someone who would want to cause distress to an animal, bird, insect whatever. Why would you?? Why would you teach your children that it's ok to have fun at the expense of another creature's distress? Is that how you want them to grow up?

I eat meat and I wear leather. If I were in a situation where it's me or the animal/whatever, then fine. But a living creature just getting on with its own business; I just don't think very highly of anyone who thinks it's fun to torment, bother, scare or harm them.

A lot of the time, I don't like humans very much.

We (DS, OH and myself) were quietly sitting on a bank when a swan came over with some big sygnets, she was happy with our presence as she came up to us and it was nice to sit and watch them. A large dog, no owner in sight then came bounding up and swan hissed a lot, obviously wasn't too happy with big dog.

Eventually the owner polled up with a child in a buggy "Oh look a swan, Oh look at dog saying hello to the swan, oh the swan is hissing"...she just didnt take the hint that maybe she should pull her dog back. I realise the swan could of swam off had it been totally upset but it hissing is its way of saying 'fuck off'

it hissing is its way of saying 'fuck off'

Or possibly: 'Enter the water, big dog, and my husband and I are going to drown you.'

But I realise that I'm investing animals with human emotions, rather than thinking people shouldn't do things that are anti-social and a bit shitty, if not exactly cruel.

Crabby - not sure I am following your argument.....

...it is fine to kill and eat or wear animals, but not to 'bother' them?

No need for the face Nessie I'm merely saying that I personally don't understand and don't respect someone who takes pleasure in causing distress to another living creature.

The hunting of animals for food (and clothing etc as a byproduct) is as old as the human race. If farming and hunting are done humanely and with respect for the animal, I don't personally have a problem with that at all. But deliberately frightening, distressing, hurting or killing something just because you think that's fun - I find it repulsive to take pleasure in that.

Apologies for the face then Crabby - no offence intended.

I am not sure we could call clothing a byproduct these days. Plus there are many things as old as the human race - doesn't mean they are acceptable or good.

And, I wouldn't be surprised if children chasing birds for fun was around for just as long!

Ha! Actually when I think about it - children chasing things is early predatory behaviour, isn't it. So yes, I would imagine that is also as old as the human race.

Plus there are many things as old as the human race - doesn't mean they are acceptable or good.
I agree entirely with this.

I am not sure we could call clothing a byproduct these days.
I don't know, to be honest. I guess that the best cattle for meat or dairy farming are not necessarily the best for leather, so you could well be right. I don't often buy leather shoes (maybe once a year for DD, once every two years at most for myself) so I haven't given it a great deal of thought. I will now though.

My point was that I don't disagree with the farming of animals, so long as that is done humanely and the animals have a decent quality of life (and humanely slaughtered, although that's much harder to ascertain, unfortunately). I also think that the animals who are raised for food would not exist at all otherwise - few people would raise sheep, pigs and cattle for fun. It's their quality of life that is of primary concern to me, rather than that they will be killed and eaten.

It's the taking pleasure in (or simply not caring about) causing distress that I have an issue with. Children don't think about the consequences of their actions and aren't necessarily being intentionally cruel, but the parents who don't pull them up on scaring birds or other animals, pulling the wings off insects, killing something for the sake of it. I just genuinely don't understand it. Why would you want to raise a person who doesn't think or care about the creatures that we share the planet with?

And apology accepted, btw. Thank you for being gracious.

fuckwits.