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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think you shouldn't let dc kill ants, ladybirds, etc./scare birds, cats, etc.

88 replies

user1469643462 · 31/07/2016 21:52

I'm probably going to get people telling me that I'm being OTT, but is just me or does anyone else get a bit annoyed when you see dc chasing birds or clapping at cats or even to the point where dc wack cats with things and parents are just standing there doing nothing? Or where dc see how many ants they can kill, wtaf? Is it just me?

OP posts:

ArmySal · 01/08/2016 12:06

Totally agree with you.

RaskolnikovsGarret · 01/08/2016 12:10

Why do some children think it's ok to chase pigeons? I don't get it at all. I don't think it's instinct, as mine and many others don't. I think it's terrible and cruel, and just plain sadistic, people chasing animals for fun.

Lurkedforever1 · 01/08/2016 13:06

Yanbu. There was a horrible child who used to do this near us, while mummy proudly admired her pfb. I was highly amused when she decided to ignore dd and I yet again, and cornered one of my cats in our house who gave one (ignored) warning, after repeatedly running away, and then ended the problem with one swipe down her arms.

(Kid was 10 at the time and nt before anyone thinks I'm being malicious. And now keeps her nasty self at a distance from them)

LassWiTheDelicateAir · 01/08/2016 13:15

You are not in the least bit unreasonable. Children should be encouraged to empathise with all living creatures.

Nanny0gg · 01/08/2016 13:17

YANBU.

I also hate it when children run screaming up to zoo animals with their indulgent parents watching ( or ignoring).

maddiemookins16mum · 01/08/2016 13:17

Yep, kids running after pigeons in the park/shopping street (no cars) really annoys me, mainly because they aren't aware of their surroundings and run into people and also why chase an innocent bird - the parents are normally oblivious to their actions. I have been known to tut and do that judgy shaking of the head too.

LassWiTheDelicateAir · 01/08/2016 13:22

Do you fret when you see a bird pulling up worms or bugs to leave in the nest for chicks who may or may not eat them?

Completely irrelevant. The bird is doing naturally what it does to survive.

Good grief,you lot must read a lot of Beatrix Potter. An insane amount of anthropomorphism going on in this thread

Tosh, complete tosh. It is about empathy.Lack of empathy is a very worrying feature. There is reams of research linking lack of empathy for animals to lack of empathy for humans. The child who enjoys stamping on insects lacks empathy.

The poster who referred to wilful destruction of non living items has a point too.

OhSoggyBiscuit · 01/08/2016 13:23

At college I always noticed a poor pigeon missing one of the toes from his feet. :( Probably because some evil kid stomped on him.

LilacSpunkMonkey · 01/08/2016 13:27

I completely agree OP but sadly you always get the thick, unempathetic turds who think it's fine for them and their children to hurt animals (usually pigeons) because they're vermin (in their small-minded opinion).

Give me the pigeons over animal-hurting humans any day.

I8toys · 01/08/2016 13:29

Completely agree - why would you want your child to hurt anything deliberately and smile sickeningly at them doing it.

Lack of empathy is surely step one on the serial killer checklist?! As is animal torture.

BennyTheBall · 01/08/2016 13:32

Completely agree.

Am often surprised at the fuckwit mothers I see at a local lake who happily let their children terrorise the ducks and geese.

LassWiTheDelicateAir · 01/08/2016 13:38

Lack of empathy is surely step one on the serial killer checklist?! As is animal torture

Yes. That is what I was referring to. It's well researched. Oh and before someone comes back and says of course most children who are horrid to animals or insects don't become serial killers, well no they don't - but what is wrong with teaching children to be kind as opposed to standing by or encouraging them to be unkind?

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 01/08/2016 13:42

My DD (aged 4) loves chasing seagulls and crows in the park. She never comes within 3 metres of them and she's doing it because she wants to pick them up and stroke them. Seagulls and crows are evil fuckers so I don't care, plus they can fly away if they want to. I haven't forgotten the crows pecking the eyes out of sleeping lambs (we had 20 bottlefed lambs one summer when I was a kid, and with no mothers to look after them they were horribly vulnerable to crows) so I really don't care if DD makes a few of them fly around a bit. If she was actually kicking them I would stop her, but she isn't trying to hurt them at all.

LilacSpunkMonkey · 01/08/2016 13:45

Yy to the serial killer link.

And even if they don't become serial killers children who are unkind to animals are usually the product of adults who are unkind to animals and who go on to become more adults who are unkind to animals. It's not a nice trait in an adult.

Usually the same children who pick on smaller and weaker children at school.

I read a post on a board on Facebook yesterday about someone's ex kicking the cat. Was she right to make him leave? Most people were saying yes, he's not a nice man if he thinks it's fine to kick the cat. Cue some utter idiot saying 'lol I'd kick the cat too, who chooses a cat over their man?'. It was a young woman doing the 'loling'. Kicking cats is hilarious lol

LilacSpunkMonkey · 01/08/2016 13:47

TooExtra has it not occurred to you to explain to your DD that maybe the birds are frightened of being chased and that she wouldn't like to be chased by a bigger animal?

Whether some birds years ago pecked at some lambs is irrelevant. That does not condone cruelty to animals.

BennyTheBall · 01/08/2016 13:51

TooExtra that is ludicrous.

She may not be hurting them but she is certainly frightening them which is not a great lesson to teach her.

HolditFinger · 01/08/2016 13:58

I once had a FB 'friend' (I say friend loosely because she was a rough old bully at school and not much has changed) un friend me because I told her she was wrong to shout at her daughter's teacher.

The teacher had told her off for stomping on a bee and she went batshit about it.

Another time I had to stop two little boys from chasing a kitten around in the park. The parents were ignoring it all so they could chat to friends. Nice.

RowenaDahl · 01/08/2016 14:01

Seagulls and crows are evil fuckers? Same could be said of you TooExtra for eating said lambs.

ArmySal · 01/08/2016 14:04

TooExtra I'd honestly tell you to stop acting like a twat and to teach your daughter a little empathy if I witnessed that behaviour.

LilacSpunkMonkey · 01/08/2016 14:06

Someone mentioned anthromorphism earlier.

I think referring to birds as 'evil' is the best example of it on this thread and it came from someone who let's their child chase birds so...

DangerQuakeRhinoSnake · 01/08/2016 14:08

Completely agree with you OP and really heartened to see the replies you've had too (with the exception of one or two).

TortoiseVTurtle · 01/08/2016 14:15

lilac completely agree on that. Calling birds 'evil' is utterly ridiculous.
Extra maybe you should be on the entitled parents thread? I would say something to your dd if I saw her doing that, I can't abide cruelty to anything and you are bringing up the next generation to think that it's okay to do that.

LilacSpunkMonkey · 01/08/2016 14:26

I think calling birds 'evil' is how she justifies her DD's behaviour. 'Oh, it's ok to chase birds because they're only evil lamb-killers anyway'.

My arse does that child want to cuddle them.

SaucyJack · 01/08/2016 14:39

Seagulls are not harmless. They will attack if you have food. I'll chase them off myself.

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 01/08/2016 15:08

Oh yes, Lilac, you know my child's motivation better than I do. Of course.

Honestly. Actual animal cruelty, I would be the first to stop. And the seagulls/crows=evil fuckers bit was meant to be light-hearted. And as for eating the lambs, Rowena, then yes, I do eat lamb. I doubt I'm alone in that on this thread, tbh. I also eat chicken, grew up on a chicken farm and culled my share of the sickly ones. Does that make me evil too?

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