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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to feel angry seeing pics of my friend's new puppy on facebook?

124 replies

ChickenVindaloo2 · 08/11/2017 23:03

For the past year she has been telling me how she feels really bad but she's trying to re-home 2 rabbits that her children (a boy and girl, about 6 and 8) aren't interested in anymore. But she was worried a rescue would blacklist her from adopting animals in future.

Today I see that she has bought them a puppy and proudly posted pictures of the children with said puppy on facebook.

I assume the rabbits are still in a cage at the bottom of the garden.

I'd adopt them but I have a (rescue) cat.

I honestly feel like her values are so removed from mine that I can't be friends with her anymore.

OP posts:

llangennith · 09/11/2017 01:16

I don’t know why anyone would want to have an animal kept in a cage (or small fish tank).
Don’t buy a bird or gerbil or rabbit!

Punkatheart · 09/11/2017 01:27

Indeed. My sister released one rabbit onto a field. Saw the rabbit, who looked terrified - went down to see him, called him and he ran over and jumped up to be with me. Took the poor little chap home, grew him curly kale in the garden, gave him lots of cuddles and he lived for nine years. How can anyone be so heartless to a living creature?

theftbyfinding · 09/11/2017 01:43

I had a(nex) friend ring and ask for a lift to take her healthy, gorgeous dog to the vet to be put to sleep. When I asked after the dog, nothing was wrong. But the area she had to walk him in was full of 'Romanians, Gypsies and Pakistanis' I asked why that was a problem, she said she felt unsafe. I refused to take her dog to be pts but said at a push I would take her to a dog trust to rehome him, with the proviso she would never take another dog on. She did the same, and got rid of the next dog. We're not friends any more.

PorklessPie · 09/11/2017 06:26

I have a rabbit and 5 cats. The rabbit has his hutch left open all day regardless of the weather and he just roams inside and out all day long.

A puppy is horrendous hard work, it won't be long until she is trying to rehome sadly.

ToesInWater · 09/11/2017 06:42

That’s horrible. An ex friend of mine released two guineapigs into the bush (Australia) at the end of her garden during school holidays when her kids got fed up with them. They are not native animals so wouldn’t have lasted long. She could have waited a week until school re-opened and I am sure someone would have taken them, especially as typically she had bought the fanciest cage etc. that wasn’t what ended our friendship but I never saw her in the same light again.

BalloonSlayer · 09/11/2017 06:56

Aw that's made me all teary. Poor wee Bunny, thank goodness you were there.

OP we had rabbits that would growl and chase cats. Mind you these were big lop eared ones that were probably bigger than a cat.

LittleMyLikesSnuffkin · 09/11/2017 07:06

I am related to someone who ditches pets constantly and it does my tits in. Just done a quick mental calculation and they have been the proud but brief owners of 6 dogs about 8 cats and 2 tanks of fish. That's just in the last decade or so. Each time they "couldn't be arsed with the fish" said fish were flushed down the toilet apparently

I once saw this person write a comment on a Rescue centres post about a young dog that needed rehoming saying they were interested. I sent the rescue centre a message on Facebook saying "please don't rehome any animal with that person because their track record is terrible" and it worked. That time.

Terrible example to set children as well. Not to mention the upset each time the pet was sent away including down the fucking toilet

WhoWants2Know · 09/11/2017 07:15

I had a lovely dog and cat from someone who got fed up with them and got different pets.

We added another cat and a couple of rabbits and they all lived together beautifully.

AccidentalyRunToWindsor · 09/11/2017 07:19

That poor rabbit and piggy 😿 that’s made my blood run cold.

My guinea pigs were house pets and would sit on my knee at night to watch TV and be groomed- how could she let that happen?

NamasteTheFuckAwayFromMe · 09/11/2017 07:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 09/11/2017 07:29

That's dreadful!
My son is currently trying to persuade me to get a chick from the school hatching project - except that it wouldn't be one, it would be 2 and I'd have no say in whether they were male or female. So I could potentially end up with 2 roosters. I said no, because I don't want chickens at all, let alone roosters - so I'd rather they went to a home where someone will actually care for them. We do have pets, but it's hard enough getting the boys to care for the ones we have, let alone anything new! I won't take anything on that I don't think we'll be able to look after long term.

Jerseysilkvelour · 09/11/2017 07:37

I think people's attitudes to the care of animals are a key indicator of who they are as a person. I cannot bear the idea that an animal is a "starter pet" or disposable, or replaceable with something "more interesting". If find your friend's attitude abhorrent and I have distanced myself from people who had the same attitude.

AutumnalLeaves38 · 09/11/2017 07:37

find your local rabbit welfare/ rescue/ adoption place here

Lucky you are looking out for their (and the puppy's welfare), OP...she clearly isn't. Great message to be teaching her kids.

YADNBU

ownedbySWD · 09/11/2017 07:37

I don't know how anyone could possibly consider getting a dog on a whim, let alone a puppy! We have a six month old puppy who is very well behaved as puppies go, and she still does my head in more than once a day, the little monkey. She's growing up fast and will be an amazing, calm family dog but right now she's still a lot of work.

My dd's friend has a Japanese Akita and dd tells me that the parents keep the poor dog couped up in a corner of the kitchen or the back garden. They don't let him into other parts of the house because he sheds (duurrrr) and they have velvet couches. ???? What's the point?

BurnTheBlackSuit · 09/11/2017 07:40

We had a rabbit who was caught by a neighbour's cat. He lost an ear as a result and was lucky the neighbour got there in time or he would have let his life. So rabbits and cats don't always get on. Cats are predators afterall.

AutumnalLeaves38 · 09/11/2017 07:41

"I had a(nex) friend ring and ask for a lift to take her healthy, gorgeous dog to the vet to be put to sleep. When I asked after the dog, nothing was wrong. But the area she had to walk him in was full of 'Romanians, Gypsies and Pakistanis' I asked why that was a problem, she said she felt unsafe. I refused to take her dog to be pts but said at a push I would take her to a dog trust to rehome him, with the proviso she would never take another dog on. She did the same, and got rid of the next dog."

Bloody Hell, theft...she sounds an absolute charmer on every level.
Some people are beyond belief, aren't they?

jaseyraex · 09/11/2017 07:50

I will never understand how people can just get a dog for the sake of getting a dog, especially when they dont look after existing pets. Dogs are such hard work! We have 7 ranging from a Pomeranian to some wonderful Greyhounds (it's a lively household ) and training them all took A LOT of time and dedication. Dogs are expensive, even just the one. People underestimate that. Your friend sounds like an absolute moron! We also have 6 cats that get on great with our rabbits, of course that's not always the case but it can work. But I agree definitely offer to help rehome the bunnies.

SukiTheDog · 09/11/2017 07:51

Yanbu. She has taught her children that when boredom sets in, it can be replaced (temporarily) with a new “toy”. It won’t be long before she’s moaningnthat the kids aren’t interested in the dog. Very sad.

Lilyhatesjaz · 09/11/2017 07:54

My beloved 8 years old rabbit has recently died. She lived very happily in the garden all day and a large hutch at night.
She was however very much my pet not the children's like a lot of rabbits she didn't like being picked up although would always come to watch me gardening and have her ears stroked.
Rabbits are lovely but not good pets for children, and more expensive than people realise with vacations and with ours regular trips to the vets for a fur trim as she got older and less good at grooming.

MudCity · 09/11/2017 08:03

YANBU. People like this make me cross. They like the idea of pets until they grow / have needs / the novelty wears off. I find it upsetting that people treat pets as commodities or playthings. I wouldn't be able to have a friendship with them.

KitKat1985 · 09/11/2017 08:11

An ex-colleague of mine, who I'm still friends with on Facebook, is on her 4th dog in 2 years. It follows a predictable pattern of 'look at this gorgeous puppy, had to have him!' as an initial post accompanied by photo of cute puppy, followed about 2-3 months later with a photo of slightly older dog with the caption 'does anyone want to re-home my dog before I take him to the animal shelter, I just don't have time or money to look after him'.

After her 3rd puppy that she bought about 6 months ago (a flippin' husky of all things, so hardly a low maintenance dog at that), someone (quite bloody rightly) commented 'why on earth have you got another dog when you've had two in the previous year that you had to re-home already due to lack of time / money?'. That was followed by the person being deleted and blocked after lots of huffing about how 'it'll be different this time, please be supportive'!

It wasn't. That dog was re-homed within a few months too.

Punkatheart · 09/11/2017 08:27

Although these stories are maddening, depressing and anger-inducing, how lovely that so many people here have such strong consciences about animals. You are all great.

TroubledTribble28 · 09/11/2017 11:34

From my limited experience with Facebook I do remember every time someone put a dog/cat/Furby up for sale that would take an absolute bollocking (rightly so) from 300+ strangers about not being an irresponsible dick there are some halfway sensible people about.

mustbemad17 · 09/11/2017 11:40

This is why i always ended up with so many waifs & strays. Rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, cats & dogs...it makes me exceptionally cross that people see them as disposable. I have booted many a friend over this & would have no qualms piping up 'what's become of the poor rabbits now the dog is main focus?' Pees me off

ShotsFired · 09/11/2017 11:44

I tend to view anyone who suddenly pipes up about wanting any animal that is currently 'trendy' with deep suspicion. And people who give up pets tend not to stay in my social circle much longer.

When I got my mog, I specifically asked the rescue to give me details of their oldest, rattiest, most un-rehomeable one going, as I know how hard it is to rehome the "perfect" ones.

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