Animals being bought and discarded like toys. WTF!

[Sibsmum]

I have just been reading about chickens , bought as pets in lockdown being dumped , literally in parks and tips , because they're no longer novel, no longer laying and bird flu concerns.
I can't abide people considering animals as things, they are live creatures and taking them on is a lifetime committment, not a quick human happy fix.
I would like every household that wants to keep a live animal, have to apply for a license and do a basic online care course to prove their commitment prior to purchase, and a formal registration afterwards which could be administered by a body like the RSPCA who end up dealing with so many unwanted pets.
It's really time we stopped seeing our fellow inhabitants of this planet as objects, and afforded them the respect, dignity and compassion that they deserve. They are live , sentient beings with feelings, not home decor , not accessories and not toys.
I would appreciate your sharing your thoughts.

The thing that really, really annoys me are breeders who haven't got a clue.
I've seen back street 'breeders; with 7-8 cages (admittedly very clean) in a small front room with a dog which would have stressed out the animals. They were being bred but the person didn't have a foggiest what they were doing and it was a set up done for them by a friend to help them make money. We got two orphaned guinea pigs from them as they hadn't got a clue what they were doing, it cost me nearly £200 to keep them alive as I had to buy critical care milk for them and sit up feeding them hourly with milk and then pureed up food. Our plan was to rehome them in March once they were strong enough to survive but then Covid happened, they are now a year old and so beyond the age where they will be easily rehomed so we have committed to keeping them.

Some people expressed an interest in one of them but these are same sex siblings who have never been apart so separating them would be incredibly cruel.

[quote Ifailed]**@Sibsmum, so you think potential pet-owners have to apply for a license and go on a course, but not potential parents?[/quote]
All these "what-abouters" talking about children... The OP posted about animals and didn't say anything about children... because that's not the topic they posted about.

This is like when someone starts a debate about anything (climate change, for example) and someone else butts in and is like "So you don't care about hungry children then?"

It's just irrelevant to the point they were making and not helpful to discussion.

OP I agree and it's appalling the way animals are treated especially at this time of year.

This makes me so cross. When you adopt/buy an animal you commit to it for the rest of its life and give it the best life possible. We recently moved into a rented apartment and it was difficult to get one that was suitable and one that would accept us. But I could never consider just not having our two Dcats as they are family.

Unfortunately, we are preaching to the converted with all this.

My dog trainer is inundated with requests for advice from people who got puppies during lockdown, and that’s the reasonably responsible ones who try and get advice.
I have got a puppy during the Christmas period myself, three years ago, he’s currently snoring on the sofa next to me so definitely not a short term purchase. He came to join our existing dog and we have always had dogs so very experienced owners. We also have adult children so not a stressful environment for a puppy plus someone always around for house training and play.
It is a commitment that lasts the length of the dogs life, for all our previous dogs that has been around fourteen years. I cannot imagine ever getting rid of either of our dogs, they have been my lifelines during this year and I adore them.

I got the most beautiful young lady. I was struggling with lockdown 2.0 😔
She is a lockdown puppy. She turned my OCD driven life upside down.

I freak out every day that I am not good enough for her and there are other people who could do more for her. But she is the most amazing thing that happened to me. Love her morning greetings (yep, usually after she peed and pooped so where so I need to find it) 🤩

But I don’t know what will happen in a month, or two time. Judge me if you want. She was an impulse buying, never had a pet, had no clue what to do... but she was my last resort to save my life 😔

And she has done an incredible job. She is beautiful and so dependent on me. Now that freaks me out to no end! 😱
I am sure there are people out there like me, I hope I never have to give up this beauty! But sometimes that might be in the pet’s best interest... 😔

I completely agree OP, I see this with snakes we have taken in 3 this year and every day my inbox is literally full of alerts from freeads/Preloved etc. Most snakes are advertised as coming with the housing but it is almost always inadequate. Too small, no lighting/heating etc. We've spent a fortune on our boys and we adore them but just wish we could take in more think people see them as a novelty as they are exotic and unusual,then either get bored with them cos they don't actually do very much, or get too scared to handle them as they grow bigger. We have a defensive boa constrictor who came to us in a dark cold tank filled with excrement, hadn't been handled or cleaned out for a year as had been bought as a gift for a 9 year old he is making amazing progress but seeing so many ads each day infuriates me. How many other animals are suffering right now.

@Poppins2016, it depends on the breed and the amount of light - it's the low light levels that cause them to stop laying as much.

I'm in Yorkshire and while we are still getting eggs, the number has dropped significantly. My friend near Doven has more eggs, my friend in NE Scotland hasn't had any since early November.

When the henhouse was by the kitchen wiondow and they had lots of artificial light, they laid pretty much all winter. When we expanded our garden flock and moved it down the garden to give them more space, there was a noticeable reduction.

Mid December to late January is my usual production slow period. Also, older hens lay less frequently than young chooks.

YANBU totally agree. Weve always had cats and adopted a new one from a rescue at the beginning of lockdown. We knew he would have different needs as he was a street cat for a while after being abandoned. He's lovely and we love him but he's certainly a diva! Needs lots of attention and refuses to use the cat flap!! We don't and will never have a dog as it's too much responsibility, too much of a commitment and quite frankly too much hard work. I love dogs but we don't have the time for one.

It's a strong argument, OP. I've always felt that there should be a course before you're allowed to have a baby. But there isn't even a course for that.

I think the attitude to getting pets without a thought for the responsibility etc merely mirror the attitudes in this country where people are entitled to all freedoms regardless. Its legal to get a pet, so if they want one, they should have one. - but yes I'd really like to see some of those who have voted YABU come and explain their stance (or is that 9% made up of people who want to talk about having babies?!)

While I am an animal lover - I’d rather deal with animals than people - I did chose YABU, purely because this is just not a feasible idea. Think about the sheer range of creatures kept as pets. Everything from the average cat or dog to the weird and wonderful like flying squirrels and stag beetles! How would you actually manage to licence and provide training for every eventuality? Care for one type of beetle varies from another...you couldn’t realistically do blanket training. And then what if you break it down into species?

I have 28 tarantulas covering 26 different species, two true spiders (different species) and sun beetles/sun beetle larvae. These are my pets. To ‘train’ and licence me to care for them would be more complicated than simply saying ‘a tarantula licence’ or god forbid simply ‘an invert licence’. Each tarantula has its own requirements for temperature, substrate, moisture and humidity, feeding routine, etc. They can’t be taken to the vet - vets don’t deal with inverts - so all medical care up to and including euthanasia lands on your shoulders as an owner. Add to that the fact that most general ‘caring for your tarantula’ guidance is filled with errors, I wouldn’t trust any centralised training to be worth it.

And finally, what about live creatures kept to feed other live creatures? They deserve as much care as a pet, so that would mean licences to keep fruit flies, calci worms, wax worms, locusts, crickets roaches...etc.

Or do you simply mean for cuddly pets...in which case it’s definitely a useless premise cause all pets are equal. Every creature is deserving of care and respect.

We have chooks and although they are fairly low maintenance they still need some care! And they are stupid and stinky as a PP said! They also occasionally need disgusting things doing - like disinfecting the house when they get red mites, scrubbing their scaly feet with mite killer etc. I've even had to help a chook lay a stuck egg - that was really gross.

I totally agree.

@MsMarvellous

I agree. We want chickens and I will finally have proper space for some when we move in the new year. I got a book about caring for them as a Christmas gift which I've read and am now planning their house and safe pen area. I'm hoping to rescue some otherwise unwanted birds and give them a lovely dotage.

See I'd ban people like this (people with a great heart but unrealistic) I hate seeing the adverts for factory laying chickens looking for 'forever homes' they are usually sick, physically destroyed from laying more than they are designed for and ofter have prolapse which isn't noticed soon enough. It's much kinder to humanely euthanize them. Also places which keep loads of cockrels, they are not rescues its just cruelty masquerading as rescue to protect the senses of people that eat animal products but can't face the reality.

In the case of the quote, save some from an idiot that bought them over lockdown without thinking but think hard if rescuing what you are actually rescuing them from.

Who are the strange people who think you are being unfair? Have they got animals during lockdown which they no longer want?

It just boils down to the general attitude of so many today. Totally selfish and uncaring. All animals are living creatures that deserve a happy life. Humans are not God deciding that animals' lives don't matter.

So so many people should never be allowed any pet but the same is true of children.

Then he’s off on his ball adventure around the house

Yes, trying to escape. This really isn't a hamster's idea of a pleasurable way to spend time.

I agree with the person who said we are getting shallower and shallower. I do lay a lot of blame at celebrity culture. Paris Hilton started the dog thing off with her designer handbag chihuahua.
Then the "designer" dog mixed breeds followed on, all based on trends and fashions, setting up thousands of backyard breeders up nicely. An ignorance about the suffering of brachycephalic breeds such as pugs and French bulldogs is thrust aside because these dogs are "cute" and trendy, and you can dress them up in Christmas outfits and take them to microbreweries while the owner sits stroking their pint and hipster beard.

People actually just don't care about the welfare or happiness of these animals. It's all about what they're getting from the animal. As others have said, I think many people have kids solely for this reason too, sadly. Or because someone from TOWIE had one, they liked the name they chose and the outfits they dress the baby up in, and decide they want the same.

Makes me sick. I've had to come off my local lost and found pets page as the people on there were oblivious but saw themselves as animal lovers.

I’d quite like some licensing for cats.
Not for the cats sake but for proper wildlife. Just having a cat scares the garden birds regardless of whether the cat kills them or not. Housing estates should have a limit on the number. My estate was full of wildlife - hedgehogs, wild birds and small amphibians. Now everyone in our cul de sac has 2+ cats and we only have crows, pigeons and magpies left (which add to making life harder for song birds as they eat their eggs).

It's all about what they're getting from the animal

I agree with this. Too often conversations around animals (especially dogs, somehow) are focussed on what they bring to oiur lives. Companionship, love, support, joy, confidence, help. That can all be true. Animals/dogs have brought a great deal to my own life. But I don't see enough conversations about what we bring to theirs - or should do, if we do it right. They are seen as magical beings with the ability to cure all human ills. It's fine to rejoice in what they bring but unfair to expect them to do all that as guaranteed.

They are sentient beings with their own species-specific behaviours, needs, wants, preferences. Real care means considering these and finding ways to provide for them. The aim should be for the animal to have as happy, safe and fulfilling life as possible. Not for them just to make the human life happy.

@BooBahBoo

My biggest peeve are parents buying rabbits as pets for children. And usually one rabbit, not a pair.

I had two bonded girls (sadly passed away a few years ago) and while they were lovely and affectionate, everything was on their terms. Awful pets for young kids who are too rough and demanding with them. People also insist on keeping them in tiny hutches and not a big run with things like tunnels and hide holes. Annoys the life out of me.

This. And those who promptly sell via preloved/gumtree etc 'because the kids have lost interest'. Well there's a surprise.

We have guinea pigs who live in a big spacious indoor cage (a proper C&C one, not some pet shop box). I've had guineas all my life and know exactly what I am doing, I know what they need to be happy and healthy and take care of them really well. Yes we got them with the DC in mind but they are family pets and I knew exactly what I was getting into when we got them.

Some of what you see on the online ads makes me livid. Cages are almost always too small and people clearly buying on a whim then regretting it. Small furries need a lot of care, they might not need a daily walk but they are still a big commitment!

Statistically, 9 out of 10 children will lose interest in a new pet within 8 weeks (statistic quoted by a rescue near us). I can totally believe that that's true. So the key thing for ANY parent of a child pleading for a hamster/guinea pig/rabbit/kitten/puppy/bearded dragon/corn snake or whatever the hell else they're pleading for : do YOU want a hamster/guinea pig/rabbit etc etc. Will YOU care for it properly once the novelty has worn off? Do YOU know how long its lifespan is? What vet costs are likely to be? Because YOU have the legal responsibility for this pet. Not your child.

OP YANBU!

I don't disagree with any of the sentiments about the proper care of animals, but the proposal is completely unworkable. Have you any idea how many pets there are in the UK? How do you propose to pay for the processing, policing and enforcement of these licences? We haven't yet managed to eliminate puppy farming. Breeders are supposed to be licensed, but the licence is a paper tiger that means nothing. Puppies are also still illegally bred, imported and traded. The reason why the dog licence was abolished was because it was unworkable and expensive to run, and people who didn't pay for one could not be detected or sanctioned. It is the law that your dog must now be microchipped but plenty aren't. And if we can't manage a system for dogs, given they are very visible, how on earth will you deal with the licensing of goldfish and guppies?

Anyone now what percentage of dogs are chipped, it's been law for a few years now of course

Hi Op
I agree I get what you mean....
Feel the same way about animals.

Who the hell voted YABU?
Loads of pets dumped according to the RSPCA. People don’t understand the mess, destruction, money and commitment needed. All these puppies and kittens bred as a lockdown pastime. Boils my piss

@MsMarvellous

I agree. We want chickens and I will finally have proper space for some when we move in the new year. I got a book about caring for them as a Christmas gift which I've read and am now planning their house and safe pen area. I'm hoping to rescue some otherwise unwanted birds and give them a lovely dotage.

Exactly, a considered approach to keeping any living creature is a must and as others have said, I’d like to see much higher barriers to entry to owning and breeding any animal (though I confess, I’m not sure how it would work).

I have rescue chickens who arrived in a very sorry state, thin and with bald patches. Three months later they are fluffy, fat, happy and very productive. Rescue chickens are discarded by the industry when they are past their optimum laying capability but I’m happy to gamble on that and just call them pets if they don’t lay. But they are prolific - I like to think they’re grateful for their new life of luxury!

When the Defra ruling came in on 14 December about keeping chickens inside or barriered from native birds I knew the dumping of hens would start. Same with all those fucking idiots buying cute little puppies at the beginning of lockdown and worse, the breeders selling them when it’s going to be pretty obvious who has thought it through properly. I find it heart breaking.

@DeftandGlory

I’d quite like some licensing for cats. Not for the cats sake but for proper wildlife. Just having a cat scares the garden birds regardless of whether the cat kills them or not. Housing estates should have a limit on the number. My estate was full of wildlife - hedgehogs, wild birds and small amphibians. Now everyone in our cul de sac has 2+ cats and we only have crows, pigeons and magpies left (which add to making life harder for song birds as they eat their eggs).

This. Absolutely this. Cats (and dogs not kept on leads) do decimate the wildlife here. I have feeders but they’re up high in a tree on a pulley. It’s full of birds some days and the neighbour is miffed theirs gets little attention (reason to have trees you misery old mare!) But so do humans.

Just trying to get most of the people doing here to make small hedgehog sized gaps in their fencing so they can get a good run of the gardens has proved a problem.

Or to stop using slug pellets - these need to be banned ASAP - because it’s not just hedgehogs but birds too and domestic pets that suffer from them.

Keeping wild bits in the garden, neighbours that complain things are a bit scruffy and insist on perfectly neat gardens are the bane of my life.

Pile up some old terracotta tile, a couple of logs, a load of leaves and make safe havens throughout for all manner of things.

I actually would like to see it law that dogs must be on leashes unless in an approved space.

Also living quite close to Dartmoor lots of idiot owners let their dogs off with no care to the livestock nor the ponies