Is this an extreme reaction to a goldfish?

[NeverEscaping]

Family Goldfish passed away. Person was distraught, cried for hours. Then proceeded to dig a hole in the garden, an unused bed of soil, buried the fish inside their favourite tank ornament (an open barrel type thing it swam in and out of) below the soil. Placed a wooden post on top so as to remember the spot and plans to turn the bed into a memorial of sorts with lots of flowers planted.

Is this a bit of an extreme response to the passing of a goldfish or totally reasonable?

@Ffsnosexallowed Oh god. My beloved seventeen year old budgie is still in my mums chest freezer as he died in lockdown and I want to oversee the arrangements attend the burial

Don't judge. If that's how they feel then that's how they feel. Respect it. As others have said it could be a final straw situation. Don't make them feel that their feelings are unreasonable. It won't help.

@sundaysgirls

Lovely, characterful goldfish, even if she used to nag me unmercifully if I overslept and was late with her breakfast

OK, I'll bite. How does a goldfish nag?

Well, instead of opening her mouth and saying sweetly "Ma-Ma" "Ma-Ma" when i went to feed her, I swear it was more like being attacked by a particularly pissed off piranha where the food was my fingers, or, as I call it, nagging

@SmidgenofaPigeon we were all devastated when dmil's budgie died. He was fabulous- still miss him

Does it matter?

If they were so distraught they can't function that might be something else.

A pet (no matter what) can be part of your everyday life, you might come down stairs every morning feed them, say hello. They might be the first thing you were ever responsible for, or have been part of your routine for 10 years

Its still a passing of a life, and if burying it with its favourite ornament (that you might not now have a use for!) feels right then who does it harm?

Why is it for you to question?! Not your pet, not your emotions, not your right to judge!

If a child - fine
Adult - odd

@Ffsnosexallowed aw yeah budgies are the best! Such characters

It’s kind of weird but also kind of sweet

I have a variety of small pets (and always have) and they are a part of my life. I have some form of interaction with them everyday, they have names and I know their little characters. They are dependent on me for their needs, and I spend lots of hours in their company in various ways

Some people might feel that about a dog, some a gerbil and some a gold fish

We have a weird thing that only dogs and cats are part of the family when for some people they still like other pets

I'm not big into burials and have no thing about bodies so we won't be burying them but I can see why people would feel that is right

Its something that was alive, lived a whole little life with thoughts and feelings and has now died.

We gave a stick instruct a Viking burial 🤷🏼‍♀️ But she was a very special stick insect

my daughter had a fancy mouse that developed some kind of inflammatory awful infected skin disease. I took over administering the meds, etc and after about a month I thought it was going to die overnight. The next morning it was still alive and I just held the poor little thing until he passed. I was absolutely bereft, inconsolable. I did bury him in the garden and have made a little marker stone. I am feeling tearful about him now, thinking about it. There are no rules as to how we feel about particular pets when they pass, and depending upon the circumstances, it may represent something far more than it appears on the surface

Depends who it is. If it was my H I would be getting him to see the GP. If it was my sister I'd roll my eyes and wait until she was over it enough to tease her about it. If it was my mum I'd be worried she'd stopped taking her meds.

Her name was Sally and she was rescued from a Fair. A beautiful golden orange she was with a feisty personality. She liked chasing the 'friend' we got for her from Pets at Home round and round the tank. She certainly ruled the roost. She enjoyed nibbling fingers and liked a little stroke down her side.

Some of us can get very fond of a goldfish if we’ve had it for ages.

Others will never understand that.
Not to mention those people who say, ‘Well, you can always get another,’ after the dog you’ve had for years has died - just as if you’d had the TV nicked or something.

I was really upset when my angel fish died and buried him in the garden!

Well, instead of opening her mouth and saying sweetly "Ma-Ma" "Ma-Ma" when i went to feed her, I swear it was more like being attacked by a particularly pissed off piranha where the food was my fingers, or, as I call it, nagging

Sally mattered to you and I think your reaction entirely understandable.

I speak as someone who has a garden littered with graves of small animals and yes, goldfish.

I certainly won’t join in with mocking someone mourning the death of a life. Fish, human, elephant, bird or horse. They’re all beings with personalities and all deserve to be recipients if love and respect.

RIP Sally.

Is it a 5 year old? My fish all died and it took my kids over a week to realise the tank had even gone.

@NeverEscaping

Her name was Sally and she was rescued from a Fair. A beautiful golden orange she was with a feisty personality. She liked chasing the 'friend' we got for her from Pets at Home round and round the tank. She certainly ruled the roost. She enjoyed nibbling fingers and liked a little stroke down her side.

I presume you are the person who was upset OP? And someone has mocked you for it so are trying to get others views.

There is nothing wrong with your reaction at all. I hope you get some comfort from the care you are taking over the passing of Sally. It is perfectly normal to be upset at the death of any pet. . Take care.

We had a goldfish for a few years that developed a fungal infection which ate away at it until in nearly broke in half (can't remember the details but I know DH did try to do stuff to the water to "save" it). Its funeral took place over the toilet bowl and my children, although invited, declined to attend. I do think it's a bit weird to go as far in memory of a goldfish as OP has described, although I am an animal lover and have a horse and a dog which are both nearly as important to me as my 2 DC - I can't imagine getting that upset about a FISH!

HUGE overreaction I would say they have other emotions they need to deal with and are putting it all on this.

A Life is still a life no matter how small it is or how short the life was. I'm still mourning my heart rat who I lost 2 years ago.
People who think it's just a fish, or just a hamster shouldn't own pets. No life is disposable or just a life.

Pets are family. It’s ok to grieve.