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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Friend upset I stopped her from watching me

232 replies

WhatWouldHillaryDo · 04/06/2022 21:30

My first post, though been here years. I can be a bit of a push over with some friends. I let a lot of stuff slide rather than be confrontational so I think maybe in this situation my friend wasn’t expecting my reaction and has overreacted. Interested to hear replies.

Anyway, I sometimes pop in to friend’s house to feed her pets when she’s away for a night or two. She has two lovely cats and I enjoy going round and fussing them. All good, no issues with helping out. But the other week she mentioned something in passing that seemed odd - she said she sometimes speaks to her cats when she’s away. Well, after some gentle questioning, it seems she has a camera in her home by the cat bowls so she can see and talk to her pets. But she didn’t tell me this and I don’t think was going to either. She seemed a bit sheepish when I asked, like I’d caught her out.

Now, before she mentioned the webcam, i’d agreed to go round last weekend and feed the girls. Evening and morning, I was happy to. But I didn’t feel comfortable knowing I was being watched, so I spotted the camera and blocked the view while I was there, and unblocked it when I left. Now friend is upset with me and said she can’t understand what the big deal is and I should have said if I didn’t want to be watched so she could find someone else to feed the cats.

I feel like I’m going mad. Surely it’s my choice to be watched or not. I didn’t think I needed to let her know upfront. The more I think about it, the more annoyed I’m getting and I just need a sanity check.

OP posts:
Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 04/06/2022 22:50

Spot on @Triffid1

Breakfastofmilk · 04/06/2022 22:51

YANBU. We have a catcam and our neighbour catsits for us. The first time she did I explained where the camera was and how to turn it off if she wanted to, which she did, and put it back on when she left. All fine, we can check in on the cat when she's not there, she doesn't feel watched or self conscious and she's not being recorded without her knowledge or against her will, we don't need to watch her because we trust her to feed the cat, everyone is happy.

Your friend should have warned you about the camera and either made sure you had the option to turn it off or found a catsitter who was happy to have it on if she absolutely can't stand it being switched off while the person she trusted to feed her cat's is doing it.

FawnFrenchieMum · 04/06/2022 22:53

I’m a bit on the fence with this one, we have a camera in our kitchen so I can see the dog when I’m at work. I’ve never thought to tell anyone entering my house that it’s there but we don’t have it on record (you can set it to record each time there is motion), we just use it to live view the dog. In theory my DH ‘could’ be watching me and / or any visitors and same for me when he has visitors but that would just be fucking weird. On this basis I don’t think your friend was unreasonable to not tell you it was there. However assuming you definitely remembered to uncover it when you left then it’s weird to be upset by this. My only thought would be, does she maybe think your doing something to the animals you wouldn’t want her to see. A bit like why would anyone be bothered they could be seen if they have nothing to hide?! It’s a hard one.

coffeecupsandfairylights · 04/06/2022 22:53

She should have warned you but equally pet cams are totally normal and not as weird as some on this thread are making out.

The cameras aren't to watch you and to make sure you're feeding the cats properly, they're to make sure the cats are happy, healthy and eating as normal while the owners are away.

I'm a dog walker/pet sitter and several clients use pet-cams - I can't say that it bothers me in the slightest.

nettie434 · 04/06/2022 22:56

I cat sit for friends and would be so angry if I was recorded without my knowledge. I actually wouldn't even be that happy about going in knowing I'd be recorded! I can see how your friend might want to see her cats while she's away but she has no right to complain that you don't want to be recorded.

MidwichCuckoo · 04/06/2022 22:57

Yanbu. How silly she said you should have let her know you didn't want to be watched. How were you to know it was a possibility if she didn't tell you. It's weird to spy on someone without their knowledge. She should have let you know and given you the choice whether to cover it

CandleSchtick · 04/06/2022 22:58

It's pretty normal nowadays to have a cat cam when you go away. It works by movement, so you can see the cats are coming and going as normal and not stuck halfway up a curtain or something. It's just a reassurance.
I don't have any cats but I do holiday feeding for 3 of my friends (different households). They all have cameras but I only knew that eventually when I spotted the first one so then took to looking around for a camera. I just don't think they thought to tell me, pretty sure they're not interested in watching me feed them. One of them said to cover it up while I'm there if I want but I'm not that bothered. Just saying it's not that unusual.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 04/06/2022 22:58

She doesn't want to find someone else so she can watch THEM, she wants to find someone who doesn't mind being filmed so she can continue to watch her cat via the camera whenever she likes and check all is ok.

Persephoned · 04/06/2022 22:58

Yanbu. I dog sat for friends who didn’t tell
me they had cameras until something they said revealed they’d been spying on me (I fell asleep on the sofa one night watching tv and they commented on it). Never felt comfortable around them or the house since!

saraclara · 04/06/2022 23:00

You should know they also have cameras on cash machines. In train stations. Shops. Buses..

We know. But to the people behond those cameras, we are anonymous. Unless we do anything illegal, we are just one of the thousands of random people that the cameras catch each day.

In someone's home, we are known to that person, and if we do something like pick our noses, scratch our bums, talk rubbish to the cats, or do anything that any person might do on the assumption that they're alone, but be embarrassed if anyone saw, we should not have to risk our 'friends' watching the video and laughing at us.

honeyfox · 04/06/2022 23:00

I would have covered the camera too, YANBU. Let her make other arrangements the next time.

GetThatHelmetOn · 04/06/2022 23:02

It seems like an issue of trust. She doesn’t fully trust you, otherwise she would have told you about the cameras.

I would be offended if someone had asked me such time consuming favour but felt the need to check on me. I would be telling her to find a professional cat sitter for the rest of the holidays, if she doesn’t trust me I won’t be going into her house alone.

Wife2b · 04/06/2022 23:07

I don’t think this is a big deal, she’s not watching you. She’s got a camera to check in on her cats, it just so happens you will be on shot for a tiny percentage of the time. I have two cats and have a pet camera, I can give them a treat and speak to them too. If I’m away for a few days it’s highly reassuring to be able to check in on them. YABU

autienotnaughty · 04/06/2022 23:12

I agree I'd prefer to know if there's cameras. Not sure I'd be bothered about covering it though. What do you have to hide?

IWentAwayIStayedAway · 04/06/2022 23:19

fuck me, you're doing her a massive favour and she bitched at you. cf of the highest order. them, not you

Silvercurtains · 04/06/2022 23:19

She’s treated you disrespectfully. I wouldn’t be cat sitting for her again.

GodspeedJune · 04/06/2022 23:23

Yanbu. She should have told you before and her reaction to you blocking it was odd too.

I have a camera so I can check on my pets. It comes on automatically when I leave home rather than 24/7 recording. When my neighbour is going to be popping in to feed the cats I flick it off completely at the switch. It would feel voyeuristic to be recording then, and I definitely wouldn’t want to make someone who was doing me a favour feel uncomfortable.

Arenanewbie · 04/06/2022 23:25

It is normal to have pets cam nowadays and it is normal not wanting to be watched so you both are not unreasonable in these. People are saying that she is not watching you, she’s watching her cats. If so, why she was so unhappy about you covering the camera? She obviously wanted to see what you’re doing. It looks for me that she doesn’t trust you fully. I wouldn’t go to her house while she’s away in this situation.

notacooldad · 04/06/2022 23:27

I would feel quite violated too OP- having been watched without knowing
In general We are recorded multiple times a day without knowing.

WibblyWobblyJane · 04/06/2022 23:27

I think she has issues. It’s bizarre to get upset with you for blocking the camera. Obviously she was trying to watch you.

DontPickTheFlowers · 04/06/2022 23:28

She should have told you about the cameras

Hawkins001 · 04/06/2022 23:30

To be honest I'm used to the idea, of surveillance, especially with cameras everywhere these days, yes some times it's nice to escape to the woods and be "free" but even then if your a person of interest, theirs drones, or satellites etc. It's part of everyday business.

Dotcomma · 04/06/2022 23:34

Why would it bother her that you cover the camera up while you're there, does she think you're doing your washing at her house or something. If I were her, which i'm not, i'd be saying 'as long as you don't forget to uncover it when you leave', then if you did forget she's got an argument.

Topseyt123 · 04/06/2022 23:43

She should have warned you well in advance that she had the cat cam, and that you would be caught on it

MissyCooperismyShero · 04/06/2022 23:59

See I think that if you have a pet its pretty much likely you will have a pet cam. Someone comes in to feed our cat. I've never told her we've got a cat cam, just like I've never told her we've got a ring door bell. She has normal vision. I image she can see it. I'd stop having her double quick if she blocked it. Its not about seeing her, its about seeing the cat.

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