AIBU to think releasing a pet is cruel?

[SnailTrailtoFreedom]

We have a pet snail. He came to us on a lettuce leaf when he was so small his shell was translucent and he could fit on the nail of my little finger. He is now nearing the end of his life span. We are going on holiday in a couple of weeks and I haven't yet found someone to have him - our usual pet-sitters are themselves going away at the same time.

One member of the family (YABU) thinks we should release him into the nearby forest, or garden so he has a taste of freedom before he dies by being eaten by something

The other (YANBU) thinks this is cruel. He has been kept inside since he was a baby, his food and water falls from the sky and he sleeps outside of his shell. He wouldn't last a minute in the great outdoors. We could ask the neighbours, even if we don't know the parents all that well, the daughter plays out with and is in a class with my DC; or smuggle him into the hotel with us (travelling by car, not leaving the country). Or ask the hotel. He's in a box, he doesn't need to be taken out of it. But I don't know if snails like travelling?

This is the craziest thread I've read in a good while

Garden snails are true hermaphrodites - they have both male and female genitive organs. When they mate both get pregnant.

Do you have a garden OP? If so then there really is no problem with releasing it, you're actually preventing it from being able to have its own snail babies by keeping it. If there's a nearby wood then make a pile of branches there and put it in amongst them.

I agree with this, I think it's very sweet actually. I would get attached to something like this too and I think it's very responsible to be thinking about what to do. Just take it with you, it's not like it's a Great Dane and nobody will even know.

This is all fascinating but WHAT'S THE SNAILS NAME??

I've never understood how snails really make pets.

If there's a nearby wood then make a pile of branches there and put it in amongst them.

Snails have a strong homing instinct, @Staynow it will make its way home, albeit very slowly.

Shelly/Sheldon, I hope.

That might be what you're hoping to teach them but what if they're actually learning that it's alright to keep wild baby animals as pets because they're cute even though actually they're wild and really don't need to be looked after by people who often have no real idea of their wants or needs.

All living things matter and have a place and a snails place is in the garden/woods, why would people think it would be happier in a box in their house?

You are a very kind hearted person OP.

I pick snails off my plants and throw them over the wall.

I'm no scientist but I think a snail will know what to do outside. They don't learn from parents. Its not a mammal. I totally fancy its chance's outside on your balcony.

I'd get a couple of plants in a pot and put them on a tray of pebbles filled up with water. Tuck it in the corner of your balcony and put snail in there.
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Yeah, but her plants won’t be. 😆 Her devoutness only extends so far.

I absolutely agree @RudsyFarmer when it comes to both mammals and birds, and even fish unless they are in an enormous and interesting tank. But when it comes to creatures like snails I don't think that we know enough information about them, to decide which is preferable.

I do know that I live most of my life in one room - not out of choice, or a phobia - due to several illnesses and conditions that I have (although I am in my 60's, and it sounds like this snail could be in it's late 30's to early 40's if their natural lifespan is about 4 years?), and if someone could come and wave a magic wand that made me completely better, but that also meant there was a likelood that something else would come along and eat me, I would rather stay in my guilded room, so maybe we can just agree to differ?

If it was a fancy snail or a giant snail I would maybe get your point because those feckers are irratatingly delicate and die easy... a general garden snail just leave it with some food.

I have had many snails garden, common, ramshorn and a two bought exotic/fancy (started with one common who breed like nothing I have ever seen before until I had well over 200 and couldnt keep track which only took a month or 2 at that point they where left to fend for themselves).

The 2 fancy ones where the bane of my life:

1. escaped from a closed tank, it must have we searched EVERYWHERE for it and NEVER found it (how do you lose a bright yellow zebra print snail?)

2. it died for no reason (because they are sensative) and somehow managed to poison everything around it, we looked insance going to vets/petshops and eventually the local scientist that dealt with ecology and nothing could be found to be wrong but one by one after that everything that had shared that tank died.

I have never had a Giant snail but have heard the breed like crazy and died quite easily from food poisoning too.

Is this serious? It’s a snail ffs

I think I have walked into a mn third dimension.
It's a snail, it will be quite happy in the garden.

This thread is fantastic! Agree with pp, great thing to teach kids about all living things that matter.

Anyway, I'm just here to guess the name:
*Michelle as in MiShell (see what I did there?😊)
*Shelby
*Hershel
*Shelisa
*Seychelles

This thread is the most bizarre I've ever read on here 🐌 🐌 🐌

Is there a pet Hotel near by? Maybe get him there for the duration of the holiday?

I'm an animal lover but am 😳at this thread.

Would never think of having a pet snail. I guess they are good for allergies?

😂

⬆️⬆️ This!

An animal sanctuary? For a SNAIL? Are you high?

Do you have any garlic?

Do you a local Facebook community page? I’m sure you’ll fine a family local to you would take in a snail for two weeks.

It hasn't adapted to anything you loon, its a fecking SNAIL!!