Am I cruel?

[Meangirl6]

Hi,

This is a bit random.

Yesterday I was on the phone to a animal rescue place enquiring about volunteering.

The backdoor was open and my cat chased it and went to eat it. Luckily I intervened in time.

Last year he was stung, ended up really sick.

I apologised to the woman on the phone and said if I cannot get rid of the bee I will Hoover it up.

She replied that's really cruel and we don't have employees who harm animals and hung up the phone before I could explain.

Granted what I said wasn't the best, but it was massive and I was trying to get the bee out but it wouldn't budge.

Meanwhile my cat is stuck in the conservatory until it leaves.

Told my family - they agreed I was cruel.

Out of hours vet is £250 and he would have been stressed going the vets even before he was stung.

I feel awful. The bee died after I sprayed wasp spray on it.

'Hello, is that the World Wildlife Fund? I'd like to enquire about volunteering.
Firstly, please excuse the background noise, I'm just barbecuing another live rhinosaurus...'

Eh? You killed a bee rather than let it out? Even though your cat was out of harm's way? Yes you were very cruel!

Yes cruel

I'd of killed it too OP if I'm being completely honest.

Of course you were cruel, I'm surprised you need to ask.

I literally scooped a doozy bee up in a cup yesterday that had found it's way inside. Let it out, job done. No one felt threatened, no one was killed.

In your case, yes spraying it with bug spray was unnecessary.

Oh noooo op!! Bees are bros!!! I always rescue them when I see them on pavements and last year me and DC looked after an exhausted one that was in our house for about 2 days until he could fly off. DC still talk about "that time we saved a bee" now.

Never kill a bee that's a dick move op 😔

Hi @Meangirl6 - experienced (35+ years) cat fosterer and owner here.

I assume by how you described it that you're talking about a bumble bee. These are highly unlikely to sting your cat or you unless it was highly threatened.

A bumble bee sting on a cat will annoy the cat, but it’s not usually harmful. Stings will cause irritation and swelling, which could be dangerous if the cat was stung in the mouth or throat. The stung area would show signs of swelling pretty soon. The cat will lick/paw at the area and will be vocal if the area is hurting (some cats can be very dramatic, others make very little fuss).

Your vet should tell you which over-the-counter antihistamines are safe (if your vet wants to charge you for this info, call an animal rescue centre, I'm sure they'd know). This info changes over time as existing brands change formula or new brands come onto the market. Personally I check every 6 months.

Unless your cat has a bee/wasp sting allergy, it shouldn't need vet treatment.

There are some insects that have learned how to mimic bumble bees in size, look and behavior. They are more likely to be active from May (earlier if it's been dry/sunny where you live).

If the bumble bee had already been seriously injured by your cat and was incapable of flight, I would have given it a quick and merciful death (not using spray or a vacuum cleaner).

If the bumble bee was still flying, I would have encouraged it out of my house by gentle means.

YABU.

Bees are declining and we ALL rely on them, even your cat.

In the scenario you describe the correct course of action would be remove the cat and let the bee find its way out.

You were cruel, and stupid.

I spent a whole day rescuing a wet, cold bee the other week - so I'm leaning towards the side of the person on the phone 🤣

Bees are massively in decline, and they aren't out to harm anyone.

You really need to ask if you're cruel? The simple answer is yes and despicable with it! If your cat goes for a bee, of course it's going to sting it! The poor thing is defending itself.
Bees do not sting if they're left alone. I pick bees up by hand, every time they come in, I haven't been stung once in all the years I've done it.
All you had to do was seperate both, then let the bee out. How hard is that? Clearly it is for you! Bees are in massive decline. I hope you feel good about your contribution!
And how cruel and heartless to spray it with wasp spray. You are a revolting person.
This post has angered and upset me. I think the animal shelter were absolutely well within their rights to put the phone down on you!
Lucky you're not stood in front of me! 🤬

Sorry OP but this reads like a sketch show 😂 Just see the comedy in it ..and try not to kill living things if possible 😂

Did you mistype “cat” rather than “lion”? If not, would it not have been manifestly easier just to pick up your cat and shut it in another room until the bee flew away?

Last summer I saw a bee who looked ill/weak on the path in my park. I went home (luckily only a 5 minute walk) and got some sugar water for it in a container and then checked on it later. Sadly it died but at least I helped it. I even try to move worms if they're on paths that people can step on and feel slightly guilty if flies come into the bathroom and get drowned.

So yes, you should have saved the bee

Just pick up the bee and put it outside?

If you were worried it would sting you (unlikely for a bee), pop a glass over it and shuffle under some paper then release it.

Complete overreaction to kill the bee.

I hope everyone calling the op cruel is a vegan. It would be incredibly hypocritical to berate the op while also being happy to eat animals with a far greater capacity to suffer than the bee

Bees are vital to human life OP. Plus they are beautiful, l Love seeing them going about their business in the summer months.🪻🐝

A bee will not look at your cat and decide to attack it- your cat saw the bee and thought I’ll catch that. You put the cat in another room and open the doors/ windows and wait until the bee flies out then cat can go back in that room. I’m not sure this post is real. If it’s that much of a problem buy a cheap kids fishing net and gently scoop the bee up and put it outside

You can just pick bees up and launch them out the window though, they're very chill, just terrible at finding the exit. I've flung many a bee and not been stung once.

Unless we're going to get a drip feed that it was some massive Madagascan murder bee that no one's ever heard of, killing it was unnecessary, and telling an animal charity you planned to do so was just stupid.

Don't you find you get really invested in saving them! I remember finding one outside work on the path and took it in the office where about 5 of us were all mothering around it finding a tub for it to rest in and searching for flowers and sugar water and checking up on it every 10 minutes and we all gathered outside for the big release later that day after it was officially declared on the intranet that it had rested enough 🤣

Even our manager got involved in Operation Bee Rescue that day. Beats any crappy team building exercise!!

I’m sure you must have heard that there’s a problem with a decline in bees which are vital for pollinating plants, crops and long story short the human population and the planet can’t survive if we don’t look after them.

You absolute cruel, brainless melt.

Are you for real???? Of course it is cruel! And unnecessary!!

Simply trap the bee with a glass and gently release into the garden.

Bees are important animals, but I would do this even for a wasp or fly.

So, so cruel. What a horrible thing to read this morning

OP you are horrible.

The fact that you thought telling an animal welfare place that you were considering killing an animal was an ok thing to do is what sticks out most at me here. I'm not going to pile on with outrage about the bee but it does seem really stupid of you to have said this to them.