To be angry at my mum over an animal in distress

[Corintha]

My mum has just text me in casual conversation to say that there is a pigeon trapped in the chimney vent in her and my dad’s bedroom. She says that they heard it fall down early this morning and it has been in there cooing ever since and is clearly stuck.

I have asked what she intends to do about it, whether she is going to get my dad to take the vent off or call someone in. She doesn’t want to take the vent off as it will be messy and doesn’t want to call anyone out as she says she’s too busy with other life admin (she’s a carer for adult autistic sibling). She says “It’s a shame but it’s life” and she’s just going to leave it and let nature run its course.

I’ve lost my shit with her a bit as she seems okay to lay in bed for the next few nights listening to an animal die in a horrible way. The vent is behind their bed board ffs! I’ve also warned her that the smell is going to be horrendous and she will have flies but she is insisting it will be fine. It’s a vent, of course the smell is going to seep through.

I’ve lost my shit with her a bit and she has told me to go away and blocked me saying “it’s not the first time an animal has died in a chimney and won’t be the last”.

AIBU to think she’s being incredibly thick. I’m so angry at her and I don’t know what to do as I live an hour away and don’t drive, it’s 3 hours away on public transport

Why don't you get a cowl on your chimney pot so the birds can't get in?

Probably because you've got to pay 100s for scaffolding, then pay someone to get up there and fix the cowl. Not everyone can afford such costs. I had to get my chimney pointing fixed and the costs for the scaffolding was more than the work being done.

There’s netting on it but they’ve managed to get it in in the past

It’s not just your pregnancy hormones it’s called common decency and empathy for another living creature.

I am fuming on your behalf and close to asking where your mum lives tbh and turn up at her door saying I’m from a nature sanctuary and telling her she’s being a right cruel bitch. Sorry.

If she doesn’t want to sort it, fine, kind of weird she is talking about it flapping its wings in distress and not being pro active in calling someone to help sort it out, there’s plenty of bird Facebook pages for your local area on social media. I’m sure she/your dad can find one.

Netting is actually quite dangerous for wildlife, as they can get tangled in it and suffer awful constriction injuries.

The worst hazards are posed by netting at ground level e.g. football nets, loose netting over plants.

It's always worth putting gaming nets away between use & avoiding use of netting in gardening where possible

If it can't be avoided please make sure it's kept taut (AFAIK this doesn't eliminate the risk but may reduce it).

If you do find an bird or mammal caught in netting please call your nearest wildlife rescue rather than free them yourself. They will likely need to be monitored as constriction injuries can develop even after they are freed. Wildlife Rescue directory at www.helpwildlife.co.uk

@BeeHive909 the QT is because your post reminded me of this, not directed solely at you!

You don't need scaffolding to put a cowl on a chimney. I live in a 3 storey house and the chimney sweep did it with ladders, including the ladder that hooks over the apex.

You aren’t in the wrong.
As sad as it is, her reward for being cruel is going to be one god awful smell. I remember noticing a lot of files in a house I moved into as a kid. My parents managed to locate the flies entrance: a boarded up fireplace. That was opened and the smell (and flies) 🤢.

Your mum is being horrible. 😡

I had a pigeon in a blocked off chimney once, i was able to get into it and let the poor thing out through the window. I know the world is not short of pigeons but I didn't want to let it suffer when it was fairly easy for me to release it (and also avoiding rotting pigeon smells and flies).

Is it dead yet ? 😔

I’d say that you are coming to do it yourself. I’m sure the shame of that and them not wanting their 7 month pregnant daughter doing a 6 hr trip and missing work for a ten min job would shame them into action surely. Actually do start going make it clear you are serious. I bet you don’t have to get very far

This! I couldn’t listen to an animal die slowly in such a horrible way either.

But even if we ignore the ethical / animal welfare concerns:

1. this will stink!!
2. she will hear the pidgeon getting more and more desperate whilst she’s trying to sleep. Wouldn’t that keep her awake? Even just the noise (and not the ethics)?

the chimney sweep once found a dead one in ours. We truly didn’t notice that it had gotten in there. But dead or alive: the animal will have to come out of that chimney!

And I personally would strongly prefer it to be alive or - if impossible - have a quick death.

Pigeons are monogamous animals that mate for life, so it’s very possible that the pigeon will actually be missed (even if there are so many of em…)

Well if I was you I'd maintain a similar cba approach to her....
She's just awful.

Absolutely horrific attitude to have. God that is just wrong. We’re a country family - we shoot game birds (and yes, we eat them.). Absolutely zero chance that bird wouldn’t have been rescued in our house, yes we may kill birds but you don’t leave an animal to suffer for days and have a long drawn out death because you cannot be bothered. What the fuck?!?!