Children chasing pigeons. Abusive?

[S1ur]

It is time for the Mumsnet verdict.

Say your piece.

oh god

I really really really hope not

Nah - because they've got no hope of actually catching one and the pigeons know it!

hmm interesting

All rise for her honour, Judge Slur.

Personally, not really up there on the scale of Major offences is it?

chasing fine - throwing things at , , trying to actually hurt in any shape or form not ok

I hope you're joking....or maybe testing to see how politically correct we all are?

not really but it is annoying.

They always get away don't they?

It would be like claiming cats chasing moths was abusive.

I am not joking.

I am posing question to clear this up.

It is a question worth asking because

• there are people who think that chasing pigeons is tantamount to animal abuse and that parents should stop this behaviour.

• there are people who people who think that chasing pigeons is fine and children who do this are not being abusive or cruel.

I want a Mumsnet verdict.

That I will spread around all threads ever more as THE definitive answer.

Pigeons seem to be prepared to play the game IMO. And there is a difference between chasing pigeons and throwing stones at them.

I'm really very torn.
Pigeons are vermin and are classed as such by most councils.
Children who chase after pigeons are generally not intentionally being cruel
BUT
By being allowed to chase pigeons and parents encouraging it, many children believe that this applies to other living creatures. It confuses children that they are allowed to chase birdies and are then not allowed to chase birdies.
Therefore,
I think children should not be encouraged to chase these birds.

I've always encouraged my dc to chase pigeons. I really dislike them....pigeons, not dc, I once had one fly towards me & I ended up being "flapped" around the face......eeeerrrggghhh.

And pigeons being chased causes them to flap at people who may be scared of them.

hmmmmmmm at Hatrick's distinction between running around after pigeons and chasing them.

Rejects on grounds of being essentially the SAME THING with toddlers.

See DifferentID I really do think children can and do discriminate.

They would understand that it's ok to chase pidgeons but not ok to chase ducks or the chickens in granny's garden.

Or, at least, my DS who's 5 doesn't have a problem discriminating. Maybe it is because pigeons fly away so quickly?

But at the age when they are learning what is and isn't appropriate many chidren are not quite capable of understanding that there are lots of types of birdies. they may say that all birds are ducks or just use "birdie" to lump them all together.

Swans don't move. BE warned.
Some ducks are surprisingly tame and don't move.
That surprises some children.
The children just stop, bemused and then run away themselves.

Just wait till they try it with geese.
Oh the phobia geese gave my sister from age 3 when she chased some pigeons into a group of ducks and geese. She hates all things avian, except for her own chickens.

Pigeons YUK! I'm sick of being swooped on by them...RATS with wings as my hubby calls them...
Small children (toddlers) chasing pigeons - fine...natural curiosity...they wanna touch EVERYTHING...I'm glad it turns into a 'chase' as I wouldn't want my precious little angel touching one of THOSE disease infested creatures (poor pigeon LOL)
Bigger kids...propper chase to make them fly and scare them...not so fine...they're old enough to know better...even rats with wings deserve a break...and what's more the damn creatures always seem to fly towards me
Any child throwing stones at any animal...NOT FINE...EVER

Geese.

The geese hate us. They wish us ill will. I don't know what fucker once pissed them off, but good god they know how to hold a grudge.

Ah yes DifferentID, I think I forgot about smaller children