Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/friend-pet-advice/
Being questioned about how you handle things can be pretty hurtful at times. However, it is sometimes necessary to swallow your pride and accept some friendly advice. It might be annoying and unsolicited, but sometimes it’s just the wake-up call you need. This applies primarily to friends who are genuinely worried and only mean well. They play an important role in your growth as a person, and it’s only appropriate to thank them and take their words into consideration. Do not deliberately ignore their advice just because you think you know better.
Also, listening to your friend, especially when they think you are harming someone else, is vital. A teenager from Reddit opened up about this struggle and asked the platform’s users for advice. The problem involves a friend who claims to love animals. According to greggiz‘s post, her friend’s family has one dog, 19 chickens, 6 rabbits, 2 hermit crabs, and a turtle. It’s basically a house to shelter their beloved animals rather than a family home.
However, OP couldn’t help but notice the environment each animal lived in. “Oliver is a baby turtle, and he lives in a ten-gallon tank, which they are planning on getting him a bigger one soon since he is growing. There is absolutely nothing in the tank except water and a little floating platform for him to rest on,” greggiz explained. “The walls of the tank are filthy, and Brook can’t remember the last time she changed the water. I am not a turtle expert, so maybe this is completely fine, but the thing that really gets me is that they didn’t get him from a breeder or pet store or anything. They found him on the side of a bike trail and took him, a wild turtle, home.”
Not only that, but OP was also worried about their pets’ diet. The rabbits’ diet only includes pellets and no vegetables. She even pointed out that the rabbits do not roam in a spacious area but are caged instead. OP was genuinely concerned about how it might affect her friend’s pets. Every time she got the chance to explain her concerns, the friend would just completely ignore her.
The Reddit post received different suggestions that would help greggiz handle the issue. Morrighu87 wrote, “NTA. But she is 14. You might do better talking to her parents.” It’s true that the parents might listen to her and make some changes at their place, and they also get to make the decisions since they are the adults in the family. Reddit users also felt terrible about the animals, and they see where OP is coming from. However, it’s a matter that must be dealt with by her friend’s parents.
“You would NBTA at all, as an animal lover/ owner of 4 rabbits, this all is terrible to hear. However, this is clearly an issue of her parents not being responsible with animals and not necessarily your friend.” Quiet_Attitude4053 commented. “I would try to tell your parents/ an adult in your life and see if they can approach Brook’s parents. It’s a pretty delicate subject, one that they may not be receptive to, but it is definitely super necessary and may be received better coming from an adult. Poor little critters.”
Many Reddit users are still commenting on the post. You might have recommendations that can help OP. If you are an expert in caring for the animals she mentioned, it would be a great idea to share your knowledge. It’s wonderful that their family provided a place for those animals. However, the environment could be safer and friendlier if changes were made. Thank you, OP, for bringing up this issue!
Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog
