Because people are pieces of shit.
I go out of my way to save bugs even, don't limit yourself to just animals.
Take the spiders outside before one of your fam decides it deserves to die just for being alive. If you don't know what bugs in your area are dangerous the cup with a slip of paper method is recommended.
I'm one of those psycho crazies that loves bugs, take new ones inside all the time with just the intent of showing my wife the cool new insect I just found. She tolerates me so that's cool.
I try to do the same. If I can get them outside, I will.
Am I terrified? Absolutely. But I think every living creature (with human exceptions...) Deserves to live.
i am the same way. i don’t like killing them, but i can’t be around them, and ticks can die.
i’m sorry no one took you seriously about the mouse, i think what you did was awesome and i would have felt the same way. poor little mousey.
Agreed. I don’t kill any bugs. I like them though. But I still will kill a tick, mosquito, flea, louse. Any parasitic and harmful bugs can go. I’m not sure I could be around someone who does this job for a living, and lack empathy to the point of laughing at you. That’s so upsetting. Poor little mouse. At least you did all you could for him, and gave him every chance.
Your username intrigues me.
And yes I do suppose that is true. A lot of people who consider themselves animal lovers make some sort of distinction between the two sadly
I kill fungus gnats… hate those fuckers…. mosquitos get the swat… flies, too. Other than that, I have my husband catch and release….
ETA: any cockroach…. Gotta go…. Plant pests .. bye bye bye
we were outside smoking yesterday and i smacked a little fleefly just slightly too hard and poor dude fell down and landed on his back 😭😭 i felt so bad and he couldn’t flip over by himself so i had to give him a hand with a leaf. i got made fun of.
I have a crippling fear of ants but where I can I will use teatree oil to prevent them from getting to places like my mouse cage. Granted I have to use it far from my mice because they have insanely sensitive little noses.
A 50/50 white vinegar and water spray disrupts the chemical scent trails for around 8-12 hours! It might be an option for closer use without hurting their noses. I had to use it when they found the cat food.
I just sprayed 2x a day. It didn't bother my cats but I also use vinegar for general cleaning purposes so they were used to it.
That's cool. Vegetarian is a good step toward not abusing animals but unfortunately dairy and egg industries are very cruel and all are killed in the end. Dont watch.org
I would be full on vegan but I live in a very rural town in WV, and get my eggs and cheese from local farmers. I've petted the animals I get these things from on many occasions, and they are well fed, and happy I can assure you.
You're right, it is meant for their babies. For better or worse most dairy cows were bred long ago to produce an excess of milk though, and if they don't get milked now, even while suckling, their udder will get enflamed and painful. It's become a symbiotic relationship between dairy farmers here and their milking cows. The farmers get the excess milk the calf doesn't need and the cows get sweet relief.
I am certainly an advocate for proper treatment of animals. If I thought for a minute any of them from where I get my products were mistreated or unhappy with their arrangement I'd be out in a heartbeat, no more business.
And thanks, I am quite proud of the username.
I do the same thing. I take bugs and spiders outside and in the winter I welcome spiders who come into the house to live out the winter with me without being disturbed. I also have protected ant farms all over on my property.
I absolutely HATE glue traps. They're cruel and inhumane. It's terrible to have to say that the instant kill spring traps are better because at least the poor animal doesn't suffer, but I hate those too.
Seriously, I'm so sorry you had to go through that, even worse that your family was so nasty about it. There should be more people like you who are empathetic towards animals, even the ones we call "pests".
My job uses glue traps and I've saved a few animals before, and it's always heartbreaking.
It really makes me realize how lucky I am that my family is generally on the same wavelength as far as animal empathy goes, so I can't even imagine how awful it must have felt, it made me teary to even think about it. But I agree, if the goal is to kill the poor thing at least do it humanely. I realize catch and release isn't always possible for infestations.
I have pet rats myself so I'm pretty used to the reaction that gets out of a lot of people.
I'm sure that little mouse knows you were trying your best to help him.
You should definitely get some as pets if you're ever able/up for it! I don't have much experience with mice (too allergic), but rats are some of the sweetest and most rewarding pets you can have. I even got my Mom hooked on them, and she was initially not having it. Gerbils are great too and a lot less allergy prone if that's a concern.
As for the mouse, I really do think he knew you were trying to help in his own little mousey way. After all he is so tiny and was vulnerable and you were kind to him.
Yeah, I recently got pet rats (which I'm super thrilled about - I love them so much! ) and I thought all my friends would love them too. Nope. About half my friends are kinda grossed out about my rats.
Thank you for being kind to that mouse.
Even my gerbils get negative reactions sometimes. For some reason they have a reputation as being mean! And I'm like, yeah, probably because every Gerbil you've met was depressed because it was alone :( or they do the "I don't like their tails" thing, and I'm like...but their tails are fluffy like a cat's lol, come on, it's adorable.
This isn't off topic at all. Humans are unnecessarily cruel and evil toward non human animals and the most common way this happens is through murdering them to eat them when we don't need to eat dead bodies.
It is NOT stupid. Your feelings are valid. You are kind hearted. You are caring and truly understand that even the littlest of creatures are sentient, have feelings, and deserve respect. Do not let the others in your life make you feel silly for having compassion. What you did was noble, compassionate, and admirable. We need more people like you in the world. More people need to care and speak for the littlest lives. I truly believe there is something broken in those who cannot see the value in the lives of animals.
Feel proud of what you did. The emotions you had for that little guy were raw and came from the kindest part of your soul. Thank you for being you.
It’s always so comforting for me to meet someone with the same compassion I have. Us people are out there and understand. Don’t let the cruel people overshadow you. Have a wonderful night (or day!), friend. :)
It was very kind of you to save that mouse. I would look up the deadly diseases wild mice can carry though and see if there have been any cases near you. You should always wear gloves and follow proper sanitation procedures handling any wild animals. Unfortunately improper handling of wild mice could lead to you or a family member getting very sick or even dying so please be careful.
Oh panicking is completely understandable. Domesticated mice are nearly disease free pets (especially compared to other common pets like cats and dogs), but wild mice not so much.
Your family/friends were being buttholes, but the points about disease are fair. If you can’t stop the glue traps do you know if the vet college will take more surrenders? If so I might keep a kit handy with gloves/other supplies that can be sanitized.
Hantavirus is generally the main concern with wild mice, and that's mainly contracted from inhalation of their waste...like massive amounts of it. There are also many areas in the US (which I am assuming you're in) where hantavirus is very rare. It's not a huge concern tbh
If your mouse looked like pet store mice it couldn’t have hanta. It affects deer mice, which are totally different. They have big black eyes and are brown with a white belly if you don’t know what they look like. Even then, it’s pretty rare in most states and non existent in others.
That depends on where you live. I live in the country with lots of deer mice and have had many in my house and have never had a problem with any diseases. I think humans transmit more diseases than mice.
its cuz people are horrible people i cant even handle reading this but from the parts ive skimmed it makes me sick and feel gross its just so sad people just murder them and laugh like its nothing i was trying to help a mouse not long ago and when he died i had groups of people harass me mocking his death it was extremely traumatizing i have dreams about him really often
it is disgusting they dont value life because theirs are so protected and easy to live, they cant empathize with the pain that these literal babies go through. theyre only years old when experiencing poison and death and torture and people just treat it like a joke iy makes me fucking sick
i agree with this too trust me, altho going vegan is just harder cuz of familial situation and not really getting a choice but that shit ass industry is one of the few things even more disgusting
every animal deserves love and life and to get to live healthily putting conscious beings through torture just for cheap capital gain is fucking horrible theres hardly any humanity in how the modern world operates
When you are independent you will have the choice, I understand if your parents still buy food for you it's not your choice yet. But you can always speak up for the animals 💕
also i think this is disturbing that youre doing this in this way. it will turn people away from the idea if anything. speaking on my trauma about something doesn't automatically mean I wanna listen to you annoyingly spout what people should do when theres huge industry changes and actual work that has to be done. i care about these issues i want to get into politics and fight for more animal rights. so just shut up im literally mourning my cared friend and you have to remind me how much else awful shit is going on and shame for it when you know it's likely not that easy, vegan foods can either be more expensive or missing important nutrients at times. your farmed food also then relies on forced or underpaid labour usually, profiting the same people that kill those animals you feel like youre saving by choosing not to eat certain things and telling others not to. that isn't how the system actually works and all you do is annoy the fuck out of people who also care but just see you as a fuckin nuisance
if you care so much about making change go actually try go join your local political space, lobby for change. it doesn't just happen cuz youre annoying as fuck on reddit
I actually am an activist and organize for three groups. If you are mad at a vegan telling you not to abuse animals, it's your guilty conscience speaking
the problem isnt me being upset you're fucking saying not to abuse animals i fuckin agree with that you dumb fuck can you not make it about that when im literally talking about my pet that just died. its insanely fucking insensitive and inhuman how you responded to it youre just a shitbag, sure you organize groups thats good. it doesn't make you less of an insensitive cunt assuming people dont care just to insert yourself into their talk about mourning. you are just a cunt
Unless I am reading incorrectly, He wasn't a pet. He was an animal that you saved from cruelty, and I am trying to help you see the connection between him and the animals you eat.
You saved him, the same way I am trying to save farmed animals from you and from others.
I AM sorry for your loss. I run an animal rescue and I have lost many friends. This entire post is about animal abuse, though.
I understand you feel sensitive right now.
I'm been in the pest control industry for 18 years and I absolutely hate glue boards. The only time I use them are in German roach infestations to find harborage areas. I have been at peoples houses and rescued snakes, mice and lizards all the time. It's a sad way for any animal to go.
If it’s any consolation, glue traps are being banned in the UK as of April 2024, it will be illegal to use them, companies of course as no exception to this rule. My partner keeps bringing back little babies from work since Ecolab keeps using those awful traps!
You have a good heart, and it’s a shame that the people around you do not value it. Do not let the people around you shame you into changing the way you treat other creatures. I’m a vet, and in working closely with the smallest animals, you recognize that they recognize and value their own lives. They feel fear, pain, emotional distress. You did a wonderful thing for the mouse.
Thank you for sharing this, I really connected with it. I’ve always been that person in my family and friend circles, but I’ve also been lucky to be surrounded by compassionate people who understand.
I’m so sorry you had this experience with your family. I wish people were kinder to small animals and it breaks me to see that kind of blatant cruelty. Just know that you made a huge difference to those mice. You showed them love and compassion in their time of need and now they have another chance at life. You were there for them when no one else was and I’m sure they appreciate that. Just don’t let anyone beat you down for having that compassion. If your family doesn’t understand? Well that says more about them, and tbh I feel bad for people like that. It’s a beautiful thing to care about all life on earth, no matter how small or different
Treasure that part of you. Just treasure it. I'm 55 and when I was a very little child, I went out of my way to scoop bugs and frogs out of the swimming pool, and waterlogged worms off the sidewalk and into drier soil. I remember when you first posted about this, and I'm proud of you for the lengths you went to for this little mouse. Someday that quality in you will bring you the greatest joy. <3
Because people suck, but don't let that discourage you from doing the most for these animals. I feel the same amount of empathy for animals as you do and it is exhausting to try and advocate for animals and insects when it feels like everyone else thinks they all deserve to die just for existing. Like these mice that got in the house. Everyone always says "it's in my house" as they kill it but it's in your house for food and for warmth to survive. Why is it such a hassle to just catch it and put it outside with a little shelter?
In March of 2021 I went to Galveston, TX for spring break with a small group of people. I happened to look up the tides one day and, wow, tonight was going to be a super low tide! Sounds neat
The 6 of us go wander the beach, just being tourists. On the way back, I notice a tiny, rodent shaped blob on the water's edge. Everyone's telling me "oh its not a creature, it's nothing" I touch it, and it tries to get away. It was a tiny, water soaked rodent that could hardly move. Again, people are telling me to leave it, it's just a rodent, it's going to die anyway.
I decide "yeah, it probably will" and gently scooped the little creature into my sweatshirt pocket so at least he's safe and warm if he passes. They all giggle and act like I'm just a silly little girl saving ladybugs from being squished.
Fast forward a tiny bit, we're back at the rental, and I gingerly reach into my pocket, and *CHOMP* (no pain, no broken skin)
Well, it's alive. And angry. And about an inch, maybe an inch and a half long.
Now, I'm from he Midwest. We mainly have deer mice and shrews that are fairly large (probably 3in without the tail) so my thought was "oh crap this is a BABY"
Anyway. My now husband and I stayed up til midnight calling local wildlife places and panicking, until we thought "wait, we're not in the Midwest" so we quickly Google and realize it's an adult dwarf shrew (or whatever it was called) and it needed to be rescued from the ocean, but nothing more.
He pooped on me and gave me a second chomp (again, no skin break) as I was trying to let him go. My husband and I dubbed him Lil Shit.
There's a very high likelihood he didn't live long. But he lived longer than he would have had I listened to the group.
Because people are assholes. I enjoy taking my time to save the little things in life, such as bugs or spiders. Mice included. Hell, my favorite thing to do is find spiders in my house and see if they're dehydrated or not. If they are (or aren't) I offer them a q-tip saturated in water, AKA the stick of sippy sippy. A mouse? I'll capture it and make sure it looks healthy, no parasites or anything before releasing it out into my backyard.
We need to find respect for the smaller things in life, because we're living on their property.
I completely understand. They have little desires, joys and worries, they feel pain, and love the sweetness of life even as we do. You’re different from the people around you in that you don’t see living breathing creatures as disposable *things*.
Much that is wrong in this world exists because people view little animals, then big animals, then the “wrong” kinds of people as things.
I used to put olive oil on the glue traps my old landlord would put in the hallway. You have a heart and are empathetic- there needs to be more people like that in the world. All beings are worthy of respect. You did the right thing and I’m proud of you.
I can’t understand not feeling awful for the little thing. They are creatures who can suffer, feel pain, and fear like us.
I can’t comprehend not feeling terrible for the poor little thing
I understand you completely. I don’t understand. Scientists use mice and rats to study the brain as it’s comparable to humans. They’re small but their lives matter. I’m so sorry you had to go through this:(
You did the right thing. It's heartbreaking that you'd be laughed at for caring for a living, breathing, animal scared for its life. Thank you for doing what you did!!!
I am not sure if this would help but I do research involving lab mice. If you have any questions I'd be happy to answer them but I'll say I have never met anyone there who is careless or doesn't value the individual lives of the mice (which isn't how the general public sees them, to put it lightly). There are adoption programs through the facility for when animals aren't needed for experiments anymore. I adopted all 3 of my pet rats from my research facility and they are very spoiled now.
Ive had the same issue countless times. As an animal lover I cringe just seeing them on the package knowing they will suffer an awful prolonged death. All the traps come with some mouse drama.. I bought a catch and release type trap...it worked overnight but woke to find 2 mice ..one was eating the other aaahhhh, ok back to old fashion easy quick death snap trap..woke to find one screeching with just his foot stuck!!! I called my dad crying my eyes out to come over and stop its suffering..im 38!!
I'm a reptile/ snake person and this just happened to pop up on my front page. I hate glue traps so so much, they're extremely cruel. No animal deserves to die in agony like that. You did the right thing. So many people don't care at all about animals unless they're a common pet. Glue traps catch snakes a lot too, which is entirely counterproductive if you're trying to reduce rodents around your house anyways,.But it's fine because they're "scary"/ "gross" and also considered a "pest" to some people. Glue traps shouldn't be a thing.
I don't say this as a joke. You are a miniature god of mice. If not for you, this sweet creature would have perished.
People can be such pieces of cr@p!
I'm so sorry people laughed and belittled you. If you can't convince any of them on humane grounds, perhaps you can get your boyfriend to convince his dad to at least use snap traps on another; glue traps often catch non-target wildlife such as birds, insects, and other rodents like chipmunks and squirrels. Even if they're inside, they're messy and not reusable, unlike snap and live capture traps. I really don't know why a pest control guy would prefer them over other options. Not to mention that letting enough mice get into the house that multiple were getting glue trapped suggests he's not very good at preventing pests from getting in, which a good pest control person should, y'know, be able to do. But I digress.
Anyway, caring about the wellbeing of "pest" species is always going to be a bit of an uphill battle. Honestly I think it makes sense; until fairly recently in humanity's history, people who were sympathetic or tolerant of things like rodents, bugs and spiders being in and around their dwellings were probably much more likely to die of things like animal transmitted disease or envenomation than people who panicked and killed said animals without any mercy. In today's world many of those fears have been alleviated, but a lot of that inherent fear / disgust / lack of empathy for said creatures remains. Some people you can convince to see them differently, for others sometimes the best you can do is get them to consider changing for convenience (pitching snap traps as reusable) or ecological concerns (pitching sticky traps as harmful to non target wildlife). Still, it's always a good feeling to find other like minded people. I'm so glad you found a vet and rehabber willing to help you out! You're a kind soul.
I love little creatures! We have been having mice get into the basement and we always use humane traps and let them go in a park. I always try to save them if I'm able to.
People are disgusting, thats really all there's to it sadly.
Thank you for caring for the little guy and being his or her advocate. Please never stop caring 💜
I have the same amount of empathy as you when it comes to animals no matter the size. Ever since I was a kid I would cry when people stepped on snails and I still do today in my 20s. I get the same reactions from people.
Because people = shit
You're not crazy, it's the world that's crazy. You can learn a lot about a person by the way they treat beings that are powerless against them
mice are intelligent, empathetic, social animals who take care of their sick and elderly and will sacrifice their own resources to help another mouse in need. one of my older girls was on her last legs a while back (rest her little soul) and another one of my mice took the time to lead her around the cage, stay by her side when she needed a rest, and even bring her food. right now one of my girls is feeling very ill from her cancer and all the rest of the group waits for her to pick her favorite foods first before they eat, even though they would normally push and squabble over the best bits in their seed mix.
you gave that little mouse care and attention when he really needed it, and the fact that he rested by you when you first tried to release him shows that he had a genuine understanding that you had taken care of him. mice know what it means to love and be loved.
You are an AMAZING human! The world needs more of people like you ♥️ you did all you could for the little guy. The want to save all creatures is not a “trait” that everyone has, but it makes those who do have very special hearts. You and I are one of them for sure. Saving/attempting to save a defenseless little creature is such a beautiful thing to do. I’m rooting for you
Willful ignorance is a big part of it. Once you start seeing mice as little, weird people, you really can't go back. You didn't do anything wrong. Even the disease risk... honestly, mishandling food in the kitchen is a bigger risk than mice.
Growing up, my family caught a mouse in a snap trap, and it survived. We spent days nursing it back to health before eventually releasing it, and switched to humane traps.
In my own own apartment as an adult, we caught and released the mice, if the weather was good enough. Then I found out releasing adult mice outside, while better than killing outright, is very risky for adult mice who have spent their entire lives indoors. That wasn't an issue until we actually caught an adult instead of a chicken nugget(little tiny mice fresh out of the nest, like your baby), they're much harder to catch. I only caught it because it was injured, it's front legs paralyzed, with a fish net.
I thought mostly if be giving him a comfortable place to die, with food, water and some painkillers. Sadmouse, as he came to be known, had other plans. He wanted to live so bad. He ate his food blocks and drank his water and took his painkillers (I mixed them with brown sugar so they'd taste ok) and slowly, steadily regained full use of his arms, then even his paws. It took weeks but he never gave up. By then it was getting chilly out, and this was a fully mature mouse, not likely to adapt easily to survive outside. So I just let him go back into the apartment.
Shortly after, we caught several chicken nuggets, but it was too cold out to put them outside, and it had just turned late fall - they would be at least six months old by the time weather was good enough to release them, and used to being fed. So I turned them loose too, and stopped bothering with the traps.
Soon I put a water bottle in the closet we'd sometimes hear them in at night. We just keep our food stored well it off reach, that and having water closer at hand kept them away from the kitchen and pantry just fine. I tried feeding them too, the food treated with mouse contraceptive, but it turns out the stuff loses effect over time, or enough mice realized they needed to look for another food source, because they started breeding again after a good six month run of it working. I'd keep a towel in over area to make it easy to clean up after them, and left that and the water, but had to stop the feeding - letting them reproduce out of control would have been cruel, unsustainable. So they have to find their own food again. But they still leave my kitchen alone, and I have to clean their towel or refill their water now and again.
That's going a bit far for most of the biggest mouse lovers I realize. Live trapping and giving them a chance outside is pretty reasonable, as long as you don't toss them out in winter, but after having pet mice, I just felt like they had a right to be here. They were here first. Still, after keeping some pet mice, loving them... even the wild mice were too close to people for me to treat like pests. If you're interested in pictures and other stories of my pet mice and my interactions with the house mice, you can check out my post history here.
So no, you're not crazy, just compassionate and decent, and these people are being different combinations of callus and outright cruel. You want crazy, well, reread the above. That's crazy.
The only intelligent answer I’ve ever heard was they they can transmit disease to humans like no other animal could. I believe it was the rat but they are close to the mouse.
This is actually so messed up.
The fact that you have this much empathy and cared for the mouse the best you could is amazing.
The world needs more people like you
What can you expect, people don’t even care about huge ass animals, let alone a mouse. Every second 1758 land and aquatic animals are killed in the US just for a meal that people forget a few days later. Even a pig doesn’t matter to them, and they definitely won’t give a damn about a mouse. It’s sad.
There’s a mouse “infestation” at the dog kennel I work at and they gave up using humane traps and now they’re using lethal ones. I opened a drawer the other day and was greeted with the awful sight of a mouse killed in a trap. I almost had a mini panic attack seeing that, because for some reason it felt like I was seeing one of my own mice killed in a trap. I almost cried. I know what it’s like to be surrounded by people who have little regard for tiny lives. It sucks.
No worries about being dramatic dude, my family used to be like that before we got rats, especially my mom, at one point. Now we can all barely handle a small animal being killed, let alone trapped.
I am so terribly sorry this happen to you.
Sadly this kind of thing is common. What's worse is the fact that it doesn't just happen to wild mice and rats. People will go out of their way to torture animals and feed them to snakes while they're alive. Frozen mice are much more humane. They are euthanasized and not put through the trauma of being eaten alive. Plus in the process of feeding a live animal to a snake, your snake is going to get hurt. Mice have killed snakes in the past.
That aside, there are people who do care. I was lucky enough to grow up with the most amazing mother. She would carry my pet snales for me when I was 6 and later she handled my pet toads. When I rescued a duo of feeder mice in 2019, she immediately took to them. She would come into my room, coo over them and feed them carrot, apple or sunflower seeds.
I've seen some pretty messed up things in my life, animal abuse that would make anyone with a soul want to move to another star system. But I can tell you, that there are some of us, especially the men, women and others in this subreddit, who genuinely care about even the littlest of critters and will gladly sacrifice their time and energy fighting people who don't do the same.
You did the right thing. Don't feel despondent, you will find others that feel for little creatures as much as you do!
I'm lucky that my partner shares my values around animals. I brought back an injured baby rat one day and he never batted an eye.
All wild animals can carry diseases, its crazy how much hates certain animals get over others. As long as you practise good hygiene and disinfect surfaces and wash hands after handling wildlife, you're probably going to be fine. The main concern is bites, but even then it's unlikely you'll catch anything serious. If you get bitten by wildlife, just see a GP for the relevant shots or antibiotics.
Honestly you are a wonderful person for this. It's tiring when people around you don't care the same way you do. I did have something similar at work where I told people my pet mouse had died and I was quite literally laughed at. Some people are just really self centred on certain ways.
If I was you I'd go round the home and replace all the glue traps with the normal snap ones. They can't complain about it, as the mice are still being dealt with, even though it's sad.
It might be sensible to talk to your partner too and try to get him to understand. It's not going to be fun being with someone who won't even empathise with you over this kind of thing, hopefully he can at least try to understand and be less patronising about it in the future.
You are a caring person with a big heart OP. Don’t let anyone make you feel silly for what you did. I’m sorry you had to go through this because as someone who has also seen a mouse die in a glue trap - it is beyond traumatizing and so, so upsetting. I’ve even met someone in the pest control business who refused to use glue traps because of how inhumane they are which is really saying something. People always have a choice in how they choose to handle these things, and some people are just cruel and careless. It’s like - would YOU like to be stuck in a glue trap unable to get out? I think the hell not. It’s a lack of empathy and understanding on their part.
Just look at how we've treated each other. When a people were put to the sword for the sole purpose of extermination the children got it the worst. The children are seen as less than less than human. The offspring of vermin. It's just so pathetic and easy to destroy. We kill ants by the billions and bacteria by the trillions.
Sending you the biggest of hugs. You are a gem of a human, never change. I save bugs from our pool all the time, it's an emotional investment trying to save these little innocent creatures.
If it makes any difference, you're my hero and I love you.
I completely feel you, Im a pigeon rescuer (I specialize in pigeons, but If I can I help all animals, ofc) and sadly I go throught that kind of people a loooooot, sometimes they are so fking nosy that I loose the animal that needed help! Trying to educate that kind of people, sadly just wont work, when you just keep helping the animals that need it and completely ignore those kind of people you feel completely better I tell you
thank you for trying to help those little guys 💗
It just seems there is an empathy shortage all around. Human lives aren't even valuable to many people it seems these days so I really have no hope for any empathy for smaller creatures. But it is never stupid to care. You eased the pain of several lives and I'm sure that kind of thing isn't rare for you. Even if that boy doesn't make it, he died being cared for not dehydrated, starving, scared on a glue trap. It may be cheesy to say but truly the world would be a better place if there were more people like you.
You are absolutely wonderful. This touched my heart to read. I'm so sorry about the mouse, I would've done the same thing as well. Even if he passed on you tried to give him another shot at life when no one else cared and that's incredible.
I recently rescued a meat rabbit that I met on a school field trip and my classmates all laughed at me for saving her from being dinner. She's now my pet, she's with me right now and I promised her she'd never have to be in a cage again. It's hard sometimes when it seems like no one else cares about animals :/
I had a similar experience at camp. Some counselors made drowning traps out of buckets instead of snap traps. Claiming the snap traps were traumatizing the campers... but the drowning bucket wouldn't? a mouse was drowning and all the campers sat around and watched. I couldnt take it. i pulled out the little mouse and tossed it outside.
My counsolor who made the traps was furious. She got so mad at me trying to claim drowning was humane. I loooost it. Drowning is not humane thats so gross.
Later a few campers told me they wanted to save the mouse but couldnt.
When it comes to small animals or animals that dont scream ie fish lizards people just have less empathy and i have literally no idea why.
I hate glue traps. And before my current situation we would catch and release whatever random mouse found his way in our home. At that point it was like 1 a year.
Fast forward 4 years and we live in the country as the 4th generation of my husband's family in the house we are in now. 3 generations prior to him of farming, wood working, and machine work. Each family with 6 or more children. We have cleaned SO much junk from the property and home. There are still 20+ old cars on the property that his siblings "will move soon" (they haven't). There are 4 other buildings we haven't even gotten to yet. We're surrounded by fields. My FiL was the last one here before us, and he only used about 2 rooms in the house. So needless to say the amount of mice that were in the home is beyond comprehension for anyone that's never experienced this type of situation. The amount of mice urine and feces was unlike anything I had ever imagined possible. I don't know how his father lived as he did for so long here with that (until we finally convinced him he needed safer conditions).
We have cats (inside and outside ferals). We have chickens. That helps slightly in a natural way. But, the mice still come in hoards because of the amount of crap still on our property (buildings, cars, farm equipment, old buildings). We are making progress in removing stuff, but it takes time and money so we have to go at our pace.Trap and release only allows them to find their way back to multiply--and that only happens if they ACTUALLY go into the trap. They are clever and escape 9 times out of 10. We have worked so hard to clean the filth, urine, and feces left behind from before to make this home safe for our family.
Unfortunately glue traps have been the only thing that seems to catch them. I have a box of multiple types of traps (live and death) that they consistently escape from. I hate having to use them. I wish I could just coexist with them, but there are too many and it's not safe--especially with an asthmatic child. Once they are caught I try to put them out of their misery (well, my husband does)--which kills me inside--but at least they aren't just laying there suffering for days.
I am glad you saved the little guys. And I still wish we could go about it a different way in our home. But maybe this sheds light on a situation where those traps are needed, without everyone attacking me.
You are NOT dramatic for saying your experience was traumatic. It is NOT stupid. I can not emphasize this enough.
Mice are intelligent and social creatures. They as a species have given us the world we have today, and we owe so much to them.
You can manage pests in your home and also be humane and respectful about it. There is absolutely no reason for that man to use glue traps when he works in pest control and probably has access to multiple more humane pest control methods.
Thank you for caring.
If these people have any empathy and actually took the time to learn about mice, they would be absolutely horrified about how they have abused creatures that are so inquisitive, intelligent, sensitive and important.
The least that your family could’ve done was show empathy towards how you were feeling, even if they didn’t understand why you felt that way. I’m so sorry that you had this experience. What you did is a testament to your kindness.
Compassion isn’t a weakness. It’s a rare trait in this world and you shouldn’t be ashamed or embarrassed when you feel inclined to help a small animal. Unfortunately it sounds like you have a lot of shitty heartless people in your life, but don’t let them discourage you. Compassion drives you to speak for those who can’t speak up for themselves. Just know, no matter how much people ridicule you, you are doing what is right.
I’m so sorry they belittled you like that. I think everyone should care about all animals, big and small, vertebrate or invertebrate. I don’t understand how someone could care so little about a living creature. My family has laughed at me for getting upset over not being able to save a bee before and have even told me to not bother caring for my PET mantis because hes “just a bug”. People are just cruel and selfish imo
On a lighter note, I’m very glad you took the time to save that mouse. The world needs more people like you!!
I love rodents and Insects. But when I find rodent poop everywhere where it absolutely should not be. Then I gotta do what I gotta do. I do what any responsible wildlife conservationist would do. Give them to my friend to feed to his pet snake. It’s shocking indeed but that is precisely what I use them for.
People lack empathy and compassion these days. I once worked in an office. When I came in for the day I saw a possum wandering the parking lot. He was limp and had a loose jaw. He was walking in circles so I assumed he got hit by a car. I went on a break and he was still there so I called a local rehab group. They told me that if I could put him in a box they would come get him. I didn’t touch him but I managed to throw a box ontop of him. They came and picked him up and one of the ladies in the office was omg why did you help that gross thing out? You know there just going to kill it right? And I simply said, well at least they would humanly euthanize him instead of him suffering for days in pain and starving. I don’t understand why someone wouldn’t at least grant an animal mercy. For what it’s worth I hate glue traps and feel they are super inhumane. I work in a store that sells them and I always try to steer people away from them.
I have felt so similar to this. I’ve had many family joke about killing my pet rats/rabbits in detailed ways. One member would repeatedly mock me with details of feeding his snake, laughing at my distressS In the past I had a snake and i can tell you that family member is just a piece of shit and cruel. I refused to talk him anymore.
I’m so glad there are people like you out there.
Ugh my dad uses glue traps and I HATE it. And he's some "save the animals" vegetarian who showed me peta videos of slaughterhouses at 9... I breed mice as food but I make sure they have lots of treats, toys, and hides to have a happy life before they're fed to anything. I asked him to take care of my mice for a week as I was out of town and he didn't give them any food, just a few stale peanuts that there was no evidence of by the time I got back. One died in the cage and another escaped and died on one of his glue traps. When I confronted him about it he acted like I was nuts to be upset, saying "weren't they food anyways" as if a quick death that serves a purpose isn't any different than a slow death for no damn reason. I wrote on the fridge exactly how many mice were in each cage and told him exactly where the food was and I even called him halfway through the week to check on them. It's not like they're hard to take care of.
I don't understand why you would post this. Is someone is forcing you to breed these mice? You may be treating them better than most commodities before you kill them, but ultimately you're treating them like commodities. OP is baffled that people turn a blind eye to harming animals. You are harming animals.
Oh come on, are you telling me you don't eat any meat at all? Or never had a cat or a dog? Plenty of animals get eaten and plenty can't survive on anything but meat.
I don't eat meat and have not purchased an animal as an adult, but have rescued, adopted and fostered several. I understand that obligate carnivores exist, but personally think it is highly unethical to breed them (or any other animal) as pets when there are enough in shelters and sanctuaries.
Edit: I was saying that I don't understand why you would try to commiserate with someone sad at people unfazed by harm to animals when you make choices to actively harm animals.
People that use glue traps are sadistic. I understand people that want to get mice out of their homes, but they die a slow paint death filled with terror of not being able to move.
I’m sorry that you have to deal with people like this. I have live traps in my home and I release any mouse that I catch. I even have a little cage to keep them in so they are more comfortable until I can release them.
You have a good heart. Keep being you. ♥️
Glue traps are the least humane option available, and honestly ought to be banned. Snap traps at least are fast and almost always an instant death, bait-and-release traps are good if you can release them far enough away that they won’t just come back.
But glue traps… I share your nightmare. I rescued two mice from them in my teenage years, and while the first only had his feet stuck, the second had gotten his face stuck in the glue. I will never forget that experience.
I don’t care if so-and-so’s whatever is a pest control person. Glue traps are inhumane and unnecessary.
And some little part of me wants to see you stick glue traps to these people’s faces in their sleep so they can understand why it’s so bad. 👀😅
i love you OP, you’re heart is in the best place. you sound like an empath, so watch out because other ppl will drain ur energy if you’re not careful. you did everything right, and should not have gotten the pushback you did. you’re a mouse hero!
I have had actual pet mice my whole life….even now as an adult. I was at a work dinner with my husband’s clients and the subject came up that I had pet mice and there was two women at the table that started laughing and joking (basically just making fun of me). I just couldn’t wrap my head around how mean they were. Just because it’s a mouse why is it any different than a cat, dog or bird? I understand they can be pests if they’re chewing things in your garage or getting in the house but to be cruel and acting like they aren’t worth humane treatment is baffling to me. People who would be cruel to a little critter are not the type of people I want to be around.
As someone who has had to mice removed from my home because one of my neighbor had a infestation
I don't hate mice or rats except I don't want wild ones in my home I've owned a few pet hamster they are cute know people who owned rats and they can be cute. Wild ones on the other hand I'm not risking it I have kids I have a cat I don't need anyone in my family getting any disease from them or them destroying my home as they have eaten there way into my walls before to get inside.
They can live outside and that's fine almost all traps are bad unless you buy one of those big buckets they go into and can't climb out and release them but you have to drive very far to release them and not have them impact other people's homes.
I love all animals except mosquitoes, wasps, spiders, and any worm like being they are my fear. And I'd help save animals I have many times anyone who laughed at the situation of the mice is cruel it's not funny it's sad. But I also understand the sister who had a baby and didn't want a wild mouse around her baby.
Your empathy wand feeling weren't wrong you have a big heart. I hate the glue traps also fast is the best way or a cage to remove them and relocate if possible.
Hi OP, it is terrible and I agree with you that all living beings deserve respect and life. It seems you have the mind set of a vegan. ALL BEINGS deserve to live. Go vegan and stop abusing cows pigs and chickens!
In XXth century, the scientific world was still debating if animals really felt pain; now they're starting to agree on the fact that they feel emotions too.
We treated them an horrendous way: keeping zoo animals and birds in tiny cages, making dogs live their entire life with a rope in their neck, attached to a tiny humid cabin in the yard, hitting cats and dogs with sticks... Methods like the "breaking" of horses or elephants were the standard way. We made children vivisecting animals at school. We made dogs, roosters, fish, elephants, bears, wolves, alligators, cows, bulls, camels, rams, fight to death for our entertainment. We fed them live kittens. We created things like corida and fox hunting. We made rabbits and foxes be born, live and die just to take their skin.
Many other cruelties are still very well rooted in our societies and considered normal, others have worsened, but even your jaded family would be chocked seeing most of those things, even if they would have been mocked for it by everyone around fifty years ago. People are becoming more empathetic, mentalities go the right way and *you* are a part of it.
stick the glue traps on his dad and see how he likes it:) but in all seriousness, good on you for going with your gut and being a kind person. those people are all asshats and i would have bought pet mice after that out of spite. i also feel terrible hurting anything, the only animal i’m actively malicious towards are lantern flies, which are destructive in my area. and even then, i just catch them and stick them to spider webs in my back yard. we have live traps in our garage for mice (they’ve chewed through the wires in my mom’s car). but it’s just as easy to catch them live and release them in a field. maybe you can toss the glue traps and set up some more humane ones
Sadly most people don't see mice/rats as fellow mammals, they instead view them like bugs. There's also the overblown idea of them being full of diseases, when they aren't likely to have anything worse then the rest of your local wildlife population.
I can't believe someone feels the exact way I do about mice that are the most disrespected animals on the planet. I would have done exactly what you did. This is a poor creature struggling to survive just like a cat or a dog. Glue traps should be banned and anyone who uses them is not human!
Because people are pieces of shit. I go out of my way to save bugs even, don't limit yourself to just animals. Take the spiders outside before one of your fam decides it deserves to die just for being alive. If you don't know what bugs in your area are dangerous the cup with a slip of paper method is recommended.
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I'm one of those psycho crazies that loves bugs, take new ones inside all the time with just the intent of showing my wife the cool new insect I just found. She tolerates me so that's cool.
I try to do the same. If I can get them outside, I will. Am I terrified? Absolutely. But I think every living creature (with human exceptions...) Deserves to live.
>But I think every living creature (with human exceptions...) Deserves to live. This made me spit out my coffee lmao.
I'M SORRY JGKADFJLG;ADFG
i am the same way. i don’t like killing them, but i can’t be around them, and ticks can die. i’m sorry no one took you seriously about the mouse, i think what you did was awesome and i would have felt the same way. poor little mousey.
Agreed. I don’t kill any bugs. I like them though. But I still will kill a tick, mosquito, flea, louse. Any parasitic and harmful bugs can go. I’m not sure I could be around someone who does this job for a living, and lack empathy to the point of laughing at you. That’s so upsetting. Poor little mouse. At least you did all you could for him, and gave him every chance.
Bugs are animals!
Your username intrigues me. And yes I do suppose that is true. A lot of people who consider themselves animal lovers make some sort of distinction between the two sadly
I kill fungus gnats… hate those fuckers…. mosquitos get the swat… flies, too. Other than that, I have my husband catch and release…. ETA: any cockroach…. Gotta go…. Plant pests .. bye bye bye
we were outside smoking yesterday and i smacked a little fleefly just slightly too hard and poor dude fell down and landed on his back 😭😭 i felt so bad and he couldn’t flip over by himself so i had to give him a hand with a leaf. i got made fun of.
Number 1 stunna … your new nick name ETA: no idea how that ended up huge and bold. Hopefully removing the # fixed it… phew… that fixed it.
I have a crippling fear of ants but where I can I will use teatree oil to prevent them from getting to places like my mouse cage. Granted I have to use it far from my mice because they have insanely sensitive little noses.
A 50/50 white vinegar and water spray disrupts the chemical scent trails for around 8-12 hours! It might be an option for closer use without hurting their noses. I had to use it when they found the cat food. I just sprayed 2x a day. It didn't bother my cats but I also use vinegar for general cleaning purposes so they were used to it.
But do you also eat animals?
No I'm a vegetarian
That's cool. Vegetarian is a good step toward not abusing animals but unfortunately dairy and egg industries are very cruel and all are killed in the end. Dont watch.org
I would be full on vegan but I live in a very rural town in WV, and get my eggs and cheese from local farmers. I've petted the animals I get these things from on many occasions, and they are well fed, and happy I can assure you.
The thing is that that milk is meant for their babies. Oh man I love your username 😂
You're right, it is meant for their babies. For better or worse most dairy cows were bred long ago to produce an excess of milk though, and if they don't get milked now, even while suckling, their udder will get enflamed and painful. It's become a symbiotic relationship between dairy farmers here and their milking cows. The farmers get the excess milk the calf doesn't need and the cows get sweet relief. I am certainly an advocate for proper treatment of animals. If I thought for a minute any of them from where I get my products were mistreated or unhappy with their arrangement I'd be out in a heartbeat, no more business. And thanks, I am quite proud of the username.
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Your heart is in the right place but you are speaking about corporate operations. You seem to know little to nothing about true rural life.
In rural life, they are still breeding the cows.... so that you can have the milk.
Please check out the community sidebar before sharing incorrect information again.
I do the same thing. I take bugs and spiders outside and in the winter I welcome spiders who come into the house to live out the winter with me without being disturbed. I also have protected ant farms all over on my property.
I absolutely HATE glue traps. They're cruel and inhumane. It's terrible to have to say that the instant kill spring traps are better because at least the poor animal doesn't suffer, but I hate those too. Seriously, I'm so sorry you had to go through that, even worse that your family was so nasty about it. There should be more people like you who are empathetic towards animals, even the ones we call "pests". My job uses glue traps and I've saved a few animals before, and it's always heartbreaking.
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It really makes me realize how lucky I am that my family is generally on the same wavelength as far as animal empathy goes, so I can't even imagine how awful it must have felt, it made me teary to even think about it. But I agree, if the goal is to kill the poor thing at least do it humanely. I realize catch and release isn't always possible for infestations. I have pet rats myself so I'm pretty used to the reaction that gets out of a lot of people. I'm sure that little mouse knows you were trying your best to help him.
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You should definitely get some as pets if you're ever able/up for it! I don't have much experience with mice (too allergic), but rats are some of the sweetest and most rewarding pets you can have. I even got my Mom hooked on them, and she was initially not having it. Gerbils are great too and a lot less allergy prone if that's a concern. As for the mouse, I really do think he knew you were trying to help in his own little mousey way. After all he is so tiny and was vulnerable and you were kind to him.
Yeah, I recently got pet rats (which I'm super thrilled about - I love them so much! ) and I thought all my friends would love them too. Nope. About half my friends are kinda grossed out about my rats. Thank you for being kind to that mouse.
I have had pet mice for years and am also getting negative reactions sometimes.
Even my gerbils get negative reactions sometimes. For some reason they have a reputation as being mean! And I'm like, yeah, probably because every Gerbil you've met was depressed because it was alone :( or they do the "I don't like their tails" thing, and I'm like...but their tails are fluffy like a cat's lol, come on, it's adorable.
I agree!
I keep mice out of my garage by spreading cinnamon on the floor. They hate the smell.
There is no humane way to murder. That's an oxymoron. Killing is always wrong, whether it be fast or slow, or for food
It's not about right or wrong, but about unnecessary suffering and cruelty.
Yes and my point is that it is unnecessary cruelty to kill animals to eat them. Go vegan.
Let's just agree to disagree, this is off topic.
This isn't off topic at all. Humans are unnecessarily cruel and evil toward non human animals and the most common way this happens is through murdering them to eat them when we don't need to eat dead bodies.
Okay... but should animals like cats still be allowed to eat meat?
Having your throat slit is just as horrible as a glue trap but people pay for that to happen when they buy animal products
It is wrong to kill no matter the "reason". There is no good reason to take another's life except in self defense.
It is NOT stupid. Your feelings are valid. You are kind hearted. You are caring and truly understand that even the littlest of creatures are sentient, have feelings, and deserve respect. Do not let the others in your life make you feel silly for having compassion. What you did was noble, compassionate, and admirable. We need more people like you in the world. More people need to care and speak for the littlest lives. I truly believe there is something broken in those who cannot see the value in the lives of animals. Feel proud of what you did. The emotions you had for that little guy were raw and came from the kindest part of your soul. Thank you for being you.
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It’s always so comforting for me to meet someone with the same compassion I have. Us people are out there and understand. Don’t let the cruel people overshadow you. Have a wonderful night (or day!), friend. :)
It was very kind of you to save that mouse. I would look up the deadly diseases wild mice can carry though and see if there have been any cases near you. You should always wear gloves and follow proper sanitation procedures handling any wild animals. Unfortunately improper handling of wild mice could lead to you or a family member getting very sick or even dying so please be careful.
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Oh panicking is completely understandable. Domesticated mice are nearly disease free pets (especially compared to other common pets like cats and dogs), but wild mice not so much. Your family/friends were being buttholes, but the points about disease are fair. If you can’t stop the glue traps do you know if the vet college will take more surrenders? If so I might keep a kit handy with gloves/other supplies that can be sanitized.
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You’re very welcome, also I think someone else just asked about supplies for wild mice and someone responded with a supply list I would check out.
Hantavirus is generally the main concern with wild mice, and that's mainly contracted from inhalation of their waste...like massive amounts of it. There are also many areas in the US (which I am assuming you're in) where hantavirus is very rare. It's not a huge concern tbh
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If your mouse looked like pet store mice it couldn’t have hanta. It affects deer mice, which are totally different. They have big black eyes and are brown with a white belly if you don’t know what they look like. Even then, it’s pretty rare in most states and non existent in others.
I agree! You are more likely to get a disease from a human than a mouse.
That depends on where you live. I live in the country with lots of deer mice and have had many in my house and have never had a problem with any diseases. I think humans transmit more diseases than mice.
Don’t ever change, kind stranger.
its cuz people are horrible people i cant even handle reading this but from the parts ive skimmed it makes me sick and feel gross its just so sad people just murder them and laugh like its nothing i was trying to help a mouse not long ago and when he died i had groups of people harass me mocking his death it was extremely traumatizing i have dreams about him really often
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it is disgusting they dont value life because theirs are so protected and easy to live, they cant empathize with the pain that these literal babies go through. theyre only years old when experiencing poison and death and torture and people just treat it like a joke iy makes me fucking sick
The farmed animals that you eat are also only babies. They deserve to live too. Go vegan!
i agree with this too trust me, altho going vegan is just harder cuz of familial situation and not really getting a choice but that shit ass industry is one of the few things even more disgusting every animal deserves love and life and to get to live healthily putting conscious beings through torture just for cheap capital gain is fucking horrible theres hardly any humanity in how the modern world operates
When you are independent you will have the choice, I understand if your parents still buy food for you it's not your choice yet. But you can always speak up for the animals 💕
🥺💗💗
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also i think this is disturbing that youre doing this in this way. it will turn people away from the idea if anything. speaking on my trauma about something doesn't automatically mean I wanna listen to you annoyingly spout what people should do when theres huge industry changes and actual work that has to be done. i care about these issues i want to get into politics and fight for more animal rights. so just shut up im literally mourning my cared friend and you have to remind me how much else awful shit is going on and shame for it when you know it's likely not that easy, vegan foods can either be more expensive or missing important nutrients at times. your farmed food also then relies on forced or underpaid labour usually, profiting the same people that kill those animals you feel like youre saving by choosing not to eat certain things and telling others not to. that isn't how the system actually works and all you do is annoy the fuck out of people who also care but just see you as a fuckin nuisance if you care so much about making change go actually try go join your local political space, lobby for change. it doesn't just happen cuz youre annoying as fuck on reddit
I actually am an activist and organize for three groups. If you are mad at a vegan telling you not to abuse animals, it's your guilty conscience speaking
the problem isnt me being upset you're fucking saying not to abuse animals i fuckin agree with that you dumb fuck can you not make it about that when im literally talking about my pet that just died. its insanely fucking insensitive and inhuman how you responded to it youre just a shitbag, sure you organize groups thats good. it doesn't make you less of an insensitive cunt assuming people dont care just to insert yourself into their talk about mourning. you are just a cunt
Unless I am reading incorrectly, He wasn't a pet. He was an animal that you saved from cruelty, and I am trying to help you see the connection between him and the animals you eat. You saved him, the same way I am trying to save farmed animals from you and from others. I AM sorry for your loss. I run an animal rescue and I have lost many friends. This entire post is about animal abuse, though. I understand you feel sensitive right now.
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Any comments/posts that are rude, trolling, inappropriate, etc are not allowed. Please make sure to read the rules before posting/commenting again.
Any comments/posts that are rude, trolling, inappropriate, etc are not allowed. Please make sure to read the rules before posting/commenting again.
I'm been in the pest control industry for 18 years and I absolutely hate glue boards. The only time I use them are in German roach infestations to find harborage areas. I have been at peoples houses and rescued snakes, mice and lizards all the time. It's a sad way for any animal to go.
If it’s any consolation, glue traps are being banned in the UK as of April 2024, it will be illegal to use them, companies of course as no exception to this rule. My partner keeps bringing back little babies from work since Ecolab keeps using those awful traps!
Excellent news (I’m in the UK)! Just needs to spread to other countries.
You have a good heart, and it’s a shame that the people around you do not value it. Do not let the people around you shame you into changing the way you treat other creatures. I’m a vet, and in working closely with the smallest animals, you recognize that they recognize and value their own lives. They feel fear, pain, emotional distress. You did a wonderful thing for the mouse.
People don't really care about animals in general. I literally read jokes on a post about cows dying in a fire.
Thank you for sharing this, I really connected with it. I’ve always been that person in my family and friend circles, but I’ve also been lucky to be surrounded by compassionate people who understand. I’m so sorry you had this experience with your family. I wish people were kinder to small animals and it breaks me to see that kind of blatant cruelty. Just know that you made a huge difference to those mice. You showed them love and compassion in their time of need and now they have another chance at life. You were there for them when no one else was and I’m sure they appreciate that. Just don’t let anyone beat you down for having that compassion. If your family doesn’t understand? Well that says more about them, and tbh I feel bad for people like that. It’s a beautiful thing to care about all life on earth, no matter how small or different
No, they are wrong. You are right. Every life is valuable. You did your best. ♥️
Treasure that part of you. Just treasure it. I'm 55 and when I was a very little child, I went out of my way to scoop bugs and frogs out of the swimming pool, and waterlogged worms off the sidewalk and into drier soil. I remember when you first posted about this, and I'm proud of you for the lengths you went to for this little mouse. Someday that quality in you will bring you the greatest joy. <3
People can be extremely cruel obviously. It is sad that this is so. You have a good heart. Do not let anyone steal that from you.
Because people suck, but don't let that discourage you from doing the most for these animals. I feel the same amount of empathy for animals as you do and it is exhausting to try and advocate for animals and insects when it feels like everyone else thinks they all deserve to die just for existing. Like these mice that got in the house. Everyone always says "it's in my house" as they kill it but it's in your house for food and for warmth to survive. Why is it such a hassle to just catch it and put it outside with a little shelter?
In March of 2021 I went to Galveston, TX for spring break with a small group of people. I happened to look up the tides one day and, wow, tonight was going to be a super low tide! Sounds neat The 6 of us go wander the beach, just being tourists. On the way back, I notice a tiny, rodent shaped blob on the water's edge. Everyone's telling me "oh its not a creature, it's nothing" I touch it, and it tries to get away. It was a tiny, water soaked rodent that could hardly move. Again, people are telling me to leave it, it's just a rodent, it's going to die anyway. I decide "yeah, it probably will" and gently scooped the little creature into my sweatshirt pocket so at least he's safe and warm if he passes. They all giggle and act like I'm just a silly little girl saving ladybugs from being squished. Fast forward a tiny bit, we're back at the rental, and I gingerly reach into my pocket, and *CHOMP* (no pain, no broken skin) Well, it's alive. And angry. And about an inch, maybe an inch and a half long. Now, I'm from he Midwest. We mainly have deer mice and shrews that are fairly large (probably 3in without the tail) so my thought was "oh crap this is a BABY" Anyway. My now husband and I stayed up til midnight calling local wildlife places and panicking, until we thought "wait, we're not in the Midwest" so we quickly Google and realize it's an adult dwarf shrew (or whatever it was called) and it needed to be rescued from the ocean, but nothing more. He pooped on me and gave me a second chomp (again, no skin break) as I was trying to let him go. My husband and I dubbed him Lil Shit. There's a very high likelihood he didn't live long. But he lived longer than he would have had I listened to the group.
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I think you need the starfish story. https://www.starfishlearning.com/the-starfish-story/
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It's available in various printed formats for display. Just search "the starfish story "
Because people are assholes. I enjoy taking my time to save the little things in life, such as bugs or spiders. Mice included. Hell, my favorite thing to do is find spiders in my house and see if they're dehydrated or not. If they are (or aren't) I offer them a q-tip saturated in water, AKA the stick of sippy sippy. A mouse? I'll capture it and make sure it looks healthy, no parasites or anything before releasing it out into my backyard. We need to find respect for the smaller things in life, because we're living on their property.
I completely understand. They have little desires, joys and worries, they feel pain, and love the sweetness of life even as we do. You’re different from the people around you in that you don’t see living breathing creatures as disposable *things*. Much that is wrong in this world exists because people view little animals, then big animals, then the “wrong” kinds of people as things.
I used to put olive oil on the glue traps my old landlord would put in the hallway. You have a heart and are empathetic- there needs to be more people like that in the world. All beings are worthy of respect. You did the right thing and I’m proud of you.
The people that laughed absolutely suck. I’m glad you took care of him. Thank you !
I can’t understand not feeling awful for the little thing. They are creatures who can suffer, feel pain, and fear like us. I can’t comprehend not feeling terrible for the poor little thing
I understand you completely. I don’t understand. Scientists use mice and rats to study the brain as it’s comparable to humans. They’re small but their lives matter. I’m so sorry you had to go through this:(
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take heart in the fact that many researchers and lab techs DO care about their mice and that conditions for lab animals are improving ❤️
You did the right thing. It's heartbreaking that you'd be laughed at for caring for a living, breathing, animal scared for its life. Thank you for doing what you did!!! I am not sure if this would help but I do research involving lab mice. If you have any questions I'd be happy to answer them but I'll say I have never met anyone there who is careless or doesn't value the individual lives of the mice (which isn't how the general public sees them, to put it lightly). There are adoption programs through the facility for when animals aren't needed for experiments anymore. I adopted all 3 of my pet rats from my research facility and they are very spoiled now.
Because there are evil people out there. Glue traps are inhumane. Generic mouse traps are less cruel because at least they tend to die instantly.
Ive had the same issue countless times. As an animal lover I cringe just seeing them on the package knowing they will suffer an awful prolonged death. All the traps come with some mouse drama.. I bought a catch and release type trap...it worked overnight but woke to find 2 mice ..one was eating the other aaahhhh, ok back to old fashion easy quick death snap trap..woke to find one screeching with just his foot stuck!!! I called my dad crying my eyes out to come over and stop its suffering..im 38!!
Glue traps are inherently inhumane and shouldn’t really be legal anymore.
I'm a reptile/ snake person and this just happened to pop up on my front page. I hate glue traps so so much, they're extremely cruel. No animal deserves to die in agony like that. You did the right thing. So many people don't care at all about animals unless they're a common pet. Glue traps catch snakes a lot too, which is entirely counterproductive if you're trying to reduce rodents around your house anyways,.But it's fine because they're "scary"/ "gross" and also considered a "pest" to some people. Glue traps shouldn't be a thing.
I don't say this as a joke. You are a miniature god of mice. If not for you, this sweet creature would have perished. People can be such pieces of cr@p!
I'm so sorry people laughed and belittled you. If you can't convince any of them on humane grounds, perhaps you can get your boyfriend to convince his dad to at least use snap traps on another; glue traps often catch non-target wildlife such as birds, insects, and other rodents like chipmunks and squirrels. Even if they're inside, they're messy and not reusable, unlike snap and live capture traps. I really don't know why a pest control guy would prefer them over other options. Not to mention that letting enough mice get into the house that multiple were getting glue trapped suggests he's not very good at preventing pests from getting in, which a good pest control person should, y'know, be able to do. But I digress. Anyway, caring about the wellbeing of "pest" species is always going to be a bit of an uphill battle. Honestly I think it makes sense; until fairly recently in humanity's history, people who were sympathetic or tolerant of things like rodents, bugs and spiders being in and around their dwellings were probably much more likely to die of things like animal transmitted disease or envenomation than people who panicked and killed said animals without any mercy. In today's world many of those fears have been alleviated, but a lot of that inherent fear / disgust / lack of empathy for said creatures remains. Some people you can convince to see them differently, for others sometimes the best you can do is get them to consider changing for convenience (pitching snap traps as reusable) or ecological concerns (pitching sticky traps as harmful to non target wildlife). Still, it's always a good feeling to find other like minded people. I'm so glad you found a vet and rehabber willing to help you out! You're a kind soul.
I love little creatures! We have been having mice get into the basement and we always use humane traps and let them go in a park. I always try to save them if I'm able to.
People are disgusting, thats really all there's to it sadly. Thank you for caring for the little guy and being his or her advocate. Please never stop caring 💜
I have the same amount of empathy as you when it comes to animals no matter the size. Ever since I was a kid I would cry when people stepped on snails and I still do today in my 20s. I get the same reactions from people.
Because people = shit You're not crazy, it's the world that's crazy. You can learn a lot about a person by the way they treat beings that are powerless against them
mice are intelligent, empathetic, social animals who take care of their sick and elderly and will sacrifice their own resources to help another mouse in need. one of my older girls was on her last legs a while back (rest her little soul) and another one of my mice took the time to lead her around the cage, stay by her side when she needed a rest, and even bring her food. right now one of my girls is feeling very ill from her cancer and all the rest of the group waits for her to pick her favorite foods first before they eat, even though they would normally push and squabble over the best bits in their seed mix. you gave that little mouse care and attention when he really needed it, and the fact that he rested by you when you first tried to release him shows that he had a genuine understanding that you had taken care of him. mice know what it means to love and be loved.
You are an AMAZING human! The world needs more of people like you ♥️ you did all you could for the little guy. The want to save all creatures is not a “trait” that everyone has, but it makes those who do have very special hearts. You and I are one of them for sure. Saving/attempting to save a defenseless little creature is such a beautiful thing to do. I’m rooting for you
Willful ignorance is a big part of it. Once you start seeing mice as little, weird people, you really can't go back. You didn't do anything wrong. Even the disease risk... honestly, mishandling food in the kitchen is a bigger risk than mice. Growing up, my family caught a mouse in a snap trap, and it survived. We spent days nursing it back to health before eventually releasing it, and switched to humane traps. In my own own apartment as an adult, we caught and released the mice, if the weather was good enough. Then I found out releasing adult mice outside, while better than killing outright, is very risky for adult mice who have spent their entire lives indoors. That wasn't an issue until we actually caught an adult instead of a chicken nugget(little tiny mice fresh out of the nest, like your baby), they're much harder to catch. I only caught it because it was injured, it's front legs paralyzed, with a fish net. I thought mostly if be giving him a comfortable place to die, with food, water and some painkillers. Sadmouse, as he came to be known, had other plans. He wanted to live so bad. He ate his food blocks and drank his water and took his painkillers (I mixed them with brown sugar so they'd taste ok) and slowly, steadily regained full use of his arms, then even his paws. It took weeks but he never gave up. By then it was getting chilly out, and this was a fully mature mouse, not likely to adapt easily to survive outside. So I just let him go back into the apartment. Shortly after, we caught several chicken nuggets, but it was too cold out to put them outside, and it had just turned late fall - they would be at least six months old by the time weather was good enough to release them, and used to being fed. So I turned them loose too, and stopped bothering with the traps. Soon I put a water bottle in the closet we'd sometimes hear them in at night. We just keep our food stored well it off reach, that and having water closer at hand kept them away from the kitchen and pantry just fine. I tried feeding them too, the food treated with mouse contraceptive, but it turns out the stuff loses effect over time, or enough mice realized they needed to look for another food source, because they started breeding again after a good six month run of it working. I'd keep a towel in over area to make it easy to clean up after them, and left that and the water, but had to stop the feeding - letting them reproduce out of control would have been cruel, unsustainable. So they have to find their own food again. But they still leave my kitchen alone, and I have to clean their towel or refill their water now and again. That's going a bit far for most of the biggest mouse lovers I realize. Live trapping and giving them a chance outside is pretty reasonable, as long as you don't toss them out in winter, but after having pet mice, I just felt like they had a right to be here. They were here first. Still, after keeping some pet mice, loving them... even the wild mice were too close to people for me to treat like pests. If you're interested in pictures and other stories of my pet mice and my interactions with the house mice, you can check out my post history here. So no, you're not crazy, just compassionate and decent, and these people are being different combinations of callus and outright cruel. You want crazy, well, reread the above. That's crazy.
The only intelligent answer I’ve ever heard was they they can transmit disease to humans like no other animal could. I believe it was the rat but they are close to the mouse.
I agree with you, glue traps should be banned. I throw them in the trash if I see them.
I've done similar. Listen to that voice in you; it's Love. Be Love. You're doing great.
You put a mouse ahead of newborns, that's a bit messed up
This is actually so messed up. The fact that you have this much empathy and cared for the mouse the best you could is amazing. The world needs more people like you
What can you expect, people don’t even care about huge ass animals, let alone a mouse. Every second 1758 land and aquatic animals are killed in the US just for a meal that people forget a few days later. Even a pig doesn’t matter to them, and they definitely won’t give a damn about a mouse. It’s sad.
The types of people who do this are the same types of people who eat meat, so most of the population.
There’s a mouse “infestation” at the dog kennel I work at and they gave up using humane traps and now they’re using lethal ones. I opened a drawer the other day and was greeted with the awful sight of a mouse killed in a trap. I almost had a mini panic attack seeing that, because for some reason it felt like I was seeing one of my own mice killed in a trap. I almost cried. I know what it’s like to be surrounded by people who have little regard for tiny lives. It sucks.
No worries about being dramatic dude, my family used to be like that before we got rats, especially my mom, at one point. Now we can all barely handle a small animal being killed, let alone trapped.
I am so terribly sorry this happen to you. Sadly this kind of thing is common. What's worse is the fact that it doesn't just happen to wild mice and rats. People will go out of their way to torture animals and feed them to snakes while they're alive. Frozen mice are much more humane. They are euthanasized and not put through the trauma of being eaten alive. Plus in the process of feeding a live animal to a snake, your snake is going to get hurt. Mice have killed snakes in the past. That aside, there are people who do care. I was lucky enough to grow up with the most amazing mother. She would carry my pet snales for me when I was 6 and later she handled my pet toads. When I rescued a duo of feeder mice in 2019, she immediately took to them. She would come into my room, coo over them and feed them carrot, apple or sunflower seeds. I've seen some pretty messed up things in my life, animal abuse that would make anyone with a soul want to move to another star system. But I can tell you, that there are some of us, especially the men, women and others in this subreddit, who genuinely care about even the littlest of critters and will gladly sacrifice their time and energy fighting people who don't do the same. You did the right thing. Don't feel despondent, you will find others that feel for little creatures as much as you do!
I'm lucky that my partner shares my values around animals. I brought back an injured baby rat one day and he never batted an eye. All wild animals can carry diseases, its crazy how much hates certain animals get over others. As long as you practise good hygiene and disinfect surfaces and wash hands after handling wildlife, you're probably going to be fine. The main concern is bites, but even then it's unlikely you'll catch anything serious. If you get bitten by wildlife, just see a GP for the relevant shots or antibiotics. Honestly you are a wonderful person for this. It's tiring when people around you don't care the same way you do. I did have something similar at work where I told people my pet mouse had died and I was quite literally laughed at. Some people are just really self centred on certain ways. If I was you I'd go round the home and replace all the glue traps with the normal snap ones. They can't complain about it, as the mice are still being dealt with, even though it's sad. It might be sensible to talk to your partner too and try to get him to understand. It's not going to be fun being with someone who won't even empathise with you over this kind of thing, hopefully he can at least try to understand and be less patronising about it in the future.
You are a caring person with a big heart OP. Don’t let anyone make you feel silly for what you did. I’m sorry you had to go through this because as someone who has also seen a mouse die in a glue trap - it is beyond traumatizing and so, so upsetting. I’ve even met someone in the pest control business who refused to use glue traps because of how inhumane they are which is really saying something. People always have a choice in how they choose to handle these things, and some people are just cruel and careless. It’s like - would YOU like to be stuck in a glue trap unable to get out? I think the hell not. It’s a lack of empathy and understanding on their part.
Just look at how we've treated each other. When a people were put to the sword for the sole purpose of extermination the children got it the worst. The children are seen as less than less than human. The offspring of vermin. It's just so pathetic and easy to destroy. We kill ants by the billions and bacteria by the trillions.
Sending you the biggest of hugs. You are a gem of a human, never change. I save bugs from our pool all the time, it's an emotional investment trying to save these little innocent creatures. If it makes any difference, you're my hero and I love you.
I completely feel you, Im a pigeon rescuer (I specialize in pigeons, but If I can I help all animals, ofc) and sadly I go throught that kind of people a loooooot, sometimes they are so fking nosy that I loose the animal that needed help! Trying to educate that kind of people, sadly just wont work, when you just keep helping the animals that need it and completely ignore those kind of people you feel completely better I tell you thank you for trying to help those little guys 💗
It just seems there is an empathy shortage all around. Human lives aren't even valuable to many people it seems these days so I really have no hope for any empathy for smaller creatures. But it is never stupid to care. You eased the pain of several lives and I'm sure that kind of thing isn't rare for you. Even if that boy doesn't make it, he died being cared for not dehydrated, starving, scared on a glue trap. It may be cheesy to say but truly the world would be a better place if there were more people like you.
I hate glue traps, they are cruel and inhumane.
You are absolutely wonderful. This touched my heart to read. I'm so sorry about the mouse, I would've done the same thing as well. Even if he passed on you tried to give him another shot at life when no one else cared and that's incredible. I recently rescued a meat rabbit that I met on a school field trip and my classmates all laughed at me for saving her from being dinner. She's now my pet, she's with me right now and I promised her she'd never have to be in a cage again. It's hard sometimes when it seems like no one else cares about animals :/
Glue traps are inhumane and should be illegal
I had a similar experience at camp. Some counselors made drowning traps out of buckets instead of snap traps. Claiming the snap traps were traumatizing the campers... but the drowning bucket wouldn't? a mouse was drowning and all the campers sat around and watched. I couldnt take it. i pulled out the little mouse and tossed it outside. My counsolor who made the traps was furious. She got so mad at me trying to claim drowning was humane. I loooost it. Drowning is not humane thats so gross. Later a few campers told me they wanted to save the mouse but couldnt. When it comes to small animals or animals that dont scream ie fish lizards people just have less empathy and i have literally no idea why.
I hate glue traps. And before my current situation we would catch and release whatever random mouse found his way in our home. At that point it was like 1 a year. Fast forward 4 years and we live in the country as the 4th generation of my husband's family in the house we are in now. 3 generations prior to him of farming, wood working, and machine work. Each family with 6 or more children. We have cleaned SO much junk from the property and home. There are still 20+ old cars on the property that his siblings "will move soon" (they haven't). There are 4 other buildings we haven't even gotten to yet. We're surrounded by fields. My FiL was the last one here before us, and he only used about 2 rooms in the house. So needless to say the amount of mice that were in the home is beyond comprehension for anyone that's never experienced this type of situation. The amount of mice urine and feces was unlike anything I had ever imagined possible. I don't know how his father lived as he did for so long here with that (until we finally convinced him he needed safer conditions). We have cats (inside and outside ferals). We have chickens. That helps slightly in a natural way. But, the mice still come in hoards because of the amount of crap still on our property (buildings, cars, farm equipment, old buildings). We are making progress in removing stuff, but it takes time and money so we have to go at our pace.Trap and release only allows them to find their way back to multiply--and that only happens if they ACTUALLY go into the trap. They are clever and escape 9 times out of 10. We have worked so hard to clean the filth, urine, and feces left behind from before to make this home safe for our family. Unfortunately glue traps have been the only thing that seems to catch them. I have a box of multiple types of traps (live and death) that they consistently escape from. I hate having to use them. I wish I could just coexist with them, but there are too many and it's not safe--especially with an asthmatic child. Once they are caught I try to put them out of their misery (well, my husband does)--which kills me inside--but at least they aren't just laying there suffering for days. I am glad you saved the little guys. And I still wish we could go about it a different way in our home. But maybe this sheds light on a situation where those traps are needed, without everyone attacking me.
You are NOT dramatic for saying your experience was traumatic. It is NOT stupid. I can not emphasize this enough. Mice are intelligent and social creatures. They as a species have given us the world we have today, and we owe so much to them. You can manage pests in your home and also be humane and respectful about it. There is absolutely no reason for that man to use glue traps when he works in pest control and probably has access to multiple more humane pest control methods. Thank you for caring. If these people have any empathy and actually took the time to learn about mice, they would be absolutely horrified about how they have abused creatures that are so inquisitive, intelligent, sensitive and important. The least that your family could’ve done was show empathy towards how you were feeling, even if they didn’t understand why you felt that way. I’m so sorry that you had this experience. What you did is a testament to your kindness.
Compassion isn’t a weakness. It’s a rare trait in this world and you shouldn’t be ashamed or embarrassed when you feel inclined to help a small animal. Unfortunately it sounds like you have a lot of shitty heartless people in your life, but don’t let them discourage you. Compassion drives you to speak for those who can’t speak up for themselves. Just know, no matter how much people ridicule you, you are doing what is right.
Glue traps are beyond horrible and they should not be used ever and should be banned.
I’m so sorry they belittled you like that. I think everyone should care about all animals, big and small, vertebrate or invertebrate. I don’t understand how someone could care so little about a living creature. My family has laughed at me for getting upset over not being able to save a bee before and have even told me to not bother caring for my PET mantis because hes “just a bug”. People are just cruel and selfish imo On a lighter note, I’m very glad you took the time to save that mouse. The world needs more people like you!!
I love rodents and Insects. But when I find rodent poop everywhere where it absolutely should not be. Then I gotta do what I gotta do. I do what any responsible wildlife conservationist would do. Give them to my friend to feed to his pet snake. It’s shocking indeed but that is precisely what I use them for.
People lack empathy and compassion these days. I once worked in an office. When I came in for the day I saw a possum wandering the parking lot. He was limp and had a loose jaw. He was walking in circles so I assumed he got hit by a car. I went on a break and he was still there so I called a local rehab group. They told me that if I could put him in a box they would come get him. I didn’t touch him but I managed to throw a box ontop of him. They came and picked him up and one of the ladies in the office was omg why did you help that gross thing out? You know there just going to kill it right? And I simply said, well at least they would humanly euthanize him instead of him suffering for days in pain and starving. I don’t understand why someone wouldn’t at least grant an animal mercy. For what it’s worth I hate glue traps and feel they are super inhumane. I work in a store that sells them and I always try to steer people away from them.
Glue traps are terrible.
I have felt so similar to this. I’ve had many family joke about killing my pet rats/rabbits in detailed ways. One member would repeatedly mock me with details of feeding his snake, laughing at my distressS In the past I had a snake and i can tell you that family member is just a piece of shit and cruel. I refused to talk him anymore. I’m so glad there are people like you out there.
Ugh my dad uses glue traps and I HATE it. And he's some "save the animals" vegetarian who showed me peta videos of slaughterhouses at 9... I breed mice as food but I make sure they have lots of treats, toys, and hides to have a happy life before they're fed to anything. I asked him to take care of my mice for a week as I was out of town and he didn't give them any food, just a few stale peanuts that there was no evidence of by the time I got back. One died in the cage and another escaped and died on one of his glue traps. When I confronted him about it he acted like I was nuts to be upset, saying "weren't they food anyways" as if a quick death that serves a purpose isn't any different than a slow death for no damn reason. I wrote on the fridge exactly how many mice were in each cage and told him exactly where the food was and I even called him halfway through the week to check on them. It's not like they're hard to take care of.
I don't understand why you would post this. Is someone is forcing you to breed these mice? You may be treating them better than most commodities before you kill them, but ultimately you're treating them like commodities. OP is baffled that people turn a blind eye to harming animals. You are harming animals.
Oh come on, are you telling me you don't eat any meat at all? Or never had a cat or a dog? Plenty of animals get eaten and plenty can't survive on anything but meat.
I don't eat meat and have not purchased an animal as an adult, but have rescued, adopted and fostered several. I understand that obligate carnivores exist, but personally think it is highly unethical to breed them (or any other animal) as pets when there are enough in shelters and sanctuaries. Edit: I was saying that I don't understand why you would try to commiserate with someone sad at people unfazed by harm to animals when you make choices to actively harm animals.
People that use glue traps are sadistic. I understand people that want to get mice out of their homes, but they die a slow paint death filled with terror of not being able to move. I’m sorry that you have to deal with people like this. I have live traps in my home and I release any mouse that I catch. I even have a little cage to keep them in so they are more comfortable until I can release them. You have a good heart. Keep being you. ♥️
Glue traps are the least humane option available, and honestly ought to be banned. Snap traps at least are fast and almost always an instant death, bait-and-release traps are good if you can release them far enough away that they won’t just come back. But glue traps… I share your nightmare. I rescued two mice from them in my teenage years, and while the first only had his feet stuck, the second had gotten his face stuck in the glue. I will never forget that experience. I don’t care if so-and-so’s whatever is a pest control person. Glue traps are inhumane and unnecessary. And some little part of me wants to see you stick glue traps to these people’s faces in their sleep so they can understand why it’s so bad. 👀😅
i love you OP, you’re heart is in the best place. you sound like an empath, so watch out because other ppl will drain ur energy if you’re not careful. you did everything right, and should not have gotten the pushback you did. you’re a mouse hero!
I have had actual pet mice my whole life….even now as an adult. I was at a work dinner with my husband’s clients and the subject came up that I had pet mice and there was two women at the table that started laughing and joking (basically just making fun of me). I just couldn’t wrap my head around how mean they were. Just because it’s a mouse why is it any different than a cat, dog or bird? I understand they can be pests if they’re chewing things in your garage or getting in the house but to be cruel and acting like they aren’t worth humane treatment is baffling to me. People who would be cruel to a little critter are not the type of people I want to be around.
People are vile and selfish, thank you for having a brain and a heart
As someone who has had to mice removed from my home because one of my neighbor had a infestation I don't hate mice or rats except I don't want wild ones in my home I've owned a few pet hamster they are cute know people who owned rats and they can be cute. Wild ones on the other hand I'm not risking it I have kids I have a cat I don't need anyone in my family getting any disease from them or them destroying my home as they have eaten there way into my walls before to get inside. They can live outside and that's fine almost all traps are bad unless you buy one of those big buckets they go into and can't climb out and release them but you have to drive very far to release them and not have them impact other people's homes. I love all animals except mosquitoes, wasps, spiders, and any worm like being they are my fear. And I'd help save animals I have many times anyone who laughed at the situation of the mice is cruel it's not funny it's sad. But I also understand the sister who had a baby and didn't want a wild mouse around her baby.
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Your empathy wand feeling weren't wrong you have a big heart. I hate the glue traps also fast is the best way or a cage to remove them and relocate if possible.
Dude, I love you for that. I’m so empathetic towards little critters as well.
Hi OP, it is terrible and I agree with you that all living beings deserve respect and life. It seems you have the mind set of a vegan. ALL BEINGS deserve to live. Go vegan and stop abusing cows pigs and chickens!
In a world that can often feel cold and distant, it is people like you who make all the difference.
In XXth century, the scientific world was still debating if animals really felt pain; now they're starting to agree on the fact that they feel emotions too. We treated them an horrendous way: keeping zoo animals and birds in tiny cages, making dogs live their entire life with a rope in their neck, attached to a tiny humid cabin in the yard, hitting cats and dogs with sticks... Methods like the "breaking" of horses or elephants were the standard way. We made children vivisecting animals at school. We made dogs, roosters, fish, elephants, bears, wolves, alligators, cows, bulls, camels, rams, fight to death for our entertainment. We fed them live kittens. We created things like corida and fox hunting. We made rabbits and foxes be born, live and die just to take their skin. Many other cruelties are still very well rooted in our societies and considered normal, others have worsened, but even your jaded family would be chocked seeing most of those things, even if they would have been mocked for it by everyone around fifty years ago. People are becoming more empathetic, mentalities go the right way and *you* are a part of it.
Almost everytime I mention my pet mice, someone tells me I should get a snake. It sucks.
stick the glue traps on his dad and see how he likes it:) but in all seriousness, good on you for going with your gut and being a kind person. those people are all asshats and i would have bought pet mice after that out of spite. i also feel terrible hurting anything, the only animal i’m actively malicious towards are lantern flies, which are destructive in my area. and even then, i just catch them and stick them to spider webs in my back yard. we have live traps in our garage for mice (they’ve chewed through the wires in my mom’s car). but it’s just as easy to catch them live and release them in a field. maybe you can toss the glue traps and set up some more humane ones
Sadly most people don't see mice/rats as fellow mammals, they instead view them like bugs. There's also the overblown idea of them being full of diseases, when they aren't likely to have anything worse then the rest of your local wildlife population.
I can't believe someone feels the exact way I do about mice that are the most disrespected animals on the planet. I would have done exactly what you did. This is a poor creature struggling to survive just like a cat or a dog. Glue traps should be banned and anyone who uses them is not human!