Published on 12, July, 2020
Does anyone else do this? I really hate suffering (also bullying) of any kind and this extends to saving worms drowning in puddles, snails in the middle of the path ready to be trod on, bees in the middle of the road and such like. Today I walked past a worm drowning in a puddle and had to turn back to go save it. Any kind of animal suffering means huge emotional turmoil for me, more so than any suffering of humans. I’ll think about it for the rest of the day. It also means I really struggle with adverts asking for donations and showing donkeys in awful states and whatever other animals they show. I have to turn it over as I can’t physically do anything to help them and get an awful feeling in my stomach.
Yes, I do.
I am always moving little creatures to a place of safety.
If I see an ailing bee I give it water and sugar.
Sometimes they need that to recover.
I take spiders out of the bath so they don't drown.
Those little tiny snails with coloured shells are really cute when you pick them up as they have little tiny faces that poke out and wiggle
I am the same with adverts etc.
I no longer watch TV but when I did, I was never able to watch animal cruelty programmes, even though they usually have a happy ending.
I used to collect money for an anti animal cruelty charity but I never actually read the leaflets that were available to educate people.
I remember Chris Packham saying in his autobiography that as a child he was horrified that sometimes when walking he would tread on insects.
I remember this too (me, not him).
Any kind of animal suffering means huge emotional turmoil for me, more so than any suffering of humans.
True for me too ...
I've taken several birds to the vet or a rescue place and not too long ago took a hedgehog to a rescue person.
It was out in the daytime and clearly not well.
Sadly it had too much wrong with it to be able to be treated and had to be put to sleep.
Debbie said:I no longer watch TV but when I did, I was never able to watch animal cruelty programmes, even though they usually have a happy ending.
Same here, this includes films etc with sad endings with animals too. I’ve never watched Marley and Me and never will!
I've always been the same from a very young age.
I remember watching episodes of Lassie as a young child would make me cry uncontrollably every time. My mum wanted to switch it off but that would make me even more upset, as I knew there was going to be a happy ending.
When I watched Watership Down aged 8 I was inconsolable
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m88kgA7rGsU
Now I avoid watching anything I know will be triggering. If something comes on unexpectedly I have to avert my eyes, fast forward or leave the room. If I don't I will still be thinking about it days, weeks or even years afterwards.
The only way I can watch those nature documentaries is to record them first. Then I watch with my finger ready on the fast forward button for when things get unpleasant.
Same! We had to watch watership down at school and I’ve never been able to watch it since. I can’t even watch David Attenborough documentaries as I find it hard to watch when they always seem to prey on the young, I’ll always turn it over which is annoying as I do like watching nature.