ricktavious

My sister is a 30-something year old, usually responsible person. A year and a half ago she bought a betta, took care of it for a couple months, and then basically neglected it. It would go days without being fed, weeks without water changes. I kept on trying to tell her that she needs to at least change the water more, but she would never listen, but gave plenty of excuses. The other day she told me the betta died after admitted neglect and several weeks without a water change.

I feel so sorry for that little guy, he had a pretty rough life But where in the world do people get the idea of "just a fish?" That furiates me to no end, and having PET FISH that you BUY and are supposed to TAKE CARE OF die due to blatant NEGLECT is no worse in my eyes than letting a cat, dog, hamster, or any other pet die of neglect. WHY, WHY, WHY?!?!?!?!?!

If she gets another betta, I swear I'll try to abduct it and bring it to a happy home

Chief_waterchanger

I must say this just to get it out there, not that it is my feels on the situation:

I advise against abducting the fish, that is theft and if she were a vengeful person could have a misdemeanor petty theft charge against you for such an action.

But I understand, it sucks when people are neglectful of their responsibilities.

Ask her how she would feel if forced to live in her own fecal matter with no food for weeks... not that it would help her mentality any.

ricktavious

Yeah, the abduction was kind of a sarcastic comment, but I would ask to have it

I would have liked to have helped the little guy out, but my sister lives quite a ways away so I couldn't really do anything

Chief_waterchanger

Lol, she probably wouldn't notice the abduction.

Barbrella

Poor little fishy. How cruel.

Why on earth would someone get a pet then neglect it until it dies? If they don't wish to care for a pet, they shouldnt' get any!!!

Allie

I have been there done that with my best friend and my yellow lab babies. I had given her 4 1" fry she had them for a month when suddenly 2 died. I asked when the last time she cleaned the tank...she couldn't remember. SO I took the last 2 back and gave her a scolding. She does have 2 kids but that is no excuse...how long does it take to clean a 20g.

0morrokh

That always frustrates me so much. I just can't imagine how a person could but a pet--a living animal--and then not care about them at all. Being a teenager I hear stuff like this all the time, kids making some remark like "oh yeah, I had a Betta once but I forgot to feed it and it died", as if it's amusing or something. It always makes me so mad, especially since there's nothing you can do. If the neglected pet is a dog or cat or horse then you can get them busted, but the lawmakers don't care about fish.

pamd

You're just a teen?! I thought you were much more grownup. You rule, Omorrokh! You seem so mature and to know so much! Thanks for all you contribute!

Tayful

I agree with you. Buying ANY kind of pet is a commitment, no matter the size - whether you have a huge dog or a tiny little fish, you need to take care of it. Those poor fish are completely and utterly defenseless. They're not like people; they can't take care of themselves - they depend on their owner to do that for them! Like I said, it's a commitment. It also infuriates me to know that people just put themselves responsible for another creature's life and then neglect it, or never take the time to research how to care for it properly. Ugh.

0morrokh

Heh that's what you think..........

COBettaCouple

i find it selfish and cold-hearted to neglect a pet. When you buy or adopt a pet, to me that's saying "I'm responsible for this animal for the rest of it's life". Maybe if people were more responsible, caring and respectful of all life the world would be better.

Tayful

That's exactly right, that if people were more responsible and respectful life in the world would be better. If people WERE more responsible and respectful, then so many species wouldn't be endangered and extinct today. Some people are just heartless morons.

armadillo

Exactly what I thought.

armadillo

Fish have such bad PR. They benefit from no protection at all. It's like they're not mammals therefore they can't feel pain or discomfort. Also, you get next to no sympathy when you're grief stricken for loosing a special one. They've really got a bad press and get abused all the time. They have that reputation for being low maintenance pets, and the pet stores don't help that perception.

OK, off my soap box now.

Allie

To most people we know...aquariums are for show, the fish are for show, like an ornament . They don't realize that there is more to keeping a tank than adding water and fish.

armadillo

Yeah, it's really sad. And we look like deranged animal right activists for caring about their well-being.

COBettaCouple

it's funny how whenever people come over and see our Bettas and other fish, they all are like "i had no idea fish were like that!".

Barbrella

How true, and especially the bettas, I think because they're kept alone and are more interactive with us. My family members were amazed at how the bettas really look at them and react. My niece was so enraptured by their responsiveness (and cuteness of course!) she said "I wish I could take them out and pet them."

Sadly, so many people see fish as just moving things, not deserving of compassion or consideration.

Allie

I could become deranged if I caught someone red handed hurting any pet.

We have gotten a lot of friends into fish b/c they didn't know interactive fish were. Now all of them have MTS as badly as we do. Hey I didn't either...my first bought fish was a betta and then African cichlids. All kinds of interaction there. I was impressed, obviously.

COBettaCouple

yea, we always get this amazement from people when they see that our Bettas have discernable and different personalities. I wish we could take them out and pet them too, lol.

All life deserves respect. Even animals raised for food deserve good treatment and a humane end.

Peterpiper

You can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat their pets. enough said..

armadillo

Hail hail to that!

armadillo

Wow, that's so cool that you have friends to talk fishies with. We're the only ones with MTS in our circle of friends.

Me too (going mental if an animal is hurt). I got in trouble in Florida asking a police lady to leave a baby gator alone! And yesterday, at the pet store, I got so annoyed at this lady who was encouraging her daughter to make the bettas flare with her hand mirror. As if they weren't stressed enough already (they were in those horrid tiny sumps). So I told them off.

Allie

You told the kid off too.

COBettaCouple

another top-notch parent there.

mlinden84

Having kids is no excuse. I have a 3 year old daughter, I'm a full time student, and I work part time, and I still have time to clean all my tanks!! You make time for things that are important to you. At least you saved the other 2!

Barbrella

Amen. I've been on THAT soapbox for more years than I can count.

I do the same thing when I see kids knocking on the aquarium glass. I love the look on their faces when I do so.