It seems that when an animal is hurt or killed (in real life or just tv or a story) i get really upset and physically sick from being upset, yet when a human is hurt or killed (in real life or just tv or a story) i don't feel all that sad.
even in family. my nan died and i knew i should have felt really upset but i couldn't. i tried to think of all the good times but i was only really upset for a couple of weeks.
when my cat died i was inconsolable. every time i think of the little furball i can't stop my eyes from welling up. i just don't get that with people.
even in stories one dead animal sets me off for about an hour, but not a huiman (unless i really like the character)
is there something wrong with me? i mentioned it earlier and got a few dirty looks. do i have a bad mind?
2007-11-28 07:02:11 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Psychology
No, you're not a bad person. I feel the same way. I think I feel this way because to me when animals are harmed it's usually because of some kind of human factor. Of course you aren't to blame for the death of your cat. Maybe you grieve so much because you view yourself as your cat's protector, not just a pet owner. And so when he/she died, you feel bad because you couldn't do anything about it (?). Regardless, I'm sure you gave your cat everything it needed and more.
2007-11-28 07:18:43 · answer #1 · answered by Opal 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There seems to me, from what you have written, to be two aspects of to this issue. The first would be how close you are with the person/animal. This could account for some of how you feel. Another part could very well be that you just need to work on caring more about other people. I have a very similar problem. The method that I found useful to fix it is to go out of your way to think about what someone else needs to be comfortable, not what you want to do but rather what the other person needs. All the best and you are normal like the rest of us with things to work out to become greater people.
The fact that you have compassion for animals is a wonderful thing in that it means you have the capacity to care, which makes you human.
2007-11-28 15:11:45 · answer #2 · answered by Josh 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can understand- I work in a funeral home and I am very used to seeing dead people. We also do pet funerals and cremations and when a dead dog comes in it bothers me. Actually handling animals and babies are the hardest parts of my job.
I think it is because I see children and animals as innocent. One can hardly hold a child or animal accountable for what it does and the presence of hate or maliciousness is missing- so for them to die holds extra impact.
For me its also consistency, as I said I work with the dead everyday. I also think we are so used to seeing death in movies, tv and the like, that we become desensitized to it in "normal" circumstance. Also people in your life may have died that were more distant relatives or died "normal" deaths- for example dying at 99- so the impact wasn't as severe for you then if a very close relative or Friend had died.
There's nothing wrong with how you feel. You dont have to feel guilty for feeling or not feeling something. A death is a loss and all people deal with losses differently. You dont need to feel guilty about your feelings about your Nan, there is no way you have to act or your weird. It is ok to miss someone and grieve without crying everyday.
You dont have to be so hard on yourself :)
2007-11-28 15:32:30 · answer #3 · answered by jessica s 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can understand your predicament; I tend to be the same way. Human have advocates--each other. Animals do not inherently have a being to protect them. You can explain to a human why it hurts.....an animals does NOT understand.
That said, as you mature and have more life experiences, I guarantee you will respond more to the loss of a family member than a pet. I have buried my cat, my dog, and my fiance. I am still grieving for him; I greive for my animals, but I knew their lives were long and full. Because animals live short lives relative to humans, we must accept that we will not have them with us forever.
2007-11-28 15:10:49 · answer #4 · answered by beautifulirishgirl 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe if you watch the news a lot you are used to them going on about deaths of people.
Did your cat die suddenly? Did your nan have an illness for a long time, and you knew she was going to die long before it happened? Maybe then it's because of shock.
I wouldn't know, i've never done a psychology course & don't really know psychology stuff
2007-11-28 15:20:44 · answer #5 · answered by little_elven 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, there isn't anything wrong with you. I think of my dead granny and shrug, then of my dead kitty Isidore and yeah, I want to cry again. I mean, I could say its cuz Izzy was only with me for 6months, but I loved Izzy more than granny, cold but true.
So, at least one other person is like you.
2007-11-28 15:11:04 · answer #6 · answered by Chief High Commander, UAN 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm the same way!!! Especially when it involves bunnies. But any animal sets me off too!!
2007-11-28 15:15:31 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋