I don't know what is up with her???

[Skeever]

Thanks Shannon. Really.....thirteen? Kids got issues. Real funny stuff....dropping an animal? I guess dropping a baby would be even funnier? Most animals are more perceptive than we think....they will forgive the accidental kick, or the drop. They tend to read emotions and pheremones and sound and scent much deeper, and they know when a person is scared, or dangerous, or ambivalent, or hateful. Hamsters fall. Hamsters get dropped, hamsters make themselves fall and carry on. Something creepy about a kid who finds it funny and the quite real possibility it clearly struck the animal that it wasn't a fall, it was a cause for cruel, uncaring laughter? With such poor vision, many animals senses of other modes of communication are quite precise and accurate. Keep the future serial killer away from the innocent animal in the future

[humfry]

If a 13 year old did that to my hamster I would be tempted to drop them from a great height! But I'd probably just give them a smart slap & a strong verbal message.

[Thin Lizzy]

Originally Posted by Shannonmcn

There's a difference between a 5yo and a 13yo, if my 13 yo cousin laughed at dropping my hamster he wouldn't be laughing for long. They're not really children at that age, I think they should know better. Luckily the kids in my family (13, 11 and are all animal lovers, seeing the way they love their dog and dote on her makes me less forgiving of less empathetic children maybe.

Poor Ood just needs some time, I wouldn't stress out too much. It's understandable that he would feel a bit shy for a while.

I agree with you Shannon about a 13 year old not being a kid. I do think she should've known better, but, I also see Braingirl's point about how some people laugh as a nervous thing.

[Shannonmcn]

I laughed like a maniac when a car pulled out in front of my mums car and we all were 10 degrees on the impact line from dying. Nervous laughter when you possibly hurt or injure an animal doesn't produce the same response, believe me.

[DrKMcK]

I actually don't allow anyone to hold my hams. Most of the friends and family I have aren't into the furries anyway. With very young children I will let them pet a ham who I am holding and they may give the hams a treat and watch them in the cage or in the playpen. I hadn't even thought about it until I saw this thread. I guess I'm just very fussy about them. I can see Braingirl's point about laughing being a nervous reaction, or one of embarassment. I would be very upset though and probably wouldn't allow her to hold my hams after an episode like that. I really don't get the sense that she did it on purpose.