Redditor "YuioPinio" asked the AITA (Am I the A**hole) subReddit if she was wrong for being upset that her sister threw out her very much alive ferret.
The Original Poster (OP) clarified the situation by explaining the confusing title of the post.
A relative of domesticated European polecats, ferrets belong to the same genus as weasels and are known to get roughly 14 - 18 hours of sleep a day.
The OP had two pet ferrets and informed the uninitiated that the mammals possess an interesting sleeping characteristic.
"I have 2 pet ferrets named Lily and Lola, and I love them very much. These are my pets as my sister has her own cat and we have separated rooms."
"Ferrets are known to sometimes 'dead sleep' which is basically a really deep sleep they go through while in a belly up position."
sleep ferrets GIF by CheezburgerGiphy
"Even when you grab them, they will will be heavy and limp as if they were dead and unresponsive (of course they wake up but it's best not to and let them wake up naturally)."
"Although we have separate pets, my sister still comes every now and then to play with Lily and Lola, here's when the problem started."
"Long story short my sister came into my room and I was still asleep. She noticed Lola dead sleeping and assumed she was dead."
"She tried waking her up gently but she had no response, so she took Lola and put her inside the trash can in the kitchen."
John Lewis Christmas GIF by John Lewis & PartnersGiphy
"When I woke up I noticed that Lily was waiting for me but Lola wasn't. She wasn't in my room and I searched the house, nothing. I checked my sister's room and nothing."
"My sister was sleeping by this time and my parents don't like us disturbing them when they work from home."
"When dinner came around we sat at the table and I asked my mom and dad if they maybe accidentally left Lola in one of their offices (since they sometimes take her while they're working) and they say no."
"My dad gets up to take the trash out and my sister then mentions that she found Lola dead and put her inside the trash."
Fortunately, the furry pet was alive, albeit very disconcerted.
"I got up and quickly checked the trash before my dad was gone and the little fella was shaking confused. Normally Lola would easily claw out the bag but she didn't."
"My sister got punished by my parents but I'm still angry since I told them that sometimes ferrets dead sleep and that to always check with me if something happens and she didn't even bother to wake me up."
"It's been two days but I'm still upset and my mom says that I need to understand it was just an accident."
"I told her that it easily could've been more than an accident, so I'm refusing to let my sister play with them. My sister said I'm being an a** and says I need to realize that if Lola was dead she would get thrown out anyways."
Keegan Michael Key Stop GIF by Playing With FireGiphy
"I know my parents wouldn't let me do a burial for her so I know she's right but I'm so pissed at her. So now she's angry with me. Aita?"
Anonymous strangers on the internet were asked to decide if she's:
- NTA - Not The A**hole
- YTA - You're The A**hole
- ESH - Everyone Sucks Here
- NAH - No A**holes Here
"NTA. Ignoring everything else f'ked up about this, if she found your ferret dead she should've told you immediately, not been a sneaky little sh*t and tried to throw her away without you knowing." – SonicPetrichor
This Redditor theorized that the sister acted accordingly based on guilt.
"Is it possible your sister has been doing things she's not supposed to because you're 'over reacting' and thought it was her own fault your ferret died so she tried to get rid of the 'evidence?'"
"I've heard about people thinking pet owners are too uptight because they do XYZ and their pet is fine. Only to be pissed when the dog starts jumping on them at dinner because they fed them scraps. Or the cat scratches the hell out of them when they wouldn't leave them alone."
"Heck. My cousin Forever banned her brother from ever playing/seeing her hamsters after he actively fed them foods that were dangerous for them and a couple died from poisoning (apple seeds, chocolate, avocado, and tomato leaves)."
"He would go into her room while she was asleep or at school and fed them. Then freaked when some actually died and decided to leave the top open and tossed the cat into her room and closed it after her to blame it on the cat."
"He tried to say they died from fear. Thankfully the cat was older and didn't give a hoot about the hamsters and just sat on the window sill in the sunlight."
"He ended up confessing and got a hell of a whooping (not really, But he was yelled at badly) and ever since she doesn't trust him around her animals."
"Now she has a fancy bird that she keeps in her room which is now locked when ever she's not there. The bird had It's own little TV and she had a tablet nearby that she could face time on when ever she had time at school. Now she's home obviously but I've never been so jealous of animals before." – AnimalLover38
The manner in which the sister disposed of the ferret received a good bashing.
"That's disgusting and unsanitary. Leaving an animal the size of a ferret that's supposedly dead to fester in the kitchen until who knows how long until the trash is taken out?"
"ESPECIALLY if said animal had died of a disease or parasite. Hey. Now it's in the kitchen for an undisclosed amount of time!"
"I mean in this case it's a very good thing it happened since Lola was still alive--but that was a very gross practice of your grandmother."
"Also morally reprehensible." – TropicalRobot
The sister's action was perceived to have bigger and more disturbing implications.
After going into a deep discussion about our relationship with animals, this Redditor agreed they wouldn't let her play with the OP's pets ever again.
"JFC [just for clarity] This is not normal, and is a sign of a cruel and unempathic mind."
"We are made to anthropomorphize and care for creatures other than our species. Even Koko the gorilla had a pet cat, so this goes waaaaaayyyyy back."
"There are documented, physiological benefits from having pets; the very act of petting a furry, living thing (probably a remnant if social grooming) releases 'feel good' chemicals in our bodies."
"Those associated with well-being, happiness, and love. It is normative to bond with an animal you have in your life. That you pet, take care of, and play with."
"If you do these things and don't bond with it, to the extent where you could literally turn it into garbage when it passes, shows you are not functioning empathically."
"FFS, they take troubled teens and convicts to take care of dogs and horses and it noticeably improves empathy and reduces recidivism."
"It would be abnormal to throw a parent, a sibling, a child on a garbage heap and walk away. Burial rights and funerary practices - for animals as well - are as ancient as our very species. Perhaps farther; I believe even Neanderthals buried their dead."
"When their time comes, take them to the vet. They will respectfully cremate them and you can save to ensure you have the fee. Or find a private place, a friends house, a spot in the woods, and bury them yourself."
"Let your family know that you intend to engage in a funerary practice off their property as a responsible pet owner. Hopefully that won't happen for years."
"As for your sister, she has proven that despite engaging in the animals, she is unable to make that connection with them. They deserve better than someone who uses them for their own enjoyment. I wouldn't let her play with them, either." – Jovet_Hunter
"This is insane to me. We have buried everything from dogs to hamsters to lizards to fish in my house."
"When my sister's hamsters died (and trust me everyone in the house but my sister hated that thing) my parents buried it in a jewelry box coffin and my sister put some food and a picture of her in the whole with it 'in case he woke up.' Was it ridiculous? absolutely!"
"But did my parents recognize my sister loved that hamster and respect her wishes for wanting a mini funeral? yes they did!"
"If throwing away pets is what happens in your house, that's fine, to each it's own."
"But to do it without telling you (especially when the pet wasn't actually dead) & then to try and justify her actions with 'well it would happen anyway if it were dead' is incredibly rude."
"OP NTA. but your sister definitely is." – KimDamaris
Had the ferret died, the repercussions would've been substantial.
Hopefully, the lesson will be a huge wake up call for the sibling.
You can get this ferret plush here.
