The Glade 4.0

Umm wow . . .

So I was sitting in-game just a while ago and a friend from the game sends me a tell saying that he had done something really bad. Upon inquiring, it turns out he heard his 10-month old screaming out in pain and found her lying in bed next to a kitten they had. So he said he just freaked out, snapped, and tossed the kitten off the bed. In doing so, however, the kitten apparently hit the wall, killing it.

After he snapped out of it and came to, what had happened sank in and he felt truly awful, which he told me several times over in chat. Not a whole lot I could say other than assure him that it was protective instinct kicking in.

Obviously he was/is really rattled from the experience, and it kind of rattled me, too, as I can imagine what he must be feeling right now.

I'm of two minds on this: on one, he shouldn't have tossed the cat. On the other (as I said above), he was just protecting his child, and some primal protective instinct just kicked in. I'd say most pet owners have snapped on their animals at least once, but just . . . wow. I hope he can put this past him.

That's sad. I know people who accidentally ran over their dog backing out of the garage. Regardless of how it happens, it's sad.

_________________

I can understand "snapping" if you see something attacking your child...but a kitten just sitting in bed next to a crying child? Why would he automatically assume that the kitten did something without even checking the child over first? Seems kind of an odd first response to me..unless like I said the kitten was actively attacking the child.

_________________


Dream as if you'll live forever...
...Live as if you'll die tomorrow

Vivere Senza Rimpianti

Sounds like he did a little more than "toss" the kitten to me. People tend to try and minimize things they've done wrong in order to feel better.
I also wonder if it was a "protective instinct" or if he was mad because he thought the kitten caused the baby to cry and interrupt his game....
Either way, I have no room to talk on this issue. I accidentally broke a dogs leg once by tossing it out the front door after it pooped all over the floor after I had just mopped. I felt (and still feel and will always feel) awful and rightly so.
I learned my lesson, hopefully he did too.

_________________
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

One time I hit a rock with a wiffleball bat and my dog caught it in his mouth. It chipped his canine and we had to bring him to a specialist. The operation cost over $1000.

A little pre-planning like keeping the kitten out of the baby's room would have gone a long way to preventing this.

Yeah I agree it could have been handled better than it was.

I can see protective instinct kicking in, however, when it comes to perceiving that a family member might be in danger.

People just react differently.

Hopefully, lesson learned.

Without knowing the circumstances, as none of us do, I will say that I will always err on the side of protecting the infant.

I feel bad for him, as I know it must have been hard on his heart in the aftermath, but he performed beyond admirably as a father. He should be comforted by the knowledge that he didn't think about sacrificing his own emotions or even pets he loved when he thought his child was in danger.

_________________

Ezekiel 23:19-20 

I just think people react differently to situations. I don't believe it means you are not a kind/caring parent if you are not the high strung type. People that react to situations differently, I have found, never see eye to eye. My personality is the non-reactive type. I act appropriately and get the job done, but I am not loud/screamer type in emergency situations. I don't understand those type and they don't understand me. We both do what is right in the emergency, but there are always comments about the perception of the event.

I think the father reacted the way his personality is, it's unfortunate what happened, but he obviously percieved a threat to his child and reacted to the situation. Other people would react to this same situation differently. Just the way your personality is.

_________________


Dream as if you'll live forever...
...Live as if you'll die tomorrow

Vivere Senza Rimpianti

That second part is probably just as well, given your profession.

_________________
"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

I don't think it has much to do with personality type, but initial perceptions. From the limited information we have, it seems that the father percieved his infant child to be in danger and possibly already harmed, and dealt with the problem in the most efficient manner possible wasting no time eliminating any threats to his child and at the same time moving to help his child.

The gift of hindsight is always 20-20. It is likely there was no threat. But in the brief instant he percieved he was one, he erred on the side of his infant child.

That is always the right decision.

_________________

Ezekiel 23:19-20 

Hmmm yes..I agree that the initial perception has something to do with it..but in "emergency" situations people react differently. For example..in ICU when we have a code, some nurses scream out "CODE BLUE, GET THE CRASH CART!" an generally get loud. I, on the other hand, react quickly and efficiently, but I don't scream and get everyone all riled up. The nurses that do scream still do the appropriate actions and take care of the patient just as I do. But they react to the same situation differently. There are screamers and non-screamers lol, I guess you could say. These nurses have admitted that they act the same way in any emergency situation..I would bet, but this is just my opinion, that the father tends to be a "screamer"...again..not that this is bad, but just a different personality type.

When I say "screamer " I mean someone that does something in a more hmmm boisterous manner..I hate to use the words over reacts because of the negative connotations of that..but for lack of a better word on my part..

PS. Rynar, I'm not saying the father made the wrong decision, just merely making an observation that I feel parallels my experiences with different personality types.

_________________


Dream as if you'll live forever...
...Live as if you'll die tomorrow

Vivere Senza Rimpianti

I honestly can't imagine a situation where throwing a helpless kitten across the room into a wall hard enough to kill it would be an acceptable course of action. A baby was crying. That is super rare right there. My first thought would be to violently throw the nearest small animal into a wall. Totally.

_________________
Los Angeles Kings 2014 Stanley Cup Champions

"I love this **** team right here."
-Jonathan Quick

The guy is playing games and leaves a small child alone with a small animal... what could go wrong?

Other than the kid abusing the animal out of ignorance and the animal defending itself, I mean.

_________________
In time, this too shall pass.

I still say the guy lost his temper.

_________________
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

_________________
In time, this too shall pass.

Yeah, like I said, I'm kinda torn. Losing one's temper and kitten-throwing should not be encouraged (and I am sure he will be the first to admit that), but on the other hand -- what if that kitten was a rabid dog, or a bear holding a shark? Defending your loved ones is a nice instinct to have.

it was a kitten.

Unless the kid was a level 1 mage, a kitten really isn't a threat.

_________________

Holy shitsnacks!

Well, to be honest, the kid and kitten should never have been left together unsupervised.

_________________
"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

Ya know, it's amazing how often folks forget that animals can't be trusted. I've seen dogs get mauled by small kids pulling at whatever part of the animal that is exposed and not do a thing... and others bare their teeth just 'cause a kid got too close to their food.

When folks with kids would come to our farm when I was young they would ask my father if any of our dogs would bite.

"They've got teeth" would be his only reply.

Funny how they'd watch their kids close after hearing that. What, they couldn't tell?

_________________
In time, this too shall pass.

Huh. I've never heard that before, Taskiss, I like it. "They've got teeth." So true.

_________________
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth