Someone bought a bunny at our pet shop, now giving it away on facebook...I am so damn upset!

[Jessksch]

I love my job so much, I love helping people with their pets and their issues.

However, I am so upset at the moment. We had bunnies in our pet shop, we treated them with royalty. I even used my own money to spoil them with snacks, toys...when it was quiet I would give them so much love and cry a little when they were adpoted because I was so happy if they went to a good home.

Now, we had one last bunny and this woman bought him and now a coworker found out on facebook they were talking bad about our store, that he was in a small cage and suffered... and wants to give him away to someone else!

How is this good for the poor thing?! When I saw it my heart sank, how people can be so selfish...

I can't stop thinking about it, obsessing...I quit my full time job for this job because I had a nervous break down before and needed to find a more relaxing environment. Now this happens and I am falling appart.

I wanted to save money to continue to do a course I dreamed of, and the more I see these people talking bad about us and misstreating our bunny like this. He will have anxieties not having a stable home, moving around will stress him out...

I have work tomorrow and have been having trouble with my mental health lately moreso, now this happened and I feel like I'm loosing it. I'm scared I will snap, get angry at the next stupid customer and be filmed and never get a job again... anxiety and depression are through the roof.

[smallwolf]

hello and really sorry about the delayed response and that nobody has gotten back to you earlier.

It sounds like this is having quite an effect on you - firstly with the response of the owner and then your concern for the bunny. I can see via your post you care very much about pets and animals. My wife used to work for a business, and there were clients who made negative comments about some things that happened. Some people who make negative comments have their own expectations and feel they are entitled to comment on what they see. 

Could I ask whether you have spoken with anyone about anxiety, and if so, whether you have any tools or strategies to help you? 

[Jessksch]

Hello thank you so much for your reply!

I do have strategies to cope, usually I post on here  to vent, or if it gets very bad, call my psychologist for a chat...

I feel a lot better now, I think realizing and catching up with my other coworkers about it, they were just as upset or even more so.

I think what also gets me is that I have studied for a few years in veterinary nursing (still no degree because I lost my work placement, I was pressuring the nurse teaching me too much to teach me but she was too busy, she let me go) and customers and how irresponsible they are sometimes has really gotten to me.

I am only working part-time, 3 days a week as my psychologist has said I am very sensitive. My last full-time work made me have a break down,and if I get stressed I get physically sick to the point of frequent sinus infections or colds.

However, as strong as I am trying to be, trying to save money again to do my vet nursing course, people are really still getting to me. I mean, there are just some common sense things of when owning a pet, at least do some research if you've never cared for the species. But no, people just think playing it by ear is fine and then wonder why their pet gets sick all the time or even dies!

[smallwolf]

sounds like you have some really good goals - wanting to get into nursing and saving money to do so. And I can also see you care very much for animals in general in your writing. 

I would also suggest that not everyone who buys a pet knows or fully understands what is required in looking after a pet. This might also be knowledge that is second hand to you (as in you just know it from your work and experience in general). 

When you get stressed ... is it anger? frustration? at the owner? just concern for the animal? all of above? something else? 

Is there a way of channeling the feelings into something positive. For example, writing about how animals should be looked after and posting somewhere - a blog or somewhere? I don't know if you even like writing!  Would love to know your thoughts.

[Jessksch]

Thank you again for your reply!

I have to admit, it is all of the above and my anger has taken over...I used to be so empathetic and patient, and I guess as you get older is goes out the window. I am angry that people are so stubborn in their ways, I am always the first to admit if I do something wrong and apologize, learn from the 17 year olds I work with...

Overall in society it has really made me just angry at everyone. I feel a growing anger , never that I would do anything about it.

What scares me is that what is stopping me is the law and not empathy anymore, I just can't feel for human beings anymore even those close to me who are too busy to have proper conversations or to catch up. Some people I haven't seen in months and I always understand they are busy, but it's exhausting having to be always the one to initiate things.

Everyone is stressed and I understand that, and I am trying so hard to be positive and be social and understanding of people, but just find they disappoint me over and over again and I am sick of making excuses for them.

I still paint and spend time with my pets at home, have taken the weekend off because I think I will blow up in someone's face if I hadn't...

Even though I have a partner whom I love and have been with for years, I still never feel loved enough by him or anyone (but I know it's not his fault, he tries but has his own issues and still tries to make time with me and talks with me, the problem is me and how I think).

Maybe the human connection I'm receiving is not enough for me in my mind and I am taking it for granted? maybe this is a lot of human connection I get compared to others and I can't seem to be satisfied with it...

Either way I somehow am so sick of trying to divert my anger and sadness, to just hold on, distract...