I have a close relationship with my mother. She is in her 50s and has multiple health issues, both mental and physical, that lead her to let things like housework get really out of hand. She also works and takes care of my young sister so I don't begrudge her for often being burnt out, but it's very difficult for me that there are living animals involved.
Basically, she has two ferrets and a rabbit who NEVER come out of their respective cages. They're always fed and hydrated but their cages do get quite dirty in between cleanings. My mom is afraid of the rabbit, as he's not very socialized and he's bitten her before. He also kicks and scratches when you try to pick him up so her solution has been to leave him in the cage all day for months on end; the cage itself is also definitely too small for him, as he can only hop about three times in one direction before hitting a wall.
Likewise, the ferrets fight viciously so they have to be kept separate from one another. They also don't come out of the cage, as the house is quite messy and if they got onto the floor they would likely never be seen again.
I wish I were in a position to take the animals and give them bigger cages and more playtime, but I live in a tiny apartment with a rather territorial cat who I would not trust with the smaller animals. I've suggested to my mom that she try to find them a home where they are given more attention, but she always just gets angry and upset when I bring it up. I don't know what to do, as I'm sure the animals must be miserable and unhealthy being cooped up all of their lives, but it's also not something I want to ruin my relationship with my aging mother over. One of the ferrets is also very elderly now so rehoming him doesn't really seem like an option anyway.
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/fcybjv/my_mother_is_neglecting_her_pets_ferrets_rabbit/
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