If your partner did this to animals, would you break up?

[Bostonbutterfly]

My friend/co-worker (25 M) is reconsidering his relationship. He found out his girlfriend (23 F) used to play a game with animals. They included cats, small dogs, squirrels, hamsters, etc. She called it ''Captive n Captor''.

From what he told me, it was either burying them for a bit, submerge them under water for a few seconds, making them fall in a hole and trap them for several minutes or any of those trapping games. She eventually released them. She never killed an animal, just trapped them for a bit. She didn't like being with the same captive for too long. She was between ages 8-11 years old.

Would that still be animal cruelty? Would you break up if you found that out? He's having a hard time with the out of boredom and control part.

Yes

No

[OlderAndWiser]

www.psychologytoday.com/.../children-who-are-cruel-animals-when-worry

[SamIam96]

The girlfriend played sadistic games when she was 11. She's now 23. Does your friend think this is an ongoing activity? Or, does he believe it ended when she was an 11 year-old child? I think the decision to breakup would hinge on the answer to those two questions.

TBH, if he believes that the animal abuse was a childhood phase and it's truly in the past, I'd be more concerned about him. Why is he obsessing about something she did 12 years ago?

[KrisPW]

As long as they saw their actions as weird and eff'd up, then no. Kids do dumb / weird shit. As long as they learned from and see how wrong it is now, then I could continue the relationship.

[DaisyM23]

i mean I think yes but i don't know, i would find it really weird though and i don't think i could get over that

[Bostonbutterfly]

Indeed. It just doesn't seem like a type of thing a child would be naturally into.

[whirled_up_girl]

Yes, animal cruelty would be a major turn off for me.

[slatyb]

At 8-11? That's a long time ago. I expect she learned that from some adult that was abusing her.

[jasco]

Ok well she was a kid, while I admit what she did was wrong. I feel like she would grow out of that as she grew older

[Fromdusktilldawn]

Its stupid to judge someone for what they did as a kid. At that age you dont have a proper sense of moral yet

[Shamalien]

Way less bad than eating meat so if you ent a veggie shut yer trap

[Anonymous]

Wouldn't feel safe around her or trust her with anything