i found out tonight that bonk’s favourite treats are made by hartz, a brand responsible for causing health issues in and even killing thousands of pets. my parents and i have been giving bonk these treats every day, and i was none the wiser. the only clue that hartz makes them is their logo on the back of the packaging in small ass letters.
none of the issues with hartz or any of the lawsuits against them have been about their food products, but they are an awful brand, and the fact that i’ve been feeding my cat their products for over a year has me feeling so guilty. if there’s even a 0.0000001% chance that those treats are causing the rectal bleeding issue she’s been having, or that they might cause issues later, i do not want them anywhere near her. i feel so bad. i’ve since thrown the treats out and will be much more mindful about pet food packaging, i just. ****.
my brain is not being normal about this. i told my mom about this as soon as i found out and we threw out her treats together, but a part of me wants to go to her again and go, “you know what nvm”, just because my brain has decided that me saying something and throwing the treats out is me being inconvenient somehow. it’s so ingrained in me to keep my mouth shut and tiptoe and not inconvenience anyone ever that my brain now thinks that me advocating for my cat’s wellbeing is me being inconvenient.
i want to take it back because i’m terrified of my dad getting all pissed in the morning when he goes to give bonk a treat and finds them all gone. saving money is more important to him than anything, and since the hartz treats are cheaper than some of the others, i’m terrified that he’s going to get pissed about me not wanting her to have them anymore. i’m terrified that saving money is more important to him than her health. i’m terrified about trying to talk about this with him, since i already know he’s going to have questions and i already have my information and resources ready, but talking to him is impossible because he only wants to hear himself talk. he is constantly talking over me and interrupting me and getting all worked up for no reason, and it is so exhausting to have two parents that i can’t talk to and have to tiptoe around.
i refuse to tiptoe when it comes at the potential expense of bonk’s health. i know rationally and logically that i have every right to not want hartz products of any kind near my cat. i just wish my brain thought the same way.