**AITA for refusing to yip and bark anymore because my owner’s little brother keeps messing with me?**

Hey Reddit, I’m a 4-year-old male red fox, and I’m at my wit’s end. I’ve always been a playful, affectionate fox, and I love spending time with my owner. I’d yip and bark whenever I saw him, and we’d play fetch for hours. He’s always treated me kindly and taken good care of me.

However, his little brother (let’s call him Timmy) has recently started being… less than nice. It started with small things like teasing me by pretending to throw the tennis ball and then laughing when I ran off to fetch nothing. I tried to brush it off and ignore it, but it kept getting worse.

He’s also been putting laxatives in my food. I can tell it’s him because he giggles when he watches me eat, and then I have to deal with the unpleasant results afterward. It’s humiliating, and my owner doesn’t seem to know about it. I’ve tried letting out warning growls, but no one seems to get that Timmy’s the problem.

The final straw came a couple of days ago. I was feeling exhausted and just wanted to curl up in my bed for a nap. But as I jumped into my bed, Timmy yanked it away at the last second, and I fell hard onto the floor. I let out a yelp, but instead of feeling sorry, Timmy just laughed.

He kept being mean to me, so now they don’t get to hear my cute yips and barks. I refuse to give Timmy the satisfaction of seeing me act all happy and playful while he keeps messing with me.

There was also this one time when he made a joke about eating my male fennec fox friend, who lives with us too. It made me really uncomfortable, and I felt protective of my friend. I ended up biting Timmy on the arm out of instinct. Since then, both me and the male fennec have stopped interacting with Timmy altogether. We don’t yip, bark, or even acknowledge his presence.

I do miss the good times, though. His nice older brother decorated my tail once with colorful ribbons for a little party we had. I loved showing it off! Now, it feels like those happy moments are fading away.

My owner seems frustrated, and I overheard him telling Timmy that I’ve “lost my spark.” I feel kind of guilty, but I just don’t feel safe being the happy fox I used to be.

AITA for refusing to yip and bark anymore because of the way my owner’s little brother has been treating me? Should I try to forgive Timmy, or am I justified in keeping my distance?