Gah.. I would have told him that he should go outside and let the hawks get him.
I feel for you. I have an aunt who ALWAYS critisizes my pets. When she was over, I had Ophelia(one of my rats) on my shoulder when I walked into the kitchen. When I walked past my aunt, she started screaming to "get that nasty vermin" away from her and her kids because "all rats carry diseases". She even acted like she was going to swat at my Ophie. I told her that if she doesn't like my rats, leave the house since she's just as much vermin as my rats are. Then her youngest kid asked me if she could hold Ophelia, and her mother jumped down my throat about how "no child of hers is going to hold the nasty thing". I got grounded and all for that by my parents, but it was all worth it.
Hehe^^ Not to mention that I took my aunt's youngest kid back to my room and let her hold any of the rats that she wanted to hold. =)
(((hugs))) I hate it when people think they know your pets better than yourself.