I can't see how anyone could be made to think that causing a puffer to inflate might be good for them. Logically, if that were the case, we'd have armies of people out in the field helping all the millions of wild puffers to keep their populations going.
Puffers will inflate, under water, as a defense mechanism against predation, to warn off encroaching rivals, and to attract mates/initiate spawning. It is always a bad idea to cause them to inflate air since they're not constructed to easily purge themselves of the air and may suffer embolisms as a result. There is also the stress of their removal from water and temp differences that will add to the overall trauma.
In captivity, I've had a few (but not all) that developed the habit of inflating as I walked past their tank as a means of grabbing my attention for a potential treat to be fed to them. I think this was a learned habit and not due to stress since the puffers always remained at the front of the tanks watching and following my moves.
Well when they eat LOL
We know, but we don't want the puffer to suffer. I'm sorry if we come across as mean, but we are trying to make sure your friend takes care of her puffer correctly.
