Do you think my kids could handle it?

[ChromaChameleons]

Interesting subject....

I have been keeping chams for about 4 years now. I got started by my Nephew , then 9 years old , encouraging me to get a cham. He lost his first cham at 6 years of age. That is ancient for a Fischer chameleon. He was actually more attentive of his chams then, at age 9, than he is now. In fairness, he still does a good job.

If I were to consider letting 13 year olds have a chameleon, I would ask myself: "Do I have to tell them when to do their chores, clean their rooms?" If the answer is yes, then I would suggest they are not self disciplined enough to take on this responsibility.

Do they have other pets? Are they mature enough and do they understand the consequences of poor care?

No two kids are the same, so you really have to consider each one seperately.

Maybe another type of reptile would be better. Crested Geckos are cool. They are hardy and will tolerate mistakes far better than a cham.

If a chameleon is in your future, the one piece of advice I would give is :

Do not underestimate any anomaly with regard to your chams health or behaviour. I'm not suggesting that you become paranoid, but often these animals will be extremely sick, before they show any sign of distress.

Good Luck

 

[curly]

Im 12 and all I did was read as much as I could and got onto the forums and I am getting along fine.

 

[evertech11]

i got my chameleon when i was 12, i had some trouble at first but i just got into this groove and now it's all going good. i f you remember to not handle it too much it sounds great.

 

[Will Hayward]

Im 12 and all I did was read as much as I could and got onto the forums and I am getting along fine.

Really Curly??? Thats funny, I seem to remember you saying (AND I quote) this i another thread not more than a couple weeks back!

Well i thought i was going to get to the vet but my dad wont let me spend that kind of money on a stupid lizard

Apparently you aren't getting along fine.

 

[Scarlet]

Interesting subject....

I have been keeping chams for about 4 years now. I got started by my Nephew , then 9 years old , encouraging me to get a cham. He lost his first cham at 6 years of age. That is ancient for a Fischer chameleon. He was actually more attentive of his chams then, at age 9, than he is now. In fairness, he still does a good job.

If I were to consider letting 13 year olds have a chameleon, I would ask myself: "Do I have to tell them when to do their chores, clean their rooms?" If the answer is yes, then I would suggest they are not self disciplined enough to take on this responsibility.

Do they have other pets? Are they mature enough and do they understand the consequences of poor care?

No two kids are the same, so you really have to consider each one seperately.

Maybe another type of reptile would be better. Crested Geckos are cool. They are hardy and will tolerate mistakes far better than a cham.

If a chameleon is in your future, the one piece of advice I would give is :

Do not underestimate any anomaly with regard to your chams health or behaviour. I'm not suggesting that you become paranoid, but often these animals will be extremely sick, before they show any sign of distress.

Good Luck

Great advice everybody! Actually we do have a bit more animals. We have two cats, both are about 12 years and a dog. I am aware that it takes quite some responsibility, so I have actually been having them clean the cat box (daily) and take care of our animals. If a cham doesn't work out, we may look into something else. They are aware they might not get one though.

 

[Jewel]

My 17 year old son wanted a chameleon so we did a fair bit of researching before we bought him one. We thought we were prepared but we soon found out we weren't. If it was not for this forum we would probably have lost our chameleon. All of us in our house love chameleons, even my 3 year old granddaughter who calls them dinosaurs. Last week we bought my son another one and my 15 year old daughter also got one. My children know they have to get up early in the morning and do all the feeding, watering etc. Me and my husband have done allot of researching also and we are there to help and guide the kids in the right direction. The last 4 months and have been a wonderful experience for us as a family, we have found something that we all enjoy doing. Only you can be the judge for your family as to weather or not your boys are mature and responsible enough to raise and care for the chameleons, like everyone has been saying on here, the responsibility also falls on you, not just your boys, the question is, are you prepared to look after them when the need arises? There are a lot of wonderful and very knowledgeable members on this forum who will be here to help if you need help. All families are different and all I can say is we as a family love it. If you are confused, just keep on asking questions until you feel more confident in your decision.

 

[westcoastchameleons]

Hi Scarlet,
My name is Jake and I am 13 years old. I started keeping these awsome critters at the age of ten. I now have 10 chameleons and i am starting some breeding projects. To get your sons a chameleon (or 2) wouldnt be a bad thing as long as you know that they are willing to do what they have to do to give the animal a succesful and happy life ( feeeding, watering, cage, lights, ect. ). If they are willing to take time out of thier everyday life...it will be a huge thrill to watch these animals progress through life! This should be a very rewarding journey!


Sincerley,
Jake Bernstein

 

[Scarlet]

Hi Scarlet,
My name is Jake and I am 13 years old. I started keeping these awsome critters at the age of ten. I now have 10 chameleons and i am starting some breeding projects. To get your sons a chameleon (or 2) wouldnt be a bad thing as long as you know that they are willing to do what they have to do to give the animal a succesful and happy life ( feeeding, watering, cage, lights, ect. ). If they are willing to take time out of thier everyday life...it will be a huge thrill to watch these animals progress through life! This should be a very rewarding journey!


Sincerley,
Jake Bernstein

Thanks for the wonderful tips both of you. :-O This is a big help. We have been going to every pet store to look at their chams. I am really not sure, they are pretty responsible for their age, too. They sound like they are VERY VERY much work.

 

[ChromaChameleons]

What type of chameleon are your boys looking for?

I would suggest that they get a male regardless of species. Females tend to pose an added challenge due to egg production. A male would give you a greater chance of success.

I would also recommend considering a breeder as opposed to a pet store. That would ensure that you would be getting a well hydrated and healthy cham. Some pet stores feed their chams poorly and don't always provide drip water or UVB lighting. I've also seen many chams in pet stores living in all glass enclosures , without humidity or heat gradient.

If you mention what state you live in, I'm sure some of the members can recommend a breeder near by.

Also consider purchasing from a reputable breeder at a local expo. They are always worth the time. So many people to meet and tables of reptiles to see.

 

[Jewel]

They can be a lot of work, but worth every minute of it. Orginazitation and a good routine is the key to sucess. Don't let us scare you away from purchasing a chameleon. With you taking the time to join and post your question to this forum shows you are already taking a interest in the well being of your future chameleon.

 

[Dave Weldon]

Howdy Scarlet,

A few more sources of info just in case you haven't seen them:

http://www.chameleonsdish.com/

http://www.chameleonnews.com/ especially http://www.chameleonnews.com/ref.html

http://www.adcham.com/

 

[joe keenan]

chams dont like humans it is only natural. holding them is very stressful for them and should be avoided so dont do it.

 

[Sandylynn]

Dear Scarlet,

I'm new to chameleon keeping, but I say if you've all researched very carefully including yourself, and you and your kids are willing to do the work then it could turn out to be a wonderful experience. Personally my family and I have 2 dogs, 1 hedgehog, 2 leopard geckos, 1 crested gecko, 1 bearded dragon, and 1 chameleon. I primarily do all the work for my animals but I new the going into it. I enjoy it. The chameleon and hedgehog take up most of my time out of all my animals. Twice a day I do the misting of my chameleon and once a day his feeding. Plus it takes time to also care for the crickets and the worms. My chameleon is the most rewarding though! Have your kids researched bearded dragons? My younger son who is 12 loves his. They seem to be more hardy and mine handles being held quite nicely. Your kids can also make a very nice type desert living area(cage) for them also. In our cage we have all different types of bricks and sandblasted wood. It's very neat. Whichever you decide I'm sure you'll make the best decision for your family.

Good Luck,

Sandylynn

 

[curly]

Really Curly??? Thats funny, I seem to remember you saying (AND I quote) this i another thread not more than a couple weeks back!



Apparently you aren't getting along fine.

Well apparently you didnt read the thread the rest of the way..and thats not a problem anymore..hes going in a few weeks and he is doing fine and he is getting along FINE..!

 

[beardiedude]

Im going to side with Will on this one, even though im a teen myself. I have had chameleons around me since I was about 10 years old, BUT they were not my chameleons. It was a relationship that my dad and I shared. He did alot of the dirty work, I just fed them and watched them. He also made sure they were properly fed and healthy. If you want your kids to have chameleons, YOU have to play an active role in making sure these animals are kept for well. Chameleons arent like a soda can that can be recycled when they are done for.

Chameleons are not like leopard geckos and anoles. Chameleons require not a few weekly tasks, they require MANY daily activites which are inconveniet and easy to forget about. If you are willing to commit to helping them with there pet, then that might help. Between all of the mistings, diet, lighting, and health of the animal, there is a lot that can be neglected if careful detail is not give to these creatures.

Also, you mentioned its the first reptile. Im not going to say thats a big no no, but its really not a good idea. It does not matter how much you have read and how many people you have talked to, nothing can replace genuine, earned knowledge. I say start with something simple, say an anole. A really great first time lizard that has many of the similair care requirements as a chameleon, but a greater hardiness and tolerance for beggniner mistakes.

Right now, im almost 16 and im taking a break on chams for another few months. I have a job an am earning a steady income of money to pay for vet bills and feeders. I also have more time I can give my chameleon now. Let them re-think there decision and explain to them the real pro's and cons of what they are getting into...

Peace.

 

[Will Hayward]

Scarlet, To turn this topic around, My point still stands. Curly did not have the support of his parents in his Chameleon keeping, and had this been a more serious problem (it was a serious problem, just not too advanced), even a 24 hour delay in him convincing them that the vet was absolutely required and that the chameleon was worth the money to him, that 24 hours could have easily been the last hours of the chameleon.

As anyone who has experienced the death of a chameleon knows... Any hesitation can mean the end. It's not over when its over, its over way before...

So, complete participation in the chameleon keeping must come from the adult.

 

[ChameleonsTree]

Well apparently you didnt read the thread the rest of the way..and thats not a problem anymore..hes going in a few weeks and he is doing fine and he is getting along FINE..!

if a chameleon is sick you can't wait a few weeks...they decompensate rather quickly.

 

[Will Hayward]

OK- Back on topic now.

 

[Scarlet]

I have another question, if you don't mind? Pardon me if I am asking a bit much. Anyway, I was wondering, would you say chameleons hate to be...not really handled, but more, just climb on people? I know, odd question. The woman at the pet store said that they don't mind it at all. What's your input?

 

[westcoastchameleons]

Chameleons dont really like to be taken out of thier cage or enviorment in general. If you are to handle a chameleon, i would suggest letting him or her climb on you until you feel uncomfortable/unsafe with wheere they are climbing.