Going Away

[Herocleasin]

So I’m a 17 year old senior about to go off to college, and my most of the colleges I got accepted to (ie the ones I’m going to) don’t let you have pets for at least your first year. My question is, what should I do with my chameleon Archie? I really want to keep him but my parents aren’t looking forward to taking care of him. I know this is usually a family matter to take care of, but I wanted to know if any of you guys may have had experiences like this.

 

[nightanole]

Ill be honest, id put it up for adoption on this board...

These guys have flicker lives. The odds of it dying of old age before you graduate is very high. The odds of it surviving a normal dorm room is very low. How much care can you give it while going to school full time, with no help?

Yes you could setup the parents with a misting system and a feeder cup. It would be pretty easy to just put 2 gallons of water in the bucket each week, and buy 1-2 dozen crickets per week, and tell them to powder in the shaker cup once a week. But still, that cham is going to live its whole life in that reptibreeze. You are not going to be taking it out. At best you will come home to clean the cage.

 

[Thehippie]

yea you could potentially set something up but the best thing would probably be to put him up for adoption.

 

[celeste_knitter]

This is why I do not recommend teens purchasing delicate reptiles unless their parents/guardians are willing to take them on when they go to college/gap year/move/etc. Their lives are not settled for many years. Please consider the adoption board & adopt to an experienced cham owner only.

 

[GoodKarma19]

It may be in Archie's best interest for you to look into finding him a home with an experienced chameleon keeper if you're unable to keep him. I love my parents very much, but I would never trust them with an animal with such particular care for an extended period of time - especially if they're not 100% onboard!

That being said, I've had my cockatoo, Monty, since I was 17 (7 and a half years now) and I've made it work so far. When I moved out to go to school, I opted to find a pet friendly place off campus to rent and had a couple roommates to make things more affordable. I worked my tushie off to keep my little lady, and it wasn't easy. Has it been optimal, with all the moving I've done over the years? No, probably not, but where there's a will there's a way!


My 2 cents. Good luck with your schooling, and I hope you find a solution that works for everyone!

~Amanda

 

[SharpShooter]

So I’m a 17 year old senior about to go off to college, and my most of the colleges I got accepted to (ie the ones I’m going to) don’t let you have pets for at least your first year. My question is, what should I do with my chameleon Archie? I really want to keep him but my parents aren’t looking forward to taking care of him. I know this is usually a family matter to take care of, but I wanted to know if any of you guys may have had experiences like this.

You need to find someone to adopt him that you know has experience. You also need to have that feeling that you trust that person. Ask questions, make sure they know their stuff and that they can provide Archie with a good home. Hopefully both of you will happy knowing he's being well cared for.

If I had to re home any of mine, whilst I've spent a ton of money, I'd be happier to give the setup away to the right person rather than re coup some of my spend but have them go to a second rate home.

 

[alphakenc]

There is a section here in this forum
https://www.chameleonforums.com/forums/chameleons-for-sale.47/
Much better than craiglist and other regular ads.