I am on a mission!

[ChamFreak]

Now I started this years ago when I was active and I just still am not pleased with the outcome of what happens. My mission here is to educate the retail locations on proper care and husbandry for all Chameleons being sold.

I am sure a majority of people who come join the board that gets Veiled from a local pet store mean well and would take the proper action to care for there little guys only if they knew more about it.

Lets look at some facts here, percentages are guessed but I dont think I am too far off here.

I would say, most members that join this board whom have purchaced a Chameleon from a local pet store only come when something is wrong.

I would say, most of them were not told about proper care when they got one as well.

70% (guess) of people who come here when there animal was sick learned that the cages, lighting, suppliments ect ect were different than what was told to them.

Kudos to those whom research before buying however there is people who impulse buy ( I am one of them lol)

Now the mission is to not only get companys to give a actual care sheet when buying a Chameleon but selling the correct supplies for them as well.

Now trust me, I am not trying to get other companys upset here in loosing business, I just think its fair to the chameleon that it has a proper home and good tips for care.


Okay, lets get one thing straight. I know most of the chameleons appear to be healthy when we walk by ( and we always look to see the chameleon when walking by) and they are doing a pretty good job but, no suppliments I am guessing, improper ventalation and lighting.
I've personally seen the same chameleon at a local pet store for 3 months and it was in a 8 inch cube. Way to small.

I want to change all this, provide better care and keep them educated on the chameleons so they have a fighting chance.

I will say, Petco does a pretty good job! I was very pleased to see there care sheet. I thought it was very good. Could use some modifications but overall damn good.

http://www.petco.com/caresheets/lizards/Chameleon_Veiled.pdf

Now petsmart on the other hand I was not pleased to see they had nothing online and I am not sure what they have.

Today after work I will be stepping in the local Petsmart and drilling there person. Asking about a care sheet and see what information he gives me...

I am writting a blog about this all, check it out. I will not rest until something is implemented and I can see that action is taken.

Thanks for reading, input would be great and can people who did buy there chameleon at pets mart please chime in and tell us what they told you, let us know your experiance with everything.

Thanks and looking forward to hearing from you all

 

[DanSB]

I have never even seen a Chameleon at the local Big Box pet stores (Pets-mart / Co) but Petco does do a better job in general with herp and fish care which is funny because they are the ones who have the rough looking tattooed pierced employees.

The place I go regularly is a smaller establishment that specializes in snakes but does a good job with monitors and tortoises and turtles. I have some gripes about the few Chameleons they do keep primarily the use of wood chips in with the Veileds and mixing 2 different sizes. In fact my main issues with all the care at this store is that they mix too many animals and use inappropriate substrate in many enclosures (in my opinion). I haven't said anything yet because I want to talk to the owner about it personally next time I see him in the store without helping a crowd of people.

It would be awesome to have care sheets reviewed by breeders, biologists, and experts in general to be able to distribute to pet store owners / managers.

As it stands so many yahoos go into pet stores daily with "Advice" and criticism a lot of good feed back will get ignored. If you've never worked at a pet store they attract tons of wannabe experts, show offs and general weirdos. So if you're going to be critical you will need to have more than "I swear I know what I'm talking about" for anyone to really take you seriously.

 

[reptilover]

I.bought a cham from petsmart and they told me to buy a 20 gal long that my Exo terra was more for bearded dragons..... I told him to please not help anyone and continued to purchase what I knew was right... Pitiful

 

[ChamFreak]

As it stands so many yahoos go into pet stores daily with "Advice" and criticism a lot of good feed back will get ignored. If you've never worked at a pet store they attract tons of wannabe experts, show offs and general weirdos. So if you're going to be critical you will need to have more than "I swear I know what I'm talking about" for anyone to really take you seriously.

Exactly, I plan to get this changed through corporate. I want them to basicly revamp everything and hand out the sheets atleast.. and if I have it my way I will put this site on the paper as well so it shows them to come here. I am guessing we see about 40% of care takers, I would like to see upwards of 70%

Love the input, thanks for taking the time to read and advise.

I.bought a cham from petsmart and they told me to buy a 20 gal long that my Exo terra was more for bearded dragons..... I told him to please not help anyone and continued to purchase what I knew was right... Pitiful

This is what I mean, now I know I cant change it where they train all there staff, now it sad they give the wrong information. But for minium wage, what can you expect.
However, if I can get that sheet made and have them give them to customers as they buy one, my guess is they will too read it to see what it says eventually. Hints putting this site on there that the employee's will actually come too. Well some of them

Thanks guys for your input, I am trying to get my ducks in a row so I have a platform to stand on.
I can fight corporations, I do it for a living.

 

[laurie]

I would be thrilled to help your cause, just let me know how.

Also I tossed several fits at the petco 125 miles from me until they gave up keeping any chameleons. The manager still goes to his office to hide when he see's me.

 

[mcleodschams]

im in i acctually have taught my petsores quite a bit about chams they dont practice everything but they are trying they take most advice i give

 

[jennelite]

Petsmart Caresheet

here's a copy of Petsmart's care sheet

 

[ChamFreak]

awesome guy's I would appreciate all help, I know this wont be easy. I have to put together a care sheet and such all relating to veileds. Basicly just want to tell them to print copies and hand them out. I really think if that can be accomplished its a HUGE step in the right direction.

Then correct husbandry would be next, I would love to see this as well. and honestly if we can just get the care sheet out then customers would start asking questions why the chameleons they are selling arent in the discription they gave them and they would change it.

It will take time, it wont be easy, I expect to hear no atleast 20 times before a simple yes. But I am willing to get this done.

Thanks guys for you're support, I really think we can change so much!

 

[ChamFreak]

here's a copy of Petsmart's care sheet

Well thank you. Wow, so this will be easyier than expected. Aside they will need to change it and will cost thousands.

Anyone know if they give you this when you buy a chameleon or is this just a online reference?

Love it thanks, still would like to hear more stories (we have all heard them I know) but I want to here what else to correct.

I really feel the movement will be "animal cruelty" for improper knowledge that can harm a animal

 

[reptilover]

I put stickers that say Chameleonforums.com on every cham cage in every pet store I go in.. and there not easy to get off slight vandalism but I'm willing to risk it. This site saved my impulse buy cham and im hoping it helps others alike.

Still waiting to see someone saying I saw a sticker that said chameleonforums.com lol

 

[DanSB]

Exactly, I plan to get this changed through corporate. I want them to basicly revamp everything and hand out the sheets atleast.. and if I have it my way I will put this site on the paper as well so it shows them to come here. I am guessing we see about 40% of care takers, I would like to see upwards of 70%

Love the input, thanks for taking the time to read and advise.

The reason we don't want this site on the care sheets is because the pet store would be less likely to distribute the sheets. We would be doing this for love not money. They are doing it for money (not necessarily a bad thing) and they wouldn't want to hand out literature to their customers that would allow them to find better outlets for their supplies easily.

I would put this site on a overall care package that could be distributed to stores owners / managers and give them the option to research themselves.

 

[ChamFreak]

Love the sticker idea. sure would hope the site couldnt get in trouble but love the idea of it


and yes your right, they do it for the money. I just think anyone who sells chameleons should provide proper care sheet for them. All great ideas.

keep the input coming love it!!!!

 

[jennelite]

Anyone know if they give you this when you buy a chameleon or is this just a online reference?

I grabbed that pamphlet off the rack last time I was there, I just scanned it.
I would think they hand them out with the chams

 

[HerbsForMyChameleon]

i think this is a great thing your doing. i hope it all works out. im am too an impulse buyer and when i joined this website after buying a little tiny veiled chameleon from petco and learning that i needed to pretty much buy a whole new setup. but its all good now! and hes grown n almost two years!

 

[ChamomilleCame]

I was also an impulse buyer atm. thank god I found this forum!! If not, my boy would have been terrible by now.
I bought my boy at petsmart and I don't regret getting him, I just regret that I bought him there.
This is the care that petsmart actually gives to the people that buy chams (here it's jacksons) :
A 10gal terrarium
Coconut substrate
A cricket a day dusted with d3 (wtf???????)
They never tell you to get a uvb
They tell you to put the blue heat lamp at night
They tell you to spray the cage to up the humidity 50-80% this is probably the only thing they did right
They don't tell you to soak up the leaves so it could drink
Thats pretty much the advice given when you buy the poor thing Luckily, i was a little smarter than most people and bought the one that was actually up and moving. Wasn't the prettiest, but sure looked heck of a lot healthier. He's pretty now anyway
The point is that if I haven't had obssessed looking up jacksons chameleons on google, I would have never stumbled upon this place. I seriously needed you guys and I admit it.
After a few 3 weeks (or less) of buying my chameleon, I did some searching here on the forums and I was shocked from what I read, what had to be changed.
I do really appreciate you doing this to help people, kind of like me, that don't do their research and most of the times, don't find answers to what they have wrong.
I still don't personally know what someone would do in one of those chain stores. They always think they're right. They don't take advice from anyone but themselves.
Another thing I am concerned with PS is that on the label that says the animal, price, temps, whatever. On the Jacksons chameleon, it didn't say captive bred, yet on the turtle's tag, it did say captive bred and same with the pythons. I really don't know where they are coming from!!! This is a big problem with me since if some diseased dreaded inside him, I don't know if there is a vet to trust...
Sorry if this is long. Thought I really had to share this