I'm not a bad Panther owner am I?

[poker01619]

Ok here's the story, a couple days ago I replied to a classified ad. In this reply I stated that I take my Chameleon with me to the swapmeet. Some others replied to me that they thought I was crazy. They made me fell bad. I wouldn't do it if my cham was stressed over it in any way. It's an outdoor place with lots of sun, good people and my cham loves it. I let him ride on my scholder, people love when I bring him. They always say ''is that real'' One lady there even gives us free silkworms. People ask question and I give them lots of info. I always correct people on the most common misconception of chams. So am I being a bad owner? I don't think so, I get so much joy when I see little kids and adult smile when they see him. Also he really does like it he is so cool, most of my other panthers are not as wild about be around a lot of people but he is. Whats your thoughts?

 

[Rickky]

I have mine out A LOT also and they are all doin very well...They dont mind the attention...They seem to know that I am home though and are cautious about goin to other ppl...So if u are a bad owner then so am i...lol

 

[kinyonga]

A reptile swapmeet?

 

[SoCaliSon]

Welcome to the forums! This is a really great place!

I have to say that he is your chameleon so it is really up to you what you do with him. That is the bottom line. Start causing serious harm to your animal and thats another story. But I can tell that is not what you are trying to do. People do feel passionately about these animals, and many will argue that it would be an incredibly stressful situation for any cham. I personally can't think of a swapmeet that I have been to that I would feel comfortable bringing my chams along...but that is just me. It is up to you to judge the situation, and keep the best interest of your animal in mind.

 

[Kent67]

Kobey's? I wouldn't, no matter how unafraid the animal seemed.

 

[Sang]

Too much risk in the animals safety. i would not do it.

 

[wheresstimpy]

i probably would not take my chams to a swap meet, but then again, my chams would not sit on my shoulder for more than 5 seconds without climbing down my back or suicide jumping off my shoulder, if the animal has been raised this way and is used to it i really don't see any problem it, you say the animal doesnt seem stressed, and assuming you know what your talking about, and i do, then more power to you, just be careful! just out of curiosity how old is your panther and how long have you owned him?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I strongly disagree with this kind of attention getting mistreatment of an animal who would be much happier at home in his territory.
Are you doing it for the well being of the chameleon .... or to draw a crowd around yourself?
I do think you're a bad owner.

-Brad

 

[sandrachameleon]

he really does like it

Im curious to know what signals you are interpretting to mean that he is happy and liking the crowds, attention etc?

Its clear that you enjoy the attention, and are trying to do a good service by telling people about chameleons, but I wonder if you arent setting a bad example? Even if yours is okay with being in that setting, MOST chameleons would certainly not be. But because of what you are doing, People may see yours and think "what a kewl pet I could play with and take to work/school/swapmeets" and while chams are definatlely cool, that kind of exposure would certainly be bad for most chams. You already know this, or you wouldnt be asking the "am i bad" question, right?

 

[chris]

all of our panthers have different personalities. they seem to usually be a lot more relaxed than other chams like the veil. some like being handled, some dont, some do well around people and others dont. usually the one being kept as pets and are adults and that get handled frequently do fine around people. a couple of our older males enjoy getting out of their cages dont care about getting handled by people and eat right out of your hand. if you're comfortable bringing your animal and he doesnt freak out and get stressed.. why not

 

[panthercham]

I have 4 chams and have had them since they were young. They all have different personalities and characters but utmost they are the most laid back, friendly, full of personality chams I ever have had the pleasure of looking after. I have 1 that loves sitting on my shoulder and just being in the garden but would I take him or any of them to a swap meet full of people 'oohing and ahhing' over him? No!! Ultimately they are a wild creature and their instincts are that of a wild creature and my first priority is their well being.

Their idea of a fun filled day is out in the sun on a hibiscus catching the occassional bug that happens to fly by.

I dont think its the cham that likes the attention. I think its you and I agree with Brad...you are a bad owner and the sooner you start treating your chameleon with the respect he deserves the better. Has it occurred to you that even though he may not look stressed that he is?

You know you are a bad chameleon owner you are just looking for justification that you are not. Listen to the experienced keepers they are all telling you the same thing. Sorry if you think this is harsh but you have come to a place where people love their chams and their number 1 priority is their health, happiness and well being.

 

[Sporkthedork]

I don't think you're a bad owner, but I have to wonder whether or not it's in the best interest of the chameleon. I'm glad it's just one of your chameleon and not your entire collection. I actually understand where both sides our coming from though. I can see where most members of this forum have a big problem with it. Panther chameleons by nature are solitary and prefer an environment that they're used to and familiar with. A swapmeet (well at least in my opinion), can get very crowded and the rush of big scary foreign monsters (people) coming close and hovering over the chameleon would be scary too. However, I have read in some travel guides to Madagascar that often tourists often let chameleons ride on their shoulders throughout their travels. There's even pictures of that. I guess I'm some sort of more tolerant of your chameleon-swapmeet escapade because I've had a similar experience with this biker dude and his dog. When I go to the post office or just driving around the valley, I see this biker dude with a top hat and his big fluffy white dog riding on his motorcycle. Yes, he has a large fluffy dog sitting between him and the handle bars of his motorcycle while on the road. I always thought it was dangerous for him to do that and that it was very careless of him. He's been doing it for more than a decade, and to clarify, doing something for a long period of time doesn't make an action right or justifiable. I just think he might have a unique dog. The dog doesn't look abused or anything, it's actually very calm and happy. Friendly with children and adults and acts like a normal dog when his off the motorcycle. So I can see where you're kind of coming from. By the way, deep inside I wish my cham would ride on my shoulder around the house. I wouldn't take him outside, cause my friend/neighbor once saw a hawk/bird swoop down into her back yard and pick up a squirrel. Don't want my Link and Zelda to be bird food.

 

[foxymiche]

i dont feel experienced enough to comment really but would like to say i think the comments have been a little harsh - surely theres a better way of directing/educating people than telling them they are bad owners?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

i dont feel experienced enough to comment really but would like to say i think the comments have been a little harsh - surely theres a better way of directing/educating people than telling them they are bad owners?

I was answering the question "I 'm not a bad panther owner am I?"
In my opinion, the answer is yes.

-Brad

 

[Kosmo]

I was answering the question "I 'm not a bad panther owner am I?"
In my opinion, the answer is yes.

-Brad

Ouch Brad.

I'll agree with the majority and say that it's not the best idea to be brining your animal out in a social setting. However, i wouldn't go so far as to call you a bad owner. As anyone here will attest to the important step in owning a cham is to research and know what you’re getting into. However, something that i find is all to often missed is to have an open mind and be ready to learn from your mistakes.

If you are willing to ask the hard questions and then build on your knowledge, learn from mistakes and put a genuine effort into the well being of your animal, then no, you are not a bad owner.

Take what people tell you and build on it, I have every faith in your ability to make the right choices and take care of that panther!

Take care, and no more swapmeets...

Kosmo


P.s. I just feel i need to add, they might be harsh answers, however you asked the question

 

[Chameleons Canada]

Are you a bad Owner?

A lot of Herp keepers take their animals out to get attention for themselves, to show off and have 15 mins of "look at me... I'm cool" I hope this is not your case.

Your cham will benefit from being oustide on natural sunlight of course, and if this is your true intention, you can also achieve this by just safely putting him out your backyard, for example.

Just use your own commom sense and do what you feel is right for him. At the end, it's your cham.

My 2¢

 

[barjess]

Ownership

Funny how we get this ownership sense about our animals. I used to take my panther out and he enjoyed it. I did not like the sense of I own it. I looked at it as, the chameleon ended up in that situation and I did my best to ensure the best setting possible. I believe it is important to do what is best for the chameleon that is what matters.

 

[Shaner]

Take what people tell you and build on it, I have every faith in your ability to make the right choices and take care of that panther!

Take care, and no more swapmeets...

Kosmo


P.s. I just feel i need to add, they might be harsh answers, however you asked the question

I will have to agree with Kosmo here and say, I agree that you do have the ability to take care of the Panther you have. However, chams are high stress animals and stress out very very easily, it may seem your panther is enjoying the company of others but I can guarantee that it is getting stressed out. The more stress, the less time you have with your panther. Stress is a major factor in the shortening of the lifespan of a chameleon. You have to take this into account as well.

Like Kosmo said...no more swapmeets, and outdoors in the backyard or outside your house only. Other than that keep up the good care you have given him.

 

[BocaJan]

I think that you put your buddy in harms way when you take him to something as crowded as a swap meet. No matter what you think you are stressing him. Be a good friend to your cham and keep him in an environment that his genes are atuned to. They really don't get bored sitting on their favorite branch looking out as we might be. My 4 sit all day (perhaps moving from branch to branch) looking out the window. Happy? They are stress free and I hope they will live long and happy lives.

 

[reyesjoshuacruz]

how does anyone know if their chameleon is being stressed out or not?

how much stress is too much? ( not all stress is bad so dont go there )

If anyone can answer these questions then you can answer your question.



IE: RE how to tell if stressed. A healthy well fed cham if stressed enough it wont eat from your hand even though it does normally under non stressed conditions.

at some level of stress it will not feel comfortable enough to eat from your hand.

at some point during your outings you will be stressing it out, but how much is the question, and is that too much.


chances are besides your cham, you're the only one that has any real idea.

dont forget its hard for people that have only had 2-3 chameleons (esp if they are aggressive veileds, or just agr chams period ) to imagine this being anything but stressful to the cham.