just a rant!!

[PoshPenny]

I used to be anti-pet stores, anti-zoos and even a vegetarian. I've mellowed and relaxed. I understand the urge behind pet shop purchases and I think its a human desire to fix something or help. Maybe people get in over their heads but so did the pet store probably.



I've been lurking for a long, long time. I've read happy stories, sad stories, and have been grateful for the wealth of information I have received just by reading.



Perhaps I was too harsh.

I'm happy you shared and decided to post. I think I read almost every post on Veiled's when I was lurking, and some of the stories I thought. " god I hope that doesn't happen to my Cham!", but so far iv had one swallow her tongue (a huge wtf moment) and a WC pass away, which broke my heart, a rescue with an infected foot and mouth rot ( he was given to me in this condition) iv spent around 2500 in food, vet bills, bugs and enclosures in the last 6 months, and my god I'm still here perusing the classifieds!!!!


Aaaaaannnnnd I just bought a beardie!!!

Some would say I'm obsessed, but honestly there is nothing more rewarding than taking care of these little guys and loving them in the condition they come to us in. Which in my case is usually half dead. But I love them all. Even Hoggle the mean WC who hated my guts. I cared for him deeply, but love and good intentions can't cure everything. But it's a start. And it's what brought most of here in the first place--good intentions.

 

[Carlton]

didn't read up as much as i should have, But thats what i thought this forum was for ?

In an ideal world new cham owners would find this forum during their initial research before they bought anything or got any bad advice from a shop. The next best thing is finding this forum before anything bad happens to the cham they just bought. We've probably all bought something on impulse, or talked ourselves into what we think is a true rescue...it happens. What we do afterwards to make sure we know what we're doing makes the difference.

 

[Carlton]

I guess this is a horrible first post, but I was really disappointed by this thread.

I'm now a little down on the topic. Maybe I read the posts here wrong, and I hope so, but I am now less likely to ask for help than before.

I joined the discussion late and am not quite sure I understand why you were disappointed by this thread. What did I miss? Your feelings about these topics are not that far off from other members' thoughts. Speaking for myself, I definitely go through cycles of contempt for shops, the trade, importing, breeding for pets, ignorance and arrogance, especially when a particularly bad story comes up on the forum. Then the pendulum swings back and I seem to get centered again.

I am not sure I understand why you feel less likely to ask for help. That's too bad and I'd love to fix it. We want good thinkers here! I don't think we all view cham care in lockstep outside some really basic truths. Sure, because we are passionate we sometimes react a little too much, but I'd rather see that than apathy and no posts for weeks at a time. Its why this forum survives and doesn't crash down into drivel like so many other web forums. Those of us who've been here a while have learned patience, tolerance, civility gets us farther along in helping chams than rigid, childish, disrespectful or careless knee jerk reactions to everything. You are certainly entitled to have your opinions about particular posts, but as long as we treat each other with respect and think before typing a response the forum works.

 

[Carlton]

But I love them all. Even Hoggle the mean WC who hated my guts. I cared for him deeply, but love and good intentions can't cure everything.

I wonder how often we hear that we love our little meanies. Maybe because we can't give up on them, that the more we have to work to bring them around (even very reluctant little victories) end up meaning more, or because that which is unobtainable (acceptance by a nasty cham) is the thing most desired.

One of my favorite chams was a surly little male deremensis. Back when they were all imports, pretty new to the hobby, so we treated them with kid gloves. He was a moody sulky sod who would sit on your hand or shoulder completely calmly for a while and the next moment flash into spots, roar in your ear, either take a chunk out of you or leap off you to hit the floor with a splat in front of a vet or a visitor (his way of guilt tripping you).

 

[PoshPenny]

Carlton your post made me laugh out loud and wake up my husband!!! Hoggle was so determined to keep to himself, to the bitter end. Impactation from an umbrella leaf was what they believe killed him. But no one could really say much. Except stress was a factor too.

I did want his approval, but really wanted him to live. I was so afraid to tell the forums he died. Afraid I'd be judged for failing, but everyone was really supportive. Now I got this new guy, who looks just like hogs, except rougher. He is on day 3 of baytril for his mouth rot and his infected toe. He is a moody turd on it, but I know he just feels like poo.

 

[nj011908]

i just wish that more people done more research before they take an animal into there care.

tiyahlove & olimpia.it must have been so hard going through that.i just couldnt have.

i never knew what reaction i would get from my post and i was worried because this is a fantastic site and i appreciate every person on it,but im glad that there are people who agree with what i have said.

i agree i have put at least a month of reading and studying and overwhelming my self nervous that i still had not enough info before i brought my son (cham) home. you cant just jump into the deep end with this reptile head first without research, because if you do, I guarantee that the pool will be empty!

 

[xcrystalx]

i have never belittled or criticised anyone who needs help,by doing this is will not help anyone and most importantly the chameleon,also im not like that,but if you are told all the info you need to help your chameleon and you ignore it then shame on you.

theres people who need to brush up on a little of there info, hell i dont know everything, who does?? lifes about learning.but ive had people who didnt even know they needed to measure temps in the viv.they were running a 100w spot bulb in a 2ft tall viv with out a single thermometer for a month.who knows what dangerous temps that was putting out.i did nothing but give all the help i could and ive never heard from them again. im mainly talking about the info that could kill an animal.
i know this will happen no matter what we do,but some of us do get effected by it.i can never change who i am.

like i said this post was not to offend anyone.im not like that.
sometimes we all need to let off a little steam.
yes this forum is here to help the people who need it and im so glad it is and happy about the people who listen and take the advise there given

 

[Cooper]

I completely understand your frustration, Crystal. But there's so much misinformation and differing opinions out there that even if you have done a lot of research, you're bound to still have questions. Getting those questions answered by experienced keepers on a forum like this is a great way to learn.
When I first got into reptiles I bought a book, asked the guy at the pet store some advice and then got 2 bearded dragons.
Back then I had no idea that they shouldn't be housed together, sand could cause impaction, analog temp and humidity gauges are inaccurate and that pet store employees generally know nothing/just don't care about the animals they're selling. I ended up having to buy two entirely new set-ups as pretty much everything I had was wrong!! And I thought I had done my research. It was only when I found a forum and talked to other owners that I realized that what I was doing was wrong. I had no idea that I wasn't taking care of them the right way. I think there's a lot of well-intentioned people who want to take great care of their pets, but they just don't question the information that they're given. Why would they?
Everyone has to start somewhere. Unfortunately, they don't teach you reptile husbandry in school. Although sometimes I think in order to own any animal you should be forced to take a basic care course in that particular animal..it'll never happen of course.