Literarily, horrified.
- Thread starter UrbanChameleon
- Start date
AlecWade
New Member
If anyone needs someone to take care of their chams in the Chicagoland area. I'm available
I second that Zubi. Might have to hold you up to it sometime too!
Natalie I'm so sorry about your experience. Getting home from vacation to see your animals after any ammount of time can be stressful but this would be disturbing to say the least. It almost sounds as if your pet sitters went on a vacation of their own. Kinda suspected that even before I read Carols horror story. Glad your animals are ok.
mbondy
New Member
And this is why I worry about leaving town! My sister has her wedding in September and I'm just contemplating doing a day trip. I have 5 geckos, which are so easy to take care of but I also have a cat. One mistake, leaving a door open or a cage, can easily become a death sentence.
UrbanChameleon
New Member
Actually Carol, it was 6 days. But that's okay. I've been watching the reptiles and they seem to be okay. Loki and I both need to get back on our normal schedule.
He did look like he was gagging earlier when he hadn't ate anything. Which worries me because all of those live/dead crickets in the cup were just piled on each other. I don't think he ate from it, but if he did go to get one, he probably ended up getting three. But he hasn't gagged since, so I think he's alright.
My relationship with this person is very different from most friendships. I won't bore anyone by going into it. She is a good friend, but she is very selfish and inconsiderate at times. I have learned to accept this about her because we get along fabulously and have the same sense of humor. Because of her selfishness I don't depend on her. But this one time I really needed her to come through and she assured me she would. I still haven't spoken to her, and I'm not sure what I'm going to say (if anything at all). I will let you guys know the outcome. I want to make sure I won't say anything I will regret, so I'm giving myself some time to settle down.
The story about the neighborhood kids watching your animals was very sweet. It made me smile. I think it really depends on the person. Young or old, it doesn't matter. As long as the person is responsible, reliable, mature, and trustworthy, I would do it. The lesson to come out of this is, GO WITH YOUR GUT. For all of you about to take a trip, if something doesn't feel right, don't do it. And unless you want to possibly lose a good friend or family member, don't give them the responsibility.
I don't want to blabber on anymore, but I should have asked my other friend to do it. He was too scared that he would screw one thing up, and Loki would die. He doesn't have much experience with Chameleons, but we talk about them for hours. He has a true passion for them, but has yet to own one (due to being busy with salt water tanks). I know he would have done everything I asked, called me everyday, and would have cared for Loki to the best of his ability. That is my plan from now on. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to follow easy instructions (ie dust crickets lightly, throw them in the cage, dump drainage, watch for health problems, pick up poop). A sitter needs to make sure a Cham stays on their normal schedule. I'm not saying that a sitter should give the bare minimum, but they just need to make sure our Chams are comfortable and healthy while we are gone. They are not the easiest animals, but they will be fine for a week without the extra attention we give them. Give them the essentials and the owners can take it from there when we get back. You know?
He did look like he was gagging earlier when he hadn't ate anything. Which worries me because all of those live/dead crickets in the cup were just piled on each other. I don't think he ate from it, but if he did go to get one, he probably ended up getting three. But he hasn't gagged since, so I think he's alright.
My relationship with this person is very different from most friendships. I won't bore anyone by going into it. She is a good friend, but she is very selfish and inconsiderate at times. I have learned to accept this about her because we get along fabulously and have the same sense of humor. Because of her selfishness I don't depend on her. But this one time I really needed her to come through and she assured me she would. I still haven't spoken to her, and I'm not sure what I'm going to say (if anything at all). I will let you guys know the outcome. I want to make sure I won't say anything I will regret, so I'm giving myself some time to settle down.
The story about the neighborhood kids watching your animals was very sweet. It made me smile.
I think it really depends on the person. Young or old, it doesn't matter. As long as the person is responsible, reliable, mature, and trustworthy, I would do it. The lesson to come out of this is, GO WITH YOUR GUT. For all of you about to take a trip, if something doesn't feel right, don't do it. And unless you want to possibly lose a good friend or family member, don't give them the responsibility. I don't want to blabber on anymore, but I should have asked my other friend to do it. He was too scared that he would screw one thing up, and Loki would die. He doesn't have much experience with Chameleons, but we talk about them for hours. He has a true passion for them, but has yet to own one (due to being busy with salt water tanks). I know he would have done everything I asked, called me everyday, and would have cared for Loki to the best of his ability. That is my plan from now on. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to follow easy instructions (ie dust crickets lightly, throw them in the cage, dump drainage, watch for health problems, pick up poop). A sitter needs to make sure a Cham stays on their normal schedule. I'm not saying that a sitter should give the bare minimum, but they just need to make sure our Chams are comfortable and healthy while we are gone. They are not the easiest animals, but they will be fine for a week without the extra attention we give them. Give them the essentials and the owners can take it from there when we get back. You know?
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Sorry to hear that happen, but happy the animals seemed to have survived alright.
All you can do is tell your friend that it seemed things didnt go well, and that you are dissappointed. Give an opportunity to have them appoligize and consider forgiving them (but dont forget, and dont rely on her again)
All you can do is tell your friend that it seemed things didnt go well, and that you are dissappointed. Give an opportunity to have them appoligize and consider forgiving them (but dont forget, and dont rely on her again)
CaptainMorgantown
New Member
This was before I had a cham, but I went away for about five days and asked my roommate to water my frogs for me and turn their lights on and off. That's it. She didn't have to feed them or anything like that. I came back home and the water bowl was bone dry along with the moss in the cage. Not only did she not give them water, but she never turned their lights off as well. I was so furious that I almost moved out. We got into a huge fight, and she didn't understand why I was so mad. Sometimes, people just suck. The next time I had to go away, I got my good friend that works at Petco to look after them. Not only did she take care of their basic needs, but she also healed one of my frogs that had an infected hand.
I'm sorry you came home to this situation, as I'm sure it put a major damper on your trip! I always treat others pets when I care for them like they are my own ( granted some ppl don't do very well for their own) and am shocked when ppl just can't be bothered. Honestly I tend to agree with Texas Panther Man... Hope it works out however you want it to and let us know
oldskoolmodder
New Member
I'd like to weigh in here as a "snake person". I have kept pythons and still do. I have a quite a few snakes, a few dogs, some leopard geckos, and ONE chameleon.
I'll say this, the chameleon takes a LOT more little work. I don't have a problem doing it but the extra time matters. I was pretty okay with the misting because I keep green tree pythons so spraying to drink I understood, multiple times a day.
But look at the difference, on just food alone. My chameleon is still young so I'm feeding him 2 meals a day (I find him gnawing on branches if I give him all the food at once). That's handling a bunch of little squirmy bugs, crickets more then worms, instead of laying a frozen thawed mouse on tongs. Not only that but that means your feeding the one chameleon 14 times a week, you feed snakes 1 time a week.
Chameleons are also funny in the sense that my guy goes to the same branch around 10 A.M. to poop. EVERYDAY he goes and poops, snakes poop usually once a week maybe two. The spot cleaning is a lot easier.
I love ALL my animals, and keep only reptiles I'm truly interested in. I know if I take a life into my hands I have to take care of him or her as well as I would myself. The little cham can't spray himself, I can go to the kitchen for water right now if I wanted. It all depends on the person, I'm watching my friends small reptile family as we speak. Fed and watered on time, and keep the poop out of the house. I wouldn't want poop all over my giant dining room NO SIR.
I'll say this, the chameleon takes a LOT more little work. I don't have a problem doing it but the extra time matters. I was pretty okay with the misting because I keep green tree pythons so spraying to drink I understood, multiple times a day.
But look at the difference, on just food alone. My chameleon is still young so I'm feeding him 2 meals a day (I find him gnawing on branches if I give him all the food at once). That's handling a bunch of little squirmy bugs, crickets more then worms, instead of laying a frozen thawed mouse on tongs. Not only that but that means your feeding the one chameleon 14 times a week, you feed snakes 1 time a week.
Chameleons are also funny in the sense that my guy goes to the same branch around 10 A.M. to poop. EVERYDAY he goes and poops, snakes poop usually once a week maybe two. The spot cleaning is a lot easier.
I love ALL my animals, and keep only reptiles I'm truly interested in. I know if I take a life into my hands I have to take care of him or her as well as I would myself. The little cham can't spray himself, I can go to the kitchen for water right now if I wanted. It all depends on the person, I'm watching my friends small reptile family as we speak. Fed and watered on time, and keep the poop out of the house. I wouldn't want poop all over my giant dining room NO SIR.
ataraxia
Avid Member
So, what are the "problem" health signs your animals are showing as of now? Have any pictures of the animals. This would be great for us to see what you see. You havent described anything to offer help on :/
Kate
Avid Member
I think you are quite right to give yourself tine to "calm down" there is nothing to be gained in wading in before you think about the consequences of your actions. Take your time before you speak to your friend and go with your gut feeling. It is really good that you are voicing your anger for us to listen and help you. It is very disappointing what has happened and it could have ended in disaster but thankfully it didn't. Enjoy giving your little ones the TLC they deserve.
KarmaChameleon1337
Avid Member
Personally IMHO I believe they deserve a backslap across the face, but that's just me.
pssh
Avid Member
I've found that some of the best people to care for my animals while on vacation are the ones who seem scared that they might not do it right. That's just my experience, but they seem to take extra care to do EVERYTHING on the list to make sure they don't kill it. One of my friends was terrified she would kill my chameleon (back when I only had one) so she ended up misting him extra and giving him extra food. I'm sure he loved it.
I'm sorry that happened to you. I had a babysitting mishap where one of my chameleons ended up dying and another died a few weeks later after the whole thing. It was a very sad time. Just be happy that he seems to be doing much better.
I'm sorry that happened to you. I had a babysitting mishap where one of my chameleons ended up dying and another died a few weeks later after the whole thing. It was a very sad time. Just be happy that he seems to be doing much better.
burnedrose
New Member
I agree. The past two years, I've had my next door neighbor's daughter watch my cham. She is extremely particular - even more so than me - about cleanliness of a cage! She actually took out the fake plants and hand washed each leaf this past winter. I usually just throw them in the shower and put the shower head on "massage."
Unfortunately they moved away, so I am paying my friend's son $40 to watch my cham while I go on vacation. he really wants to own one, so he now has to "prove" that he can take care of a cham for a week before his mom will buy him one. So he is especially eager to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Sorry you had to deal with so much BS, OP. I've had people ignore my pets before when I paid them to watch my pets. My cat has to stay locked in my room and one year, she was completely ignored and managed to survive the week. I came home and she was parched, starving and very weak. Worst part is that she is a therapy cat for my anxiety and I had to deal with anxiety over my cat, who was trying desperately to make me feel better, even while she was feeling like crap. So i feel your pain. Just take extra super good care of your pets and next time, look for someone who will be more than willing to prove themselves to you. Or, better yet, don't pay them until you have returned and have your pets looking healthy.
shaunaroxanne
Avid Member
I think this may be all about perspective. We forget how long it took us to understand what truly complex animals chameleons are. You can't expect someone without chameleons to really understand that. Yes, we may write down complex instructions, but these people have no personal connection to the animal, so it's not constantly at the forefront of their minds as it is with us. I'm sure she thinks she did a good job, and she may even think you are being ungrateful for not calling and thanking her- again, it's all about perspective. I wouldn't let it ruin your friendship, as good friends are very hard to come by. And really, is it honestly fair of us to expect someone with no experience to care for our chameleons as we do?
As was mentioned, a responsible 10-year-old would probably do the best job possible as kids at that age feel so proud that you would even think so highly of them to ask. I teach 9 and 10-year olds, and they live for those kinds of opportunities, and honestly, you can change their lives by simply believing in them Forgive your friend, that is what life is about.
As was mentioned, a responsible 10-year-old would probably do the best job possible as kids at that age feel so proud that you would even think so highly of them to ask. I teach 9 and 10-year olds, and they live for those kinds of opportunities, and honestly, you can change their lives by simply believing in them
Forgive your friend, that is what life is about.
ataraxia
Avid Member
exactly.....
Kerrek
Member
I know how you feel and it is awful. I had my friend watch my animals when my wife and I took a long weekend to NYC last December. On our last day there I called and asked him how it was going and he goes "everything is going great well I did find a leopard gecko tail on the bathroom floor but other than that its all good". I'm like WTF are you talking about you found a tail on the floor that's not good. His first response was ITS NOT MY FAULT I'm like then who's fault is it the gecko didn't open its cage on its own. So we spent our last day in NYC completely paranoid thinking the gecko was getting tormented and eaten by our cats. I probably could have killed him if he had been there when I got home. When we got home we immediately started tearing the house apart looking for the gecko. Luckily after she dropped her tail she ran back into the gecko room and was hiding in the gecko rack behind another gecko's tub. The worst part is we were gone for 3 days so the rack she was in was our adult rack that my wife specifically told him not to touch. They would have been ok with what we fed them for 3 days without him touching them. He took it upon himself to mess with them anyway. We also had another gecko missing that we found in the wrong bin with another gecko, but he denied touching it. I asked him so what you are saying is the baby gecko opened its cage then closed it crawled up the rack opened another cage crawled in and closed that cage? It kind of sucks in that I lost one of my best friends and one of my animals got maimed. Its hard to find a good reptile sitter. Hope your critters recover well my gecko grew her tail back and is doing well but it still makes me sick its the only gecko we have that has a regrown tail and everytime I see her I feel like crap because it happened to her so I could go on vacation.
