My PetSmart Journey
- Thread starter Syn
- Start date
summoner12
Avid Member
Elisa
chamELISA, your first buddy is pretty neat. I must say panther chameleons do have nice feeling skin (even though your little guy isn't the same thing as a Furcifer pardalis). I love when I need to take Steve out of his cage for cleaning or weighing, I love feeling his soft skin as he walks around my hands.
About this big...
Really long tail, velvety skin... my favorite species ever. If PetSmart didn't have him, and if he didn't scratch at that little glass door and make me buy him... who knows?
chamELISA, your first buddy is pretty neat. I must say panther chameleons do have nice feeling skin (even though your little guy isn't the same thing as a Furcifer pardalis). I love when I need to take Steve out of his cage for cleaning or weighing, I love feeling his soft skin as he walks around my hands.
Last edited:
summoner12
Avid Member
Syn
Avid Member
Man I was really hoping....I don't think he looks like that now......
Lyneeso
New Member
a few thoughts.
Years ago, I used to be the manager of a pet-store here in Boise Idaho called ZamZows. I frequently go into their pet-rooms and check-up on the current "specialist's" husbandry skills. They have several stores, but, there is only one that I know of that is ordering chams, (veileds). All the other stores have told me that chams are too "easy-to-kill"! So, I visited this particular store the other day. I found four juvy veileds stuffed into one little 15 gallon aquarium. peat moss substrate. one red-night-heat bulb (&too close). fake plants. little artificial rock water dish (not even an aerator stone). The chams were FREAKIN OUT! They were flashing their brightest colorations & lunging at the glass, rubbing their faces the whole time I was in there, which was probably about 45 min! In the past, when I've seen ignorance like this, I've just gotten enraged and stormed out. I decided to "inform" the keeper of the issues and surprisingly he had a very thankful attitude. He shook my hand. Then verbally thanked me for the "advice" as he put it, and said he would do 'whatever he could to fix it right away.' I haven't gone back in yet, but from his reaction and carefull attention to my instructions, I have no doubt that he has "fixed" it. I'll go in tomorrow for some crickets. I will re-post tomorrow eve and let ya'll know. I think that If at least those of us who do understand the needs of these amazing creatures decide to make it a point to INFORM, INFORM, INFORM, then what bad can it do? Even If they are treated poorly at pet-stores, by informing the keepers, they can at least be held responsible by their own concience, and hopefully pass on the CORRECT info to potential buyers!
I'm not sayin that it's our "responsibility" to go around from store to store and "give em' a piece of our minds" I LOVE CHAMS ALOT and I believe that it's the attitude that says "Stupid people! They should know and love chameleons like I do" that really inhibits the spread of proper chameleon husbandry knowledge.
Oh Syn, Great job on the new site!
Years ago, I used to be the manager of a pet-store here in Boise Idaho called ZamZows. I frequently go into their pet-rooms and check-up on the current "specialist's" husbandry skills. They have several stores, but, there is only one that I know of that is ordering chams, (veileds). All the other stores have told me that chams are too "easy-to-kill"! So, I visited this particular store the other day. I found four juvy veileds stuffed into one little 15 gallon aquarium. peat moss substrate. one red-night-heat bulb (&too close). fake plants. little artificial rock water dish (not even an aerator stone). The chams were FREAKIN OUT! They were flashing their brightest colorations & lunging at the glass, rubbing their faces the whole time I was in there, which was probably about 45 min! In the past, when I've seen ignorance like this, I've just gotten enraged and stormed out. I decided to "inform" the keeper of the issues and surprisingly he had a very thankful attitude. He shook my hand. Then verbally thanked me for the "advice" as he put it, and said he would do 'whatever he could to fix it right away.' I haven't gone back in yet, but from his reaction and carefull attention to my instructions, I have no doubt that he has "fixed" it. I'll go in tomorrow for some crickets. I will re-post tomorrow eve and let ya'll know. I think that If at least those of us who do understand the needs of these amazing creatures decide to make it a point to INFORM, INFORM, INFORM, then what bad can it do? Even If they are treated poorly at pet-stores, by informing the keepers, they can at least be held responsible by their own concience, and hopefully pass on the CORRECT info to potential buyers!
I'm not sayin that it's our "responsibility" to go around from store to store and "give em' a piece of our minds" I LOVE CHAMS ALOT and I believe that it's the attitude that says "Stupid people! They should know and love chameleons like I do" that really inhibits the spread of proper chameleon husbandry knowledge.
Oh Syn, Great job on the new site!
summoner12
Avid Member
Years ago, I used to be the manager of a pet-store here in Boise Idaho called ZamZows. I frequently go into their pet-rooms and check-up on the current "specialist's" husbandry skills. They have several stores, but, there is only one that I know of that is ordering chams, (veileds). All the other stores have told me that chams are too "easy-to-kill"! So, I visited this particular store the other day. I found four juvy veileds stuffed into one little 15 gallon aquarium. peat moss substrate. one red-night-heat bulb (&too close). fake plants. little artificial rock water dish (not even an aerator stone). The chams were FREAKIN OUT! They were flashing their brightest colorations & lunging at the glass, rubbing their faces the whole time I was in there, which was probably about 45 min! In the past, when I've seen ignorance like this, I've just gotten enraged and stormed out. I decided to "inform" the keeper of the issues and surprisingly he had a very thankful attitude. He shook my hand. Then verbally thanked me for the "advice" as he put it, and said he would do 'whatever he could to fix it right away.' I haven't gone back in yet, but from his reaction and carefull attention to my instructions, I have no doubt that he has "fixed" it. I'll go in tomorrow for some crickets. I will re-post tomorrow eve and let ya'll know. I think that If at least those of us who do understand the needs of these amazing creatures decide to make it a point to INFORM, INFORM, INFORM, then what bad can it do? Even If they are treated poorly at pet-stores, by informing the keepers, they can at least be held responsible by their own concience, and hopefully pass on the CORRECT info to potential buyers!
I'm not sayin that it's our "responsibility" to go around from store to store and "give em' a piece of our minds" I LOVE CHAMS ALOT and I believe that it's the attitude that says "Stupid people! They should know and love chameleons like I do" that really inhibits the spread of proper chameleon husbandry knowledge.
I am curious to hear if he did anything you suggested. I hope he did!
Syn
Avid Member
Thank you Lyneeso.
If that guy really did listen I'd be surprised. I knew a guy that I talked to about chameleons who was ecstatic about me teaching him not to use a glass cage, etc, but the next time I saw him he said his chameleon had died because he decided not to listen to me about the UVB lights and stuff... and he was pretty upset.
He told me about a week after talking to me the chameleon stopped using his legs, said they were rounded! Eventually it didn't move at all so it basically starved to death. :\
If that guy really did listen I'd be surprised. I knew a guy that I talked to about chameleons who was ecstatic about me teaching him not to use a glass cage, etc, but the next time I saw him he said his chameleon had died because he decided not to listen to me about the UVB lights and stuff... and he was pretty upset.
He told me about a week after talking to me the chameleon stopped using his legs, said they were rounded! Eventually it didn't move at all so it basically starved to death. :\
B
blackbetty
Guest
Thank you Lyneeso.
If that guy really did listen I'd be surprised. I knew a guy that I talked to about chameleons who was ecstatic about me teaching him not to use a glass cage, etc, but the next time I saw him he said his chameleon had died because he decided not to listen to me about the UVB lights and stuff... and he was pretty upset.
He told me about a week after talking to me the chameleon stopped using his legs, said they were rounded! Eventually it didn't move at all so it basically starved to death. :\
I had that issue and had to put Betty in the freezer. Got a lot of grief on here but it was better than her starving to death.. That would have been tragic and very very irresponsible and cruel of me to let it happen.
summoner12
Avid Member
Syn
Avid Member
I've heard of pet stores doing it. How do you know it's inhumane? I know with lobsters (even thought I know lobsters are nothing like chams) are stuck in the freezer to make them sleep before boiling them. :\
But yeah. Better to go to the vet and have them euthanized. (spelling?)
man I am hoping I won't have to deal with any dead chams for a long time...
But yeah. Better to go to the vet and have them euthanized. (spelling?)
man I am hoping I won't have to deal with any dead chams for a long time...
chambabysitter1
New Member
I would totally have to agree here. I am glad I explored every single one of my options before taking Maggie to a random vet to be put down. Kayleigh and I knew if we did enough digging on the internet we would find something, and we sure enough did.
Syn
Avid Member
I meant the freezing part, deaths, etc.
Corruptedmuffin
New Member
This may sound totally crazy but you should test them. Maybe send one of your friends in there (so they don't recognize you) and have your friend ask about chameleons. Just to see if it sounded like they read your care guide. I work at petsmart and its a total crap shoot on getting people to learn about the animals there. I've brought in a few of my books from home for people to read when they're bored and I'm pretty sure 50% of the people there just looked at the pictures. I work with some people who would listen to me rant all day about reptile care and then I work with people like my manager who thinks she is never wrong and we argue a lot. I think she only keeps me around because I know so much.
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