the type of person I fear as a owner
- Thread starter little leaf
- Start date
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
Every once in a while people do surprise you. A few years ago I got a call from a family who had just moved to this tiny little bush town. They had a Guinea pig they needed to board somewhere for the winter. Of course, being the local critter lover, someone gave them my name.
My first thoughts about this epitome of the "disposable kids pet" were that they just wanted to dump the now-boring pig on some soft-hearted neighbor. I'd end up with another pet and never hear from them again. Boy was I wrong!
"Pickles" the pig arrived accompanied by the whole family in a spotless plastic bin with toys, a bale of extra bedding, the perfectly correct diet, and I got a grilling on Guinea pig care. Every single week the kids, parents, or both arrived to clean her bin, haul away the old bedding, give her saved treats of grass, leftover veggies and other odd things she loved, to play with her and love her. I've only met a few Guinea pigs but this one was smart, very social and opinionated, active and groomed.
This family had lived on fishing boats off and on for years. A tough hand-to-mouth life with no luxuries. Pickles had traveled with them, living on the boat too, even in some pretty rough conditions (I remember a story about her bin flying across the cabin during a storm). They never considered her disposable. She lived much longer than the typical pig too. She was a grand, grouchy old duchess who ruled their cabin for over 12 years.
These folks were an inspiration.
My first thoughts about this epitome of the "disposable kids pet" were that they just wanted to dump the now-boring pig on some soft-hearted neighbor. I'd end up with another pet and never hear from them again. Boy was I wrong!
"Pickles" the pig arrived accompanied by the whole family in a spotless plastic bin with toys, a bale of extra bedding, the perfectly correct diet, and I got a grilling on Guinea pig care. Every single week the kids, parents, or both arrived to clean her bin, haul away the old bedding, give her saved treats of grass, leftover veggies and other odd things she loved, to play with her and love her. I've only met a few Guinea pigs but this one was smart, very social and opinionated, active and groomed.
This family had lived on fishing boats off and on for years. A tough hand-to-mouth life with no luxuries. Pickles had traveled with them, living on the boat too, even in some pretty rough conditions (I remember a story about her bin flying across the cabin during a storm). They never considered her disposable. She lived much longer than the typical pig too. She was a grand, grouchy old duchess who ruled their cabin for over 12 years.
These folks were an inspiration.
little leaf
Avid Member
YES
those are my kind of ppl and so nice of you to keep her for them , I love pigs- one of my childs first pet - she was "borrowed" by the school, and the teacher loved her so much, we let her keep her no, its not you
I too love the forum for all the help everyone gives, there are some very VERY excellent keepers and even the vets ( THANKS GUYS) who do not have to even offer help, but they do ( thanks again all ) and I know they are busy ppl, but are kind enough to take the time to help when they can , and I know for a fact, had it not been for the forum, Gail would have died the week I got her( if not THE DAY) , between the forum, and many MANY vet visits, she lived over 2 mos- the first vet visit , they gave her a 10% chance to live 24 hrs - I am still sad by her loss, but got to enjoy her longer than she should have even lived thanks to all on the forum
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
The one that gets me is the classic excuse for rehoming an exotic bird or a dog:
"with new baby" or "kids in school and both parents at work"...our family just can't give her/him the time and attention she/he needs".
Almost always this is a smart breed that MUST live with the family, not left alone in a cage or yard every day. Like a puppy that has reached the "terrible twos"...it's no longer a cute floppy thing that sleeps most of the time. It is now showing their lack of any training and now has behavioral issues. The dog jumps on people, nips, rips up the house, barks, chases their toddlers, isn't dog or cat friendly, etc. The bird screams, bites, chews up the furniture, won't talk, or they don't like cleaning up the mess.
But of course they could not be talked out of getting that particular pet in the first place. OK, I'm biased...I've worked with rescued Australian cattledogs for years. One of the worst dogs for families with toddlers but they want them because they are cute or a little bit exotic, or because Mel Gibson had one in a movie.
Over the years I have taken in two dog rescues that ended badly. It took months of agonizing, behavior consults, training, and soul searching to face putting these dogs down and my heart still aches to think about them. I would never just dump them on someone else because I knew they would end up moping in a shelter for months or years or abandoned again if I didn't face that hard decision.
"with new baby" or "kids in school and both parents at work"...our family just can't give her/him the time and attention she/he needs".
Almost always this is a smart breed that MUST live with the family, not left alone in a cage or yard every day. Like a puppy that has reached the "terrible twos"...it's no longer a cute floppy thing that sleeps most of the time. It is now showing their lack of any training and now has behavioral issues. The dog jumps on people, nips, rips up the house, barks, chases their toddlers, isn't dog or cat friendly, etc. The bird screams, bites, chews up the furniture, won't talk, or they don't like cleaning up the mess.
But of course they could not be talked out of getting that particular pet in the first place. OK, I'm biased...I've worked with rescued Australian cattledogs for years. One of the worst dogs for families with toddlers but they want them because they are cute or a little bit exotic, or because Mel Gibson had one in a movie.
Over the years I have taken in two dog rescues that ended badly. It took months of agonizing, behavior consults, training, and soul searching to face putting these dogs down and my heart still aches to think about them. I would never just dump them on someone else because I knew they would end up moping in a shelter for months or years or abandoned again if I didn't face that hard decision.
little leaf
Avid Member
that has to be hard, I know- I have been there - when we moved to our new farm, we had one dog who no matter what- would NOT stay home, she never once left the yard at our old house- but once we moved , she would take off for weeks, I do not chain my dogs, and she is the only one who would run off, she would climb the fence, and off she would go- we live on a busy road, but we set way back off the road- anyway, I head tires squeal, and looked up in time to see a van w/ a mom and kids almost get rear ended by a semi truck- that was it- the first ( and only) dog I have ever chained- I love my dogs, but no dog is worth risking a life for - to make a long sad story fast, she went crazy from it- she got so frustrated and mean, if she could not bite you, she would attack her dish, or even her own legs I asked the vet to put her down - she had no quality to her life on a chain, and had gotten so mean
I told the vet I have never put down a healthy dog in my life- he told me " Cheryl, she is NOT a healthy dog- he mind is sick- " and I still feel like I somehow let her down - but you and I both know- it was the right thing in both cases - you did the right thing
little leaf
Avid Member
you guys are killing me with the dog stories... we just had to put one of our old boys down (German shepherd) a few weeks ago, he had bone cancer, and was in awful shape those last few days... its always tough, some of the hardest decisions in life...
aww, sorry for your loss - yes, its very hard to know when to decide to do that type of thing - but as hard as it is for you, you ARE doing it for love- only a selfish person would pro-long it because they dont want to " kill " their dog- you are giving them rest, peace , and dignity , and its because you did love him so much he was able to get to grow to an old boy my dobe got cancer - I lost her at 9 yrs old.I have worked in rescue and foster care my whole life- I just love the old dogs - when you are ready, I look forward to seeing pics of your new pup
I am in total agreement with the start of this post. You do not get an animal until you have researched everything about it. How to look after it and how much things like food and vets bills cost. It doesn't matter how much the animal cost in the 1st place it is your pet and you should care for it properly including taking it to the vets when it is ill. Unfortunately we lost our 1st chameleon after only having it for 4 weeks. We took him to the vet and followed every piece of advice we were given but we unfortunately lost him. I do not consider that money wasted because he is no longer with us I am just devastated that he has gone.
I also teach my daughter that animals are unable to look after themselves so they need our help (feeding and cleaning ect) and that we must do what is right by them. I have a variety of animals and they are all well looked after with my little lady's help. She loves looking at the bearded dragons in the pet shop and laughs at the little ones running around but I also remind that one day they get big. That is one thing that does annoy me. People buy animals (not just reptiles) and don't consider how big they are going to grow and have to re-home them because they don't have room any more.
I also teach my daughter that animals are unable to look after themselves so they need our help (feeding and cleaning ect) and that we must do what is right by them. I have a variety of animals and they are all well looked after with my little lady's help. She loves looking at the bearded dragons in the pet shop and laughs at the little ones running around but I also remind that one day they get big. That is one thing that does annoy me. People buy animals (not just reptiles) and don't consider how big they are going to grow and have to re-home them because they don't have room any more.
PorschaLei
New Member
The price of my pets do not matter, i will spend any amount to make sure the proper welfare of them are taken care of
moogle73
New Member
I have worked in rescue and foster care my whole life- I just love the old dogs - when you are ready, I look forward to seeing pics of your new pup
Thanks, and yeah, we are what you would call life long dog lovers (almost all German shepherds) so we had actually gotten another pup before we found out our old boy (Einstein) was sick. The new girls name is Aura, got her in Oct of last year just before Einstein started showing symptoms. She is a wonderful dog, great personality, super "sassy" lol, I have some great pics of her, as a pup and recently too as shes 9 months old already!
ChameleonsByVanGogh
Member
I love my 3 reptiles my rescue iguana iggy pop....and my two ambilobes Charlie wonka and tootsie roll. they are awesome I just took Charlie to the vet because of a eye infection that cleared right up only was like 75 total not real bad...there is a difference between owning a pet and loving a pet. mine will be fat happy and healthy till there last day and anyone who thinks differently should donate there pet to someone who will love them..no own them...just saying
ChameleonsByVanGogh
Member
i would like to add...im a butcher full time..i have a stay at home fiancé and two boys mason 3 and damian 1 i give them all the love they need as well and IM BROKE LMFAO
little leaf
Avid Member
lol - I think we all are- but our pets are happy and healthy , our wallets, not so much -
I once asked my husband for some $ for a new vine while we were out- he told me "Honey, all I have in my wallet are tears " beautiful name
edward82
New Member
thats so sad..i can tell you that i paid 250 for my ambilobe male..and if anything ever happened to him it would kill me literaly, i have grown so attached to this guy ..if anything ever happened to him omg it would kill me ..as soon as i bought him i went to a vet just to have him checked out for perasites,health etc...the vet laughed at me.because he said it was one of the healthyest hes seen in a while..anyway moral of the story is ..if you love your animal what ever type it is..if its sick you will do everything in your power to help it get better ..or well should i say normal ppl who have hearts will those who are heartless like that should never own a single pet..just saying
AgnesTheCham
New Member
I live several hours away from the nearest vet who would even consider taking in a chameleon but I would easily take that drive if I even thought it to be necessary. I think it's just awful that some people wouldn't do this. I love all my pets dearly no matter how much we pay for them. I agree, that's just awful.
moogle73
New Member
beautiful name
Thanks
I look forward to seeing pics of your new pup
Thanks, I just posted some over here if your interested
https://www.chameleonforums.com/puppy-girl-aura-111156/#post1000582
imwithyou
New Member
there is a post on here- I will not say where , but it is also on another site- I wont say that one either , or the name of the person - but the post just makes me so angry - or am I the one not thinking clearly ? basically, the post is about a cham they got for like $70 - there were here on the forum asking for help w/ this cham- then, on "another site" - they go on to say it died, and it would be foolish to have taken it to the vet because " it did not cost that much" and why take it to the vet - I am sorry, but if you are going to purchase a cham, I personally think if it needs to go to the vet - YOU TAKE IT ! this is just the type of person who will NEVER own one of my babies - I do know there is a limit at the vets too- I just had this convo/ - about taking a cham to the vet, and making the visit worth while - as far as doing the basics - or even a bit more if needed- what I spent on my little rescue Gail- OMG- she died anyway- but had I not taken her, my guilt of not doing all I could would have eaten me alive - and what I learned from her, I could never put a price on - I am not a rich person- I give up many things to care for my chams ( time, $, a life
I just want to go off on this " person" - or should I just keep my mouth shut?
Hey I'm pretty new to chams myself (learning not owning actually xD) but it does sound really devastating to find someone who would not take a sick animal to the vet when they know they should. It's ignorant and stupid, the life of a chameleon is definitely worth an expensive visit to the vet, why? Because they are beautiful creatures who don't deserve to die more than they already do :0 If my chameleon were on the verge of dying, you bet I would do everything I could about it. Spend the little money I have in my bank just to take it (still a student >_<) and you'd think that the person would take it considering how "little" it cost to buy it in the first place, this person is obviously very cheap and closed minded, thinking that a chameleon can be a short and one time commitment when it actually should be something cherished and taken care of carefully.
Don't get me wrong, there are many inexperienced cham owners, hell I've never had one so I'd say I'm totally inexperienced, but I have done my research, and am still awaiting for the time to come when I do get one. Trust me I know, I do not want to be like that guy or anyone else, I'd rather have my cham die when I tried everything over dying because I messed up and didn't try hard enough. That said, this person needs to read up more and actually CARE more about the life of a reptile...He was and is not ready to own such a complicated yet unique animal. So there you go, a rant for a rant. xD
MardiMay07
New Member
I REALLY don't make an awful lot of money, but yet I can still seem to find enough to take care of everything I have. I took Pascal to the vet AS SOON AS I woke up and noticed something was off..and it was a battle from there anyways. It makes me sick to hear some of the stories in this thread.
I did more research after that and found a wonderful vet that even sends me coupons and discounts things because I think he knows I take genuine care of my animals and also working with animals as well. They even sent me a card after Pascal passed. It doesn't take a lot of 'elbow grease' to do the research to find someone more than qualified to help you out. Some people are just lazy and think the animal will cure itself, which is unfortunate
I did more research after that and found a wonderful vet that even sends me coupons and discounts things because I think he knows I take genuine care of my animals and also working with animals as well. They even sent me a card after Pascal passed. It doesn't take a lot of 'elbow grease' to do the research to find someone more than qualified to help you out. Some people are just lazy and think the animal will cure itself, which is unfortunate
xraygirl
Established Member
I think what bothers me are the newbie like posts about breeding chameleons (when they just got a chameleon 2 months prior), and the people posting it are asking in such a way that should NOT be breeding chameleons. It looks more like experimenting! I can understand folks asking about best incubators, whatever... but if you have to ask about how long to leave a male in a cage, what it means when the female turns black, how to prepare eggs, etc.... you shouldn't be breeding..
I actually have a budget for my chameleon.... I don't make much either, I'm one of the lowest paid people at the hospital currently! But in due time that will change!
I actually have a budget for my chameleon.... I don't make much either, I'm one of the lowest paid people at the hospital currently! But in due time that will change!
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