Where's the best place to get a Chameleon?

[Killer-Cat]

Today I need help on finding which place to get a chameleon. First I live in Columbus and I can't find any good store or really any breeder and petsmart has a very young Chameleon and that has to be last resort, the only other way to get a good breeder is through shipping and I can't afford same day shipping, so I need help on which is the best place to get a Cham in Columbus Ohio?

 

[Katacara]

How long have you been doing research before today? What is your set up? Could we see pictures?? My concern is that if you are looking for a cheaper way to get an older cham because feeding a younger cham is to much, than this might not be the right time for you to get a cham. This is not a cheap pet to keep up with!! Have you seen the average cost of keeping a cham blog?? Here are some links.

These are just some of the first things you should read, there are so many other great posts there is no way I know of them all. I have spent hours and hours on this site just reading posts, comments, blogs, and resources. Cham's are great pets if you are prepared, and willing to take the time to give them what they need. My best advice is read everything you can about costs, and care before your cham comes, and be sure you are ready for the commitment a cham requires!!
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/average-cost-of- owning-a-chameleon.522/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/feeder-nutrition-gutloading.75/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-with-young-veiled-or-panther-chameleons.325/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/hydration-the-importance-of-water.92/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/supplements.65/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/veiled-chameleon-care-sheet.395/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/veiled-chameleon-care-sheet-part-2.396/

 

[Killer-Cat]

I have done lots of reaserch on Cham and costs and care but I like to see if anything is wrong from other people's perspective and trying to get the best home for him

 

[Katacara]

Great!! I'm glad you are prepared!! A lot of people get a cham on a whim or listen to the advice of the pet store people (I did that thinking they would know what they where talking about because who would let people sell pets they didn't know how to care for... $$ hungry big pet store companies that's who, anyway sry for the rant). Is there a reason you need to get your cham today? Maybe saving for a little while to afford the shipping cost will be worth waiting. That way you can get your cham from someone with a good reputation so there will be WAY less chance of costly health problems in the future.

 

[Killer-Cat]

I was not planning on getting my Cham today I will show pic of my cage and supplies (it is not finished)

 

[Katacara]

When are you hoping to get your cham??? There are a lot of things that need improvement and/or fixing before you are ready!!

 

[Killer-Cat]

I said I was not finished maybe in a month is when I am trying to hpget the Cham I know it needs a lot of improvement

 

[Crashbandit05]

I don't want this to come off as 'rude' or 'mean' because that is not my intention. But if you can't afford the 50$ for same day shipping then maybe a chameleon isn't the best reptile for you. A lot of chameleons that are bought from pet stores already have underlining issues, which is why most of us go through a reputable breeder.
I know you said that your enclosure is still a work in progress but I think you could look at the enclosure thread(s) and get a better idea of how to properly set up (example, ditch the moss/carpet stuff on the bottom, along with the feeder/water dish.
You are off to a good start though so please don't get discouraged. I've wanted a chameleon since I was kid but waited til my late 20s before I took the plunge into chameleon keeping.

 

[Killer-Cat]

I meat not right know i have already investeded a lot of money so where in the 350-400$ so far I am still working on improvements

 

[Killer-Cat]

I don't want this to come off as 'rude' or 'mean' because that is not my intention. But if you can't afford the 50$ for same day shipping then maybe a chameleon isn't the best reptile for you. A lot of chameleons that are bought from pet stores already have underlining issues, which is why most of us go through a reputable breeder.
I know you said that your enclosure is still a work in progress but I think you could look at the enclosure thread(s) and get a better idea of how to properly set up (example, ditch the moss/carpet stuff on the bottom, along with the feeder/water dish.
You are off to a good start though so please don't get discouraged. I've wanted a chameleon since I was kid but waited til my late 20s before I took the plunge into chameleon keeping.

The dish is for greens when he needs them I just put that there for the time being

 

[Katacara]

I don't want this to come off as 'rude' or 'mean' because that is not my intention. But if you can't afford the 50$ for same day shipping then maybe a chameleon isn't the best reptile for you. A lot of chameleons that are bought from pet stores already have underlining issues, which is why most of us go through a reputable breeder.
I know you said that your enclosure is still a work in progress but I think you could look at the enclosure thread(s) and get a better idea of how to properly set up (example, ditch the moss/carpet stuff on the bottom, along with the feeder/water dish.
You are off to a good start though so please don't get discouraged. I've wanted a chameleon since I was kid but waited til my late 20s before I took the plunge into chameleon keeping.

I agree!! There is a lot that needs to be done, and quite a bit of $$ left to be spent!! I suggest doing some more reading here on the forum, and getting everything 100% ready before you start worrying about where you are going to get your cham. Take your time researching enclosures and gutloading. I am not trying to be rude or mean but I don't think your quite ready for a cham yet. We are here to help, and that is what we are trying to do. Chams are expensive, but if you take your time getting everything set before you get your cham you can spread some of that cost out over as long as it takes.

 

[Katacara]

I meat not right know i have already investeded a lot of money so where in the 350-400$ so far I am still working on improvements

FYI, I got my cham a month ago and have spent about 800-900$$ on him so far, and most of that was for things he needed. Don't get me wrong 400$ is a lot of money but $400 is not a lot of $$ in the cham hobby. I will say again chams are expensive!!!

 

[Crashbandit05]

FYI, I got my cham a month ago and have spent about 800-900$$ on him so far, and most of that was for things he needed. Don't get me wrong 400$ is a lot of money but $400 is not a lot of $$ in the cham hobby. I will say again chams are expensive!!!

I did a rough add up of everything I bought, including my panther and it's close to $1000. That doesn't include feeders though. I pieced my set up and bought things individually to help with the costs. I also researched for about a year and I'm still learning new things lol. This forum is quite amazing.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Today I need help on finding which place to get a chameleon. First I live in Columbus and I can't find any good store or really any breeder and petsmart has a very young Chameleon and that has to be last resort, the only other way to get a good breeder is through shipping and I can't afford same day shipping, so I need help on which is the best place to get a Cham in Columbus Ohio?

I have to be blunt but if you can't afford the shipping, maybe you can't afford the chameleon. Shipping is just a part of the cost of the animal and the cost of the animal is a small part of the cost of owning them.

I do not recommend you buy a chameleon from PetSmart or any of those kind of stores. Very often those animals are a health mess the day they hatched. The mother of any baby has to be properly nourished to be able to put the necessary nutrients into the egg. A malnourished mother can produce babies that hatch--that's right, hatch!--with MBD. It is very expensive to raise healthy babies and the wholesale price of baby veileds is only $8. You just cannot raise healthy babies when you wholesale them for $8.

Chameleons are a little tricky to keep and they tend to have high mortality rates in the hands of novices. Starting with a healthy baby and a knowledgeable breeder who can help you will increase your chances of success. You will not get the support you need from a PetSmart store. Not all breeders are reputable, but you should be able to find a few that are. Their animals cost more than people selling babies who have a male and a female and don't know what they are doing, but usually you pay for what you get. A dead baby panther you bought for $100 is still $100 wasted dollars.

 

[Decadancin]

I have to be blunt but if you can't afford the shipping, maybe you can't afford the chameleon. Shipping is just a part of the cost of the animal and the cost of the animal is a small part of the cost of owning them.

I do not recommend you buy a chameleon from PetSmart or any of those kind of stores. Very often those animals are a health mess the day they hatched. The mother of any baby has to be properly nourished to be able to put the necessary nutrients into the egg. A malnourished mother can produce babies that hatch--that's right, hatch!--with MBD. It is very expensive to raise healthy babies and the wholesale price of baby veileds is only $8. You just cannot raise healthy babies when you wholesale them for $8.

Chameleons are a little tricky to keep and they tend to have high mortality rates in the hands of novices. Starting with a healthy baby and a knowledgeable breeder who can help you will increase your chances of success. You will not get the support you need from a PetSmart store. Not all breeders are reputable, but you should be able to find a few that are. Their animals cost more than people selling babies who have a male and a female and don't know what they are doing, but usually you pay for what you get. A dead baby panther you bought for $100 is still $100 wasted dollars.

I agree! I will say there is nothing wrong with trying to save shipping cost by using a local breeder if one is available, but if the shipping cost is a determining factor in where you are getting a chameleon from, either from a hopefully reputable source or from a local pet store I'd at least suggest you consider having an emergency medical fund ready if vet care is needed or maybe even pet insurance (which doesn't have to break the bank) just in case you get an animal that has some issues.
Not everyone here has spent tons of money on their chameleons, but most of us did spend more than we figured . Some (guilty) went a bit overboard . I was very lucky to have had a pet store veiled that was healthy and lived a good life, but so many others have not had the same luck.

 

[Killer-Cat]

FYI, I got my cham a month ago and have spent about 800-900$$ on him so far, and most of that was for things he needed. Don't get me wrong 400$ is a lot of money but $400 is not a lot of $$ in the cham hobby. I will say again chams are expensive!!!

Thanks I am know that feeders upkeep and mantnice are very expensive

 

[jamest0o0]

Others said it first, if shipping is too much to save for, you won't be able keep up with vet costs and maintenance. Not trying to act snobby, I'm by no means rich, but I've dedicated a lot of money to this hobby instead of spending on other things(sorry gf, apples for dinner again ). Feeding alone costs a ton. I've easily spent a few thousand on my cham stuff.

Also if money is a concern I'm sorry to say you wasted some on the supplies you bought, that cricket quencher and food is useless. The wipe out and reptisafe most likely are too. Whatever is on the bottom of your cage is going to cause problems and get disgusting. With a veiled you want live plants, those cheap plastic plants can be choked on. Get some large live plants, wash them, fill the cage top to bottom with them(I like umbrella plants), zig zag a bunch of branches, get your lighting set up and your cage Will be good to go. Then you'll have to set up bins for feeders, buy organic veggies, seeds, nuts, little fruit along with some dry food.

 

[Killer-Cat]

Ok I was planning on getting live plants and redoing the cage completely after some red flags but keep in mind I raised all this money and supplies within 2 months I should be good in 1-2 months if I continue at this rate

 

[jamest0o0]

Okay thats good then, well as long as you can keep saving and reading up in the process you should be fine. I'd definitely bite the bullet on shipping a cham.

 

[Andie]

Before buying my first cham, I read all the cautions and warnings on this forum. I ignored them, bought a wild caught to save $, and lost her 1 month later. I was heartbroken. I realized I should have listened to everyone's advice.

I then did a lot more research and, after speaking to a breeder, and telling him I couldn't afford $400 for an adult Panther (which wasn't my fav breed initially), he suggested hatching eggs.

He told me all I needed to know, sold me 3 eggs, and my family and I had the awesome experience of hatching 3 babies. When they were big enough, we sold them (all females!), which gave me the $ to purchase a beautiful Panther from an excellent breeder. But! I followed his instruction to the letter!

Everything people tell you on here is very true. They are expensive animals to keep, no question. My Pixel was doing just fine on crickets and supers, till he went on his first hunger strike. Now, I have to order expensive silks and horns, every other week.

My 2 cents is to really research and be ready ahead of time. They are awesome creatures that need extraordinary care!