5 geckos isn't obsessive, if I'm not breeding but one of them?

[Zynx_Keekeio]

So I getting two new leos soon, I'm uberly exciteted about this and can't wait, well I work at a pet store and they have the most adorable crested for sale, so I put him on Hold to buy with my next paycheck

Well my parents found out before I had a chance to talk to them about it, and yes they know about the two new leos,lol XD.

So they were like Haley this is going to far, there are people out their who have nothing and here you are spending ALL your money on Geckos

Not true I just saved up 3 months worth of checks to pay for one of our dogs surgery because my parents could not afford it.

Plus I was going to say once I got this crested that I ban myself from buying anymore animals for quite a while

My mom is afraid that if we move into a rent house that they won't except us with 3 10 gallon aquariums and 1, 20 gallon. So I started to tell her about the rack system
to her that is just more money to spend


Then she told me how I was spending 3 dollars on two 8 month old leos already and I'm about to get 2 more babies that will eat who knows how many mealworms.

So then I tried to tell her that I can buy 500 crickets or mealworms online for 12-20 dollars shipped.

She then told me that she is afraid the crickets will attract spiders, she then asked me to ask if mealworms attract spiders.

i also told her cresties primary diet is crested gecko food, or baby food or even the occisional appalsauce

I guess she is worried that I'm spending out of control and not saving, but that's not true at all.

I don't want to sound like a brat at all and I understand my mothers thinking, is their any tips you guys have for settling my mom's fears so she will allow me to get the crested?

Now if she doesn't I'm not going to fret about it. I will accept her decision but right now she seems on the fence post.

:main_laugh::main_laugh::main_laugh:

 

[nats]

So I getting two new leos soon, I'm uberly exciteted about this and can't wait, well I work at a pet store and they have the most adorable crested for sale, so I put him on Hold to buy with my next paycheck

Well my parents found out before I had a chance to talk to them about it, and yes they know about the two new leos,lol XD.

So they were like Haley this is going to far, there are people out their who have nothing and here you are spending ALL your money on Geckos

Not true I just saved up 3 months worth of checks to pay for one of our dogs surgery because my parents could not afford it.

Plus I was going to say once I got this crested that I ban myself from buying anymore animals for quite a while

My mom is afraid that if we move into a rent house that they won't except us with 3 10 gallon aquariums and 1, 20 gallon. So I started to tell her about the rack system
to her that is just more money to spend


Then she told me how I was spending 3 dollars on two 8 month old leos already and I'm about to get 2 more babies that will eat who knows how many mealworms.

So then I tried to tell her that I can buy 500 crickets or mealworms online for 12-20 dollars shipped.

She then told me that she is afraid the crickets will attract spiders, she then asked me to ask if mealworms attract spiders.

i also told her cresties primary diet is crested gecko food, or baby food or even the occisional appalsauce

I guess she is worried that I'm spending out of control and not saving, but that's not true at all.

I don't want to sound like a brat at all and I understand my mothers thinking, is their any tips you guys have for settling my mom's fears so she will allow me to get the crested?

Now if she doesn't I'm not going to fret about it. I will accept her decision but right now she seems on the fence post.

:main_laugh::main_laugh::main_laugh:

Why dont you just print out some care sheets from the internet for your Mom to read.
Sounds like she has a thing about spiders
Tell her it's easy to raise your own mealies and you would not need to spend
money if you were raising your own (and they dont attract spiders either :main_laugh
Sounds like your Mom may be concerned that you may loose interest or realize that you have too many animals to be responsible for.

Did you know that most young folks loose interest in reptile pets after the first year?

Try to educate your Mom on how easy and inexpesive it is to keep creasties.
Like I said, do a little research on the net, and when you find some articals
to support your case, just print them out for your Mom to read :main_thumbsup:

 

[Zynx_Keekeio]

thanks, that is very strange, I can't see losing interest in any of my pets, except my birds, let me tell you they were not my idea,lol a christmas gift from a aunt, the bird is 7yrs old, never been handled, screeches all the time and all it does is poop and eat and give me a cage to clean...... ): ( not the greatest pet in the world,lol. Poor thing I really should find him a home who is bird savvy and will enjoy just looking at him or has more birds to keep him company,lol.

That's probably why she is also worried.


Yes she is not a fan of the spiders here, we basically get a whole bunch of grass spiders but here lately it's been nothing my wolf spiders, cringes susdkhsfkj I have a spider thing too,lol

Will do, thanks

Also how could anyone loose interest in reptiles, they are so interesting and fun to watch and their is so much you can do with them, create neat setups, take photographs, breed them and see the outcome, their cute little smiles and eyes. I'm hooked lol XD

 

[LizMarie]

my mom is the same with me! Only thing i can understand since I don't work, Lol.. But i'm still able to save with the money thats given to me and most of my schooling is paid by the scholarships and grants with a few student loans. But I still get my way since she has the same obsession with cats and birds! Right now she has 3birds and a cat while i just have my dog, so i'm like mom you have ALL these pets that are destructive (the cat eats every cord when your not looking) and messy (birds are a MESS) if i get a little gecko that I can house in a 10gallon tank and use one outlet while buying mealies in bulk it still would compare to your beats!... Lol but my mom really doesn't have that much of a problem with it.

And whats the likely hood of them no accepting you into a rental house with the tanks? i understand if you have a 50gallon tank full with water you can have problems with the floor and stuff but 4 little tanks? I don't think so unless the renters are really strict. I live in an apartment and look at all the pets I have and the ones I plan to get. My building only restricts animals size. Like you can't have a dog bigger than 30lbs, even though people get over that all the time.

 

[Zynx_Keekeio]

HA HA! lol so true

It's funny my sisters aparment allows either 1 cat and 10 fish or 2 cats and 5 fish isn't that hilarious!!

Anyways I'm going to right down the whole exspense and let her take a look at it

i'm finding a new home for my birds (it's really for the better me and my mom have been thinking about it for a while now)

but I still have 3 dogs
I guess my mom is just a worry wort. Lol But we'll see what happens XD

Wish me luck he is a beauty, could be a she but for now I'll call him a he since he has a slight bulge but I know girls can have that too, he is too tiny to tell right now

 

[Alusdra]

I think your mother has valid concerns. Not about the spiders, but with the numbers of geckos. Now, I have five myself and that is working well for me. However- I have acquired them over the span of nearly ten years, never more than two at once. It has been challenging at times being a student and keeping them fed and healthy, between vet costs, dorm living (they came with me, but if my roommate had been bitchy, I might have been fined and cited and then figure out what to do with them ASAP), etc.

My concerns with your situation is that you are getting so many in a short period of time. I worry whenever I see anyone buying multiple animals of any sort, especially babies. Remember that these geckos could live to be nearly 30 years old. Where are you going to be in 20 years? 10 years? Are you really sure you want to add this many young geckos to your responsibilities? The younglings can have lots of problems, especially if cost to feed them is a worry. MBD is not fun- if you can get your gecko through it you'll have one that is disabled for decade(s). I worry when you say you had to save up for your dog's surgery. Personally I do not like to have any animal until I have saved up enough ahead of time. Most medical issues can not and should not wait weeks or months for you to gather the funds.

That being said, if you are willing and committed I don't think 5 are too many for one non-breeding owner (except for the occasional day when I wonder what I was thinking adopting 2 more when 3 seemed like more than enough). Whether you decide to get them or not, a discussion with your mother is a good idea. I find it highly beneficial to have family members understand care for my pets- if nothing else than to have them as potential pet-sitters for when I go places I can't take them with me.

 

[Bennayboi]

Forget about the future and spend ALL available money on lottery tickets. Winning big is responsible and will ensure care for all your pets.

 

[rhino43grr]

Forget about the future and spend ALL available money on lottery tickets. Winning big is responsible and will ensure care for all your pets.

agreed, lottery tickets are a much safer investment than the stock market at this point.

you could also just eat at mcdonalds every day to get a bunch of monopoly pieces and, if you still don't win, just sue mcdonalds for enticing you to eat too much of their unhealthy food by offering prizes. one large big mac meal is 6 monopoly pieces, fyi, i only know this because justine used to work at mcdonalds and i believe everything she tells me.

 

[eyelids]

Ramblin' On...

Shoot your 16 and have a job... That is enough in my book to prove your responsibility... :main_thumbsup: It sounds like you have a caring mother and that you respect her greatly... The most important thing is to always take others feelings/thoughts/opinions AND reactions into consideration before starting a discussion which may be heavily one sided... If you know she doesn't want you to get anymore pets then I'd leave it at that... If you think she is just questioning your ability to care and provide for them then you have an advantage... Take the Crested off hold and put it on the back burner for the time being... There will always be more where they came from... Being able to delay gratification should earn you some points with your mom... In the meantime prove yourself by maintaining a strict regime of care for your current pets and continue to uphold a strong sense of pride in them...

IMO five geckos is not over doing it, but this is coming from someone that houses their gex in racks... Depending on your setup you can keep a multitude of gex in a small space... If you don't already have one I suggest getting a tri/quad level shelfing system... They can be found at Home Depot for around $20... This way you can keep all of your tanks and supplies in a small footprint as opposed to being placed on random tables/dressers/nightstands etc... By placing potted plants or various decorations on the shelves around the tanks you'll create a unique atmosphere that your mom may actually find appealing...

As for the feeders, both will attract spiders... I will regularly find a web in the corner of one of my mealie bins... If you want to buy crickets in quantities of 500 they will do fine in a 28 quart sterilite bin with holes drilled in the side... I've never bought large crickets bulk though so it's probably only sufficient for the 3/8'' size... Drop in a few egg carton bottoms for hides, a dish for gutload (I just use cool whip container lids) and a carrot or two for moisture (replace a few times per week)... For mealworms I use 6 quart sterilite bins filled with two to three inches of gutload and carrots for moisture... I keep 5000 or so per bin depending on size... I keep my mealies uncovered, but you can cover them to avoid spiders, but there must be plenty of holes drilled...

 

[HepCatMoe]

first ill admit i only read the OP. but let me say, your mom is probably keeping up with the news (watching the financial meltdown) and she is probably just worried that you wont be able to take care of these animals. thats actually a good thing, more people should be worried about that.

second, its a fair question about spiders, thankfully mealworms dont attract spiders.

third, you are only 16. i know it seems like a lame thing for me to say, but you are probably going to change a lot in the next few years.

lastly, let me say i have the same obsesive problem with geckos. what ive decided is that from now on, im only going to buy geckos with money ive made from selling geckos ive bred.

can you dig it? this way it should slow me down some, and i wont feel like im just going nuts buying geckos. at least this way im also contributing.

peace!

 

[eyelids]

im only going to buy geckos with money ive made from selling geckos ive bred.

I go by that rule as well... :main_thumbsup:

 

[Zynx_Keekeio]

I think your mother has valid concerns. Not about the spiders, but with the numbers of geckos. Now, I have five myself and that is working well for me. However- I have acquired them over the span of nearly ten years, never more than two at once. It has been challenging at times being a student and keeping them fed and healthy, between vet costs, dorm living (they came with me, but if my roommate had been bitchy, I might have been fined and cited and then figure out what to do with them ASAP), etc.

My concerns with your situation is that you are getting so many in a short period of time. I worry whenever I see anyone buying multiple animals of any sort, especially babies. Remember that these geckos could live to be nearly 30 years old. Where are you going to be in 20 years? 10 years? Are you really sure you want to add this many young geckos to your responsibilities? The younglings can have lots of problems, especially if cost to feed them is a worry. MBD is not fun- if you can get your gecko through it you'll have one that is disabled for decade(s). I worry when you say you had to save up for your dog's surgery. Personally I do not like to have any animal until I have saved up enough ahead of time. Most medical issues can not and should not wait weeks or months for you to gather the funds.

That being said, if you are willing and committed I don't think 5 are too many for one non-breeding owner (except for the occasional day when I wonder what I was thinking adopting 2 more when 3 seemed like more than enough). Whether you decide to get them or not, a discussion with your mother is a good idea. I find it highly beneficial to have family members understand care for my pets- if nothing else than to have them as potential pet-sitters for when I go places I can't take them with me.

My dog's surgery cost a LOT!!! It was a rare circumstance

I make plenty enough to feed all of them and if any vet concerns I make plenty for that as well. Just want to clarify that

My mom just worries a lot that she has to pay for it (she doesn't,lol)

I have gone through a lot of circumstances and thought about all the possibilities, present, future so on and so forth. This is not a spur of the moment situation. The reason why the crickets were a concern was because my mom didn't want me to spend $28 a month feeding crickets sometimes more, lol. I personally don't mind this at ALL

If anyone of my leos started showing signs of MBD then it'd be straight to the vet for them

In fact I've almost taken my other two leos to the vet twice for false alarms, but I talked with some leo experts (not just on here) and they said they are perfectly fine XD

Also my college I plan to go to a college local here, so i'd be living with my parents





Plus I wanted to add I talked to my parents about, health, food, care, cleaning, housing, and they said Yes XD

 

[Zynx_Keekeio]

first ill admit i only read the OP. but let me say, your mom is probably keeping up with the news (watching the financial meltdown) and she is probably just worried that you wont be able to take care of these animals. thats actually a good thing, more people should be worried about that.

second, its a fair question about spiders, thankfully mealworms dont attract spiders.

third, you are only 16. i know it seems like a lame thing for me to say, but you are probably going to change a lot in the next few years.

lastly, let me say i have the same obsesive problem with geckos. what ive decided is that from now on, im only going to buy geckos with money ive made from selling geckos ive bred.

can you dig it? this way it should slow me down some, and i wont feel like im just going nuts buying geckos. at least this way im also contributing.

peace!

That is a really smart idea! Yes I do agree with changing a lot in the next years, but my pets are always my loves no matter if I've lost interest in the particilar species

(the bird does not count, I can't do ANYTHING with that squaking thing, and I never asked for him,lol XD)

 

[Zynx_Keekeio]

I just want to say thank you all for your advice! I have taken it all to heart and thought it all out, and I am more than camipable to take care of all of these babies, through health issues, feeding, cleaning, college and beyond

Thank you all

And yes I do respect and love my mother a LOT! She means the world to me, and she is by far one of the wisest people I have met, not the only wisest just ONE of the wisest people. She takes situations and thinks them through at angles I haven't even heard of on the (x,y) plane,lol XD

I'll post pics soon of the setups and how things are going.

What's even greater is I still have money to put into savings, quite a bit actually and some to give away


(again on the dog, it was not a need done ASAP thing, but it is an expensive procedure, to remove unnecessary man parts that are not visible, and remove all teeth , poor thing was just taken away from his mother way to young (we rescued him, when he was a 1 and half and the people said they got him when he was 4 weeks old)

Oh fun fact I hand feed my leos a lot of the time, to make sure that they all eat, not just one eat more than the other

 

[Zynx_Keekeio]

BTW this is the closest I could find that looks like him

 

[LizMarie]

Hey Zynx your only young once if you really aren't stepping on your moms toes to hard and you can get her to understand I don't see the problem as long as your willing to take the responsibility and are able to take care of everything you need to I don't see the problem. Live for now and the near future because you don't know where your going to be in 10 - 20years.. who does?

 

[daveim]

Dang! I wish I had that many leos! I also wish that my allowance was enough to buy that many leos:laugh:!
Just consider yourself lucky that your mom is reasonable enough not to decide that they are taking over the household and force you to get rid of them.

 

[Zynx_Keekeio]

HA HA I've never gotten allowence!!
Consider yourself blessed to get allowence,lol XD

No she actually likes my geckos, she was just afraid I would buy and buy and buy, which I sat her down and explained that this was not the case

 

[THE WHISPERER]

If my kid was responsable enough to have a job to pay for their hobbie,was smart enough to research and plan it out, and was very passionate about that hobbie, then I would be very supportive and proud of my child. I would also feel that the more time (and money) my kid spent doing their hobbie the less likely they would be out on the streets picking up some bad hobbies :main_yes:

 

[RepBex]

i totally agree with the whisperer

you value more what cost you more