Advice Needed...How to Talk Family into Gecko?

[TripleB]

OK, now that I'm loving the idea of getting my first leopard gecko, I've run into a small problem. My wife and daughter are against the idea. I even sent this picture to them through email: View attachment 23883

They didn't even like it. How can you not love that face?

So, how do I talk them into the fact that a leopard gecko would make a wonderful addition to our home?

Looking forward to your best ideas.

TripleB

 

[sleepyjones]

There's a kinda similar post here : http://www.geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=38721

I think the best thing you can do is take the family to an expo', or to a good pet store and take a look around.
Even better would be if you can find a breeder in your local area, get in touch with them and see if there's any possibility of going round with the family and taking a look. With any luck, they'll fall in love with one and your sorted.

Talking face to face with someone with a bit of knowledge in Leo's would probably help put your family's mind at rest.

There are quite a few breeders on the forums, so shout out where you are and with any luck someone will be able to help you.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on.

Oh, and welcome to the forum

 

[Lady_Kiya]

Tell them how loveable and low maintainence they are. >.< I think I spelt that wrong
Also the idea of bringing them to an expo if you have one near you is a really good idea. Breeders can tell your wife and daughter about the benefits to owning a leo, and how rewarding it is.

Also, let them read some posts on the forums. It may also help hearing it from possibly some other people who were wary of them before owning one.

 

[snakegirl]

i think you need to warm them up to the idea. Show some info that you know what your doing and how to care for them. And that some odd 1k people on here (geckoforums.net) CANT BE WRONG. lol we LOVE are leopard geckos. and am sure they will too. Its so much fun..go to a pet shop ask to hold one. maybe they can watch.try to show off the idea of a "baby gecko" it needs "love and care" Use the word "baby" alot lol and "small" Good luck. the sounds of a baby and small sometimes lets people think that if its a baby its a bit more hard to say "no we cant keep the baby gecko!" rather then "No we cant keep that adult leopard gecko!" they are really neat and sweet pets no matter what age you or the gecko is. I hope you get one soon. am sure you will!

 

[ariana]

well id tell you my story as to how i talked my parents into leos but seeing as they found out i had 2 one day after id had them for 3 months..well i cant. i have 7 now and they still dont know. they think i have 2 (silly silly parents). id take it home, say it needed a home and you couldnt say no, u were doing the right thing you couldnt let it suffer...and then.......watch them melt > muwahaha

 

[Riyo]

I would find out what about a gecko they didn't like and see if their fears were valid or if they were just going "ew" because it's a reptile. After I found that out I would try to alleviate their fears and show them that they aren't that bad! Taking them to a petshop is a good idea so you can hold one (I don't know if your wife and daughter would be afraid to touch it or not). Make sure you don't force it on them, that could make them resentful or even more fearful.

 

[Baoh]

Get your wife to hold or a least pet a calm adult. Usually, people who are unfamiliar cannot get over how remarkably soft their skin is in certain places. If they touch the tip of their finger to the gecko's snout and the gecko "kisses" the finger, all the better.

 

[TripleB]

Well, I was able to get my wife into the petstore last weekend. She is terrified of dogs so she very seldom goes into a petstore but did so last weekend complaining all the way. Of course there were three dogs in there running around so she really wasn't a happy camper.

She wasn't impressed with the leopard geckos...something about she didn't like the coloring of them. I also think she feels like any reptile is too snake like (which she hates as well). Basically she is an AAA (anti-any-animal) person.

I think my daughter won't look at them because she want's something "furry." She would like a dog but we had one and she wouldn't take care of it.

I found some videos over on youtube that I'm going to try and get her to watch. She wouldn't even look at the book I brought home from the library.

My best bet maybe to clean up my computer room downstairs (my personal area of the house), create a space for the gecko, and tell her I'll keep it downstairs (promising it won't get out). Maybe it would eventually grow on her. Heaven help me if it ever got loose though. Had a hamster that got loose one time...it was gone the next day.

Thanks for all the ideas so far...keep 'em coming.

TripleB

 

[BalloonzForU]

The reptile thing doesn't go well with many people so you may never get her to warm up to the idea. Cold blooded to them means not sweet or cuddly.

You're best bet is to just do as you plan and keep one in your space and keep it to yourslef. The only problem with your idea is they are addictive and if you ever decide to get more and then breeding, it will be hard to deal with her reations to them if she never changes her view of them.

My late husband agreed to me building a reptile room in our basement to get them out of his sight, but I kept the incubator up stairs in my office and would show him my hatchlings when I hatched out something I was excited about. The last time I showed him one, he asked, "Why do you show me those things, you know I hate them!" I was hoping that he would at least be happy for me about what I produced but it never came.

 

[Barbel]

Wow! I feel really lucky that both my boyfriend and I really love all kinds of reptiles, well animals really! He would be so bored if I didn't "let" him keep his snakes and vice versa with the leopard geckos.
I wouldn't worry too much about the gecko escaping. I kept three leos in a 35 gallon tank without a top for over a year and only one got out once. When I realized a log was sitting too high and he could climb up and jump out, I lowered it and he never got out again. I would definitely recommend a top for you though since you have children. You can get a tank with a locking lid or buy clips if the screen top comes separate. Unless you leave it open or latch it improperly, it would be near impossible for it to escape.
I would also emphasize the low maintenance part. Once you get them set up properly, they are also very inexpensive to keep. If you compare the amount of money you will spend maintaining any other pet, even something small like a guinea pig, nearly all reptiles are MUCH cheaper. For one leo, I would estimate about $5-7 a week for food. They also produce much less odor than other pets and take up very little space (well, until you start collecting!). If she doesn't like the coloration, there are a variety of morphs with different color patterns, like albinos, mack snows and tangerines, you could look into as well. They will be a little more expensive, but very pretty!
I hope it works out for you! Even if you are the only one that ends up loving your little leo, at least you will be the one having all the fun!

 

[acpart]

There are some things that a family does together, some where one person is into it and the others tolerate it and some things that just can't happen because it's too much for some in the family. For example, while my family tolerates my reptile habit (and my husband actually enjoys seeing them), I don't ever plan to feed roaches because it's beyond what the family can handle. It sounds as if you were hoping for the first situation (a family project) and at least now it's not going to happen that way. Hopefully you can figure out whether it's going to be the "fine but leave us out of it" scenario or the "over my dead body" one.

Good luck,

Aliza

 

[rubym]

You can always use the old "if you let me get this...you can get that " line. My husband is the king of bargaining with me for what he wants. I usually really don't care what he gets.....I just pretend to be dead set against it so that I get something I want out of it, lol. He got his last corn snake and I got a new crestie. He even bought it for me!!!!!

 

[Foreverandever]

As I see it...if you want a leo, get a leo lol

Like you said, keep it downstairs and simply tell her she doesnt have to be around it

You're a grown man; I think you should be allowed a reptile if you want one lol

 

[Adinar]

Well, I was able to get my wife into the petstore last weekend. She is terrified of dogs so she very seldom goes into a petstore but did so last weekend complaining all the way. Of course there were three dogs in there running around so she really wasn't a happy camper.

She wasn't impressed with the leopard geckos...something about she didn't like the coloring of them. I also think she feels like any reptile is too snake like (which she hates as well). Basically she is an AAA (anti-any-animal) person.

I think my daughter won't look at them because she want's something "furry." She would like a dog but we had one and she wouldn't take care of it.

I found some videos over on youtube that I'm going to try and get her to watch. She wouldn't even look at the book I brought home from the library.

My best bet maybe to clean up my computer room downstairs (my personal area of the house), create a space for the gecko, and tell her I'll keep it downstairs (promising it won't get out). Maybe it would eventually grow on her. Heaven help me if it ever got loose though. Had a hamster that got loose one time...it was gone the next day.

Thanks for all the ideas so far...keep 'em coming.

TripleB

I think this right here would be a perfect way you could compramise the situation. You would love to have one, you have your own personal space in which you can set up a nice 10 gallon tank. If she doesn't want anything to do with it after given the chance to see what they do on a day to day basis...then you tried. I would think it a little unreasonable on her part if she flat out says no even to this. But such things could happen, you never know until you present the situation to her and explain that you will be the one caring for it, handeling it, and everything else that's involved. Next thing you know you might be down there cleaning out the cage and she'll start asking questions or at least show a little interest.

 

[shadowx362]

(WARNING: the following may not be entirely Fair/true, but its a good way to change a persons mind. Just make sure that you, as the care taker knows the real deal LOL)

What I found with some NON pet people is that a leopard gecko is not really appealing to them. They expect to find a cute geico commercial gecko that talks and all and instead they say" oh that fat thing is soo ugly!" or something along those lines LOL.
What I have figured out is if you find a leopard gecko that is more appealing. Show her a baby leopard gecko as they usually don't have big, chuky tails.

The next step would be to get them into the"wow" state of mind. Find one either online or at a pet store that looks "different". An albino is a good approach or maybe even a patternless. A reptile show is a great way to show off how nice some are and how diverse they can be.
Food: Say they only eat small harmless worms.
I hope this works for you :main_laugh:

 

[ajveachster]

Good luck. We got an animal hater to touch one, and she was amazed at how soft the belly was.

 

[TripleB]

GOOD NEWS!!!

This morning my wife and I were in the living room and I told my wife that my daughter decided what to get me for my birthday (6/7) - a Leopard Gecko.

Her response...'How much are these things?' I told her about $20 (well, you can get some for $20). She said, in a sarcastic tone, 'Oh my gosh, 20 dollars, for something that ugly!' I told her that her dad spent a lot more than that on her wedding and she married something as ugly as me. She laughed!!

I went to the petstore this morning to see how much the leopard gecko supplies were really going to cost. I came back and she asked me what I found. Then she asked me when I was going to get one and where I was going to put it. She said that she knew I would eventually get one when I started talking about them last week.

I LOVE THAT WOMAN!!!

Thanks for all your help, patience, and words of wisdom. If you have about 20 minutes please see my most recent post...I'm hoping with all those questions answered I'll be ready to set up the habitat.

Just got through cleaning up my 'computer' room and what do you know, I have a 22" by 15" spot area with nothing to put there

TripleB

 

[dewbert]

Congrats! As for me, I've learned that asking for forgiveness is easier than asking for permission with my wife. She loves me, so eventually she sees how much enjoyment I get from my "creatures" so she gets over it. She, sometimes, even talks to them or tells me that one of them was staring at her when she goes near them. That's progress!

 

[ReptileRookie]

Hey man, congrats! Maybe your wife will eventually warm up to the gecko. My mum didn't like mine at first, but after she got used to them being around and had the rare chance to see them shed, she really likes them. She even took care of them no problem when I was away in Greece.

 

[mainelygeckos]

grats! Glad u were able to get one without any hassle! My hubby supports my passion for them but calls meimpatient bcause i would have about 10 or more right now if i could lol but 4 right now more to come! You will want and get more lol just wait and see