feeding while away?

[greenzebra]

I will be going on vacation next month. I'm not having any problems finding anyone to take care of our other pets [fish, cat, hamster] but I'm having issues finding someone who will also feed and make sure Leopold has clean water. If I can't find anyone to take care of Leopold, is there anything out there that can help me with this? I mean dogs and cats have the water and food dispensers. Fish have timed feeding devices. Hamsters have the big water bottle and food dispensers.

 

[martinez2828]

You can pick up a water well its like the water dispenser for dogs and its can hold water for a week or two. you can get it at any petstore. hope this helped.

 

[greenzebra]

thanks. i didn't know they had something like that for reptiles. found some that look really nice hidden in rock decor. any ideas of how to feed? Leopold is fed life superworms.

 

[WilliamTheLeopardGecko]

How long are you going? Leopard geckos can live weeks without food as long as they have water. It is better to feed them still. Are you sure no one can take care of him?

 

[greenzebra]

I will be gone for 9 days in September. Is that too long to not feed her? I have a few more people to ask but there's no guarantee. My family and friends aren't ok with reptiles and the ones who are ok with just looking at them but not touching them. So far I'm not having any luck with anyone who will open up a tub of worms even if they don't have to touch them since I have tongs to pick hem up.

 

[WilliamTheLeopardGecko]

Actually no. I read somewhere that they can survive for a while but I think she was wrong because most people say 3-4 days. Just to be safe, don't do it. Have you asked your neighbors to do it? What food do you feed her? Maybe you can ask a pet store to look after her.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

I've had good luck asking my neighbors with kids to look after my single gecko. The kids are super excited to watch the gecko (I ask them not to handle him - he's big and feisty!!). I usually leave them $5 (or more if I'm gone a long time) and they LOVE heading to the pet store to pick up a dozen of crickets every few days and watching him snap them up

 

[greenzebra]

I feed superworms and I live in an apartment complex where my surrounding neighbors are elderly. There are six apartments in my block and none of them have children/grandchildern. I don't talk with any of my neighbors in the other blocks since we never see each other. At least I have 5 weeks to try and find someone to take care of Leopold.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

Might not be a bad idea to check Craigslist - I've actually had good luck hiring dog walkers and sitters from there - but I'm totally thorough about checking references - there are some strange scary people out there!!

I've also hired my co-workers kids in the past to cat and gecko-sit for me. Not little kids but big kids, like the kind who can walk home from school alone and drive...haha. Only had one snafu where my heat lamp was placed on the hardwood floor turned on and left for a couple days. Thankfully no fire but there was a nice burn mark and my understanding landlord let it slide - whew!

I usually pay $15-20/visit for them to stop in every third day for my geckos and cat. I've never asked my current sitter to touch worms or dust anything but I leave money for her to pick up crickets at the pet store and she's okay with that If I only had a gecko or two I'd probably see if I could drop them off somewhere so there are no High School parties (or worse) going on in my house while I'm away

 

[greenzebra]

thanks for the help. i think i might be able to get one of my coworkers to watch leopold. she has two sons aged 6 and 8 who are allergic to dogs and cats but want a pet. when i first got leopold i told her about her and she thought that a leopard gecko would be a good alternative for a pet since her sons can't have a hairy pet. it could be learning experience for the boys to see if they would like one as a pet of their own. i'm positive that she would supervise them and make sure that leopold is being properly cared for. plus leopold is very tame doesn't mind handling. i hold her for about 15 minutes a day or more depending on when she wants to go back into her home. She's probably my best bet for someone i can really trust so i hope she can help me out.

i used to have some friends who would look after leopold while i was away but all 5 of the ones who would do it moved far out of state due to job relocations in the past 3 months.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

You made me remember the summer when a friend of mine heard I had snakes and geckos and asked if I could watch her lizard. I said sure! no sweat! I should have asked more questions.

She brought over a freaking 3 ft long Tegu - in a mesh cage to boot - and left it for THREE MONTHS. Do you know how many mice a growing Tegu can choke down in three months? Well, she asked me to soak it in the tub and let it walk around the apartment. No offense to those who like them, but there was no way I was letting a mouse-crunching lizard big enough to kill my cat or break my dogs' legs march around my apartment to get some exercise. In fact, there was no way I was getting my hands within a foot of that things face - not to mention the incredible tail it liked to whip at me when I tried to stick a bag over its head to clean its cage. Maybe it would have been different if I had raised it from a baby but once it was big enough to snack on my wrist - no way I was getting close. I'll stick to my happy little geckos thank you...haha.

I almost choked when the day she came back to pick him up she scooped him up - gave him a hug, flipped him on his back in the crook of her arm and tickled his belly. I swear he would have killed me if I tried the same thing...lol

 

[Taesolieroy]

Tegus are just... Reptillian Jekyl/Hydes from what I know, you never know which one you'll get...

Gimme a Green Tree Monitor any day, with the success I've had with sugar gliders and leos so far, I'd probably get the monitor so hand tame I'd be able to take him/her out and around on a harness on my shoulder without a worry - they're much more social compared to a tegu >_>

 

[hockeysprinkles]

What I do if no one is available or are just to grossed out to watch my Leo I ask my vet to sit. My local vet has a herp specialist who will either 1 take her to his place or 2 she can stay there in their exotic pets room. Call you vet to see if they have herp specialist or know how to care for them. If not go to www.reptilevetsnearyou.com and type in you zip code it will come up with a list of the nearest specialist. Hope this helps.