I have been wondering...

[Riyo]

I hope I'm not opening a can of worms here but this has been nagging at me for a while. I also want to say that I'm not attacking anyone and this isn't directed at anybody in particular, but I'm just curious.

Why do so many people who are just getting into leopard geckos (or any other animal, really) want to take a flying, blind leap into breeding them, too? I understand there is a kind of allure to hatching your own babies, but so many people don't seem to even think about what goes along with it.

Thoughts? :main_huh:

And I hope I stuck this in the right section..

 

[animalhouse27]

I have No idea :-/ Just like people that take it upon themselves to breed dogs/cats and not know how much money is in it if somthing were to happen to the mom. :-/

 

[acpart]

I find that many people jump into things without considering the consequences.

Aliza

 

[houseape57]

Sad to say :main_no: but the ones that dont think it through on the cheers and jeers of it all are the ones that make the animals suffer when things don't turn out the way they thought it should. It isn't a cheap hobby, fun yes, cheap no. Just my 2cents.

Kathy

 

[Alliemac]

I'll answer since I fall into your category.

We are an animal loving household and I love that our pets are educational for the kids and their friends. We don't homeschool the girls but we do alot of extra schooling at home if that makes sense. We decided to let our geckos breed because we thought it would be a great learning experience for both them and myself (my hubby isn't too into it). My 10 year old did research, we bought what we needed together and we set everything up. We also have homes already for as many as 6 babies with our herping friends and I've told the girls they can keep 2 females too. BUT I'm all equipped both financially and mentally to care for all of our hatchlings ourselves if need be. Plus, I'm super excited to see the babies!

Basically we thought it would be a fun, cool thing to do. We are also letting one of our cats have a litter of kittens before we fix her for the same reasons. I grew up with kittens in the house and I want them to have the same experience. Once we have a litter or two we'll have our lady cat fixed like our other two.

I'm probably not a typical case as a new breeder but it wasn't a hasty decision on my part.

ETA: I'm also in a position to easily find good homes for the babies if need be. I belong to a reptile rehabilitation, rescue and adoption group that has a waiting list a mile long for people waiting for adoptions. I'm sure a few would take a hatchling instead of a rescue if need be. They all sign documents and have to prove good husbandry before the animal will be released too.

 

[mystikal222]

Well,Im brand new to this and Ill admitt,the thought of breeding my geckos sounds fun,but I thought first about all the other not so fun parts-like finding homes for the babies and if I couldnt,the expense it would cost to keep them.We've spent almost $700.00 on the two we have now!But really it is alluring,wanting to see the babies hatch and Im sure some ppl even think they could turn a small profit.

 

[ariana]

some ppl dont mean to let their geckos breed! i know i didnt.
tyke was with belle 20 min tops.
and a few days ago out popped 2 lovely eggs..
its my fault this happened and i plan on taking care of them.
theyre my responsibility
it wont happen again that you can be sure of!

 

[gators0204]

I'll answer since I fall into your category.

We are an animal loving household and I love that our pets are educational for the kids and their friends. We don't homeschool the girls but we do alot of extra schooling at home if that makes sense. We decided to let our geckos breed because we thought it would be a great learning experience for both them and myself (my hubby isn't too into it). My 10 year old did research, we bought what we needed together and we set everything up. We also have homes already for as many as 6 babies with our herping friends and I've told the girls they can keep 2 females too. BUT I'm all equipped both financially and mentally to care for all of our hatchlings ourselves if need be. Plus, I'm super excited to see the babies!

Basically we thought it would be a fun, cool thing to do. We are also letting one of our cats have a litter of kittens before we fix her for the same reasons. I grew up with kittens in the house and I want them to have the same experience. Once we have a litter or two we'll have our lady cat fixed like our other two.

I'm probably not a typical case as a new breeder but it wasn't a hasty decision on my part.

ETA: I'm also in a position to easily find good homes for the babies if need be. I belong to a reptile rehabilitation, rescue and adoption group that has a waiting list a mile long for people waiting for adoptions. I'm sure a few would take a hatchling instead of a rescue if need be. They all sign documents and have to prove good husbandry before the animal will be released too.

I don't think you fall into his category. It sounds like you are prepared in every which way for breeding and taking care/housing the hatchlings.

 

[Halley]

I myself keep a leo for 2 years, before deciding to go into breeding. I personally went into for the love of the animals, and maybe even being able to hatch something exiciting.

But, it's true that a lot of people see what the higher dollar animals go for, and they find out there really is no money in the hobby. These are the people that will be in one year, and out the next. So there is really no need to worry about them.

 

[catvettech]

"Basically we thought it would be a fun, cool thing to do. We are also letting one of our cats have a litter of kittens before we fix her for the same reasons. I grew up with kittens in the house and I want them to have the same experience. Once we have a litter or two we'll have our lady cat fixed like our other two.

I'm probably not a typical case as a new breeder but it wasn't a hasty decision on my part.

ETA: I'm also in a position to easily find good homes for the babies if need be. I belong to a reptile rehabilitation, rescue and adoption group that has a waiting list a mile long for people waiting for adoptions. I'm sure a few would take a hatchling instead of a rescue if need be. They all sign documents and have to prove good husbandry before the animal will be released too."


I can't believe you are writing this about letting your cat have kittens. You, not the kids, should go to the shelter on the day they perform euthanasias. This is a poor excuse for letting your female cat have not one but two (or more) litters of kittens.:main_thumbsdown:

 

[JordanAng420]

I'll answer since I fall into your category.

We are an animal loving household and I love that our pets are educational for the kids and their friends. We don't homeschool the girls but we do alot of extra schooling at home if that makes sense. We decided to let our geckos breed because we thought it would be a great learning experience for both them and myself (my hubby isn't too into it). My 10 year old did research, we bought what we needed together and we set everything up. We also have homes already for as many as 6 babies with our herping friends and I've told the girls they can keep 2 females too. BUT I'm all equipped both financially and mentally to care for all of our hatchlings ourselves if need be. Plus, I'm super excited to see the babies!

Basically we thought it would be a fun, cool thing to do. We are also letting one of our cats have a litter of kittens before we fix her for the same reasons. I grew up with kittens in the house and I want them to have the same experience. Once we have a litter or two we'll have our lady cat fixed like our other two.

I'm probably not a typical case as a new breeder but it wasn't a hasty decision on my part.

ETA: I'm also in a position to easily find good homes for the babies if need be. I belong to a reptile rehabilitation, rescue and adoption group that has a waiting list a mile long for people waiting for adoptions. I'm sure a few would take a hatchling instead of a rescue if need be. They all sign documents and have to prove good husbandry before the animal will be released too.

I think it's wonderful that you went and did the right thing by doing all the research with your children & buying all the supplies and such. This site can help a TON! I am also glad to hear you are willing & financially capapble of caring for EACH and EVERY animal you hatch, if need be.

I was hoping that this is the same case for your cat that you plan to breed. Cats/kittens are a much larger physical, not to mention FINANCIAL responsibility...before each kitten is sold or adopted, you must make sure that each and every one has a certificate of health signed by a veterinarian...everone is parasite-free...and the new owners are educated on the basics of kitten care...

In the technologically-advanced world we live in today, children can learn almost EVERYTHING compleatly hands-on...I'm sure if you called a few breeders and asked around, they would allow your kids to witness a birth or two...I just wanted to make sure you are willing to accept the responsibility of all the geckos, and kittens, and those kittens' kittens....etc.

 

[Alliemac]

You know when I posted I thought for a sec I should justify myself about the cats but I figured that it might not be dwelled on since I consider myself a responsible owner. I did say that our other 2 cats were fixed and that this one would be as well once we had a litter or two. Any kittens we keep will be fixed too. I understand the problem with unwanted kittens but I can assure everyone this isn't the case in our home. it also puzzles me that it's assumed I haven't thought ahead about these kittens as I did about my geckos.

I would NEVER let an animal go to a poor home. NEVER.

But to ease the minds of those that are concerned we have prepared for 6 kittens although we probably won't get that many. My sister wants 2, she's been waiting to get cats until ours had some. My mom wants 1. Her baby is 23 (my childhood pet) and my parents are ready to bring a new little one into their home. I have two friends that will take 1 each and I've told my girls we would keep 1.

I appreciate the suggestion that a breeder may let us witness a birth as well but we really want the kids to have the experience that we had a children. Kids now miss out on some many simple joys because the world they live in is so high tech and fast paced. They stop playing with toys when they're still babies and are encouraged by media and society to emulate adults before all their grownup teeth have grown in. I want kids to at least have a taste of simple things that brought us joy when we were kids. Playing in the woods, riding bikes, building models, collecting seashells....I could go on and on.

We want this experience to be one that they will always remember but also that will teach them valuable lessons. They're going to see how Twizzie's pregnancy progresses as her babies grow. They're going to see a cat that they love share that love with her kittens. They are going to experience the miracle of birth and watch as these tiny babies grow so quickly until they can survive on their own. They are then going to learn a hard lesson that part of the joy of this experience is being responsible for those tiny babies and finding good homes for them. I can't replicate those feelings with a google search, a book or a breeder.

I know how very, very much I loved every kitten we had at home as a child and there is nothing that can mimic that feeling or those memories. It makes me well up thinking about how long a life my parent's cat have lived and how we grew up (and my kids are growing up) with her. One of my most vivid childhood memories was watching my dad assist our kitty to give birth in the middle of his bed on my moms good quilt. His first care was Scooter and her babies. The rest didn't matter even with my mom freaking out in the kitchen about her damn quilt. Hehe. I want my kids to feel that passion about something in this society where life is just a watered down version of what we had IMO. They have everything handed to them and it's a great reminder that the very best things in life we have to wait for, nurture and watch grow, not buy in a store.

Ok, hopefully I've given you a glimpse of the WHY behind our future kittens.

 

[Alliemac]

I can't believe you are writing this about letting your cat have kittens. You, not the kids, should go to the shelter on the day they perform euthanasias. This is a poor excuse for letting your female cat have not one but two (or more) litters of kittens.:main_thumbsdown:

You shouldn't assume that I consider kittens a throw away commodity especially when I've taken such care and preparation before breeding our geckos. I've addressed your concerns in the post about this one.

 

[houseape57]

Allimac, I cried reading your post. It brought back so many memories for me and hopefully your kids will remember when they are adults the joy and reason for life. I would much rather see education through life experiences then through computers and tv. Your children will remember you for these things. Keep up the good work!

Peace and Love,
Kathy

 

[Alliemac]

Allimac, I cried reading your post. It brought back so many memories for me and hopefully your kids will remember when they are adults the joy and reason for life. I would much rather see education through life experiences then through computers and tv. Your children will remember you for these things. Keep up the good work!

Peace and Love,
Kathy

Aww thank you. I appreciate that.

I guess noone else felt like reading my long winded post.

 

[acpart]

I also don't see the distinction between your plans for the geckos and for the cats. You researched both, you have a plan that takes the consequences into account, you have reliable homes for nearly all of them . . . go for it!

Aliza

 

[Riyo]

Alliemac, I don't think you fall into the group I was referring to because you have done your research. While I don't completely agree about letting your cats breed, I'm glad you're getting them fixed and are able to get the kittens rehomed.

Thank you for all the input. Any other thoughts?

The main thing that bothers me is seeing people that obviously know nothing about the species and just want to jump right into breeding..

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

This is a questions I have been asking for about 10 years...

 

[catvettech]

You shouldn't assume that I consider kittens a throw away commodity especially when I've taken such care and preparation before breeding our geckos. I've addressed your concerns in the post about this one.

The cats you "give away" take away from the adoptions at the kill shelter in your town. I didn't say that you don't care about the "unborn", only that other cats die because you allow your cat to become pregnant.

By the way, the more times that a female cat cycles her risk of breast cancer increases. A female cat diagnosed with mammary tumor(s) is ALWAYS biopsied as malignant & her time is shortened considerably after diagnosis.

 

[e_cupcake26]

I don't know why people get into breeding fly by night. But I do know that most people in general only want the thrills and perks from a new experience, which is a childish mentality. They don't take the time to weigh the pros vs the cons of breeding. They just want to make money, when you'll most likely spend more money than you'll get back. I think breeders shouldn't include info about breeding in the care sheets on their websites and instead offer breeding information upon request with an online questionaire that asks the important questions for example, why do you want to get involved in breeding? How long have you owned leos? include an estimated cost for breeding,etc. Even though people could go elsewhere for the information, at least you would know that you didn't contribute to this growing trend of irresponible breeders. If they are serious they'll take the time to answer those questions, if they are fly by night they'll move on. If this became the norm amongst breeders, I think it would help prevent these people from thinking this is a cake walk. I considered breeding leos because my nephew and I are both into reptiles and it's been a childhood dream of mine to hatch an egg and I'm really facsinated with the different morphs and combos. It would also be nice to offer different morphs as pets in my area because if you want something other than a normal or mystery albino, you've got to go online. At least that has been my experience. I've read up about breeding, but after I saw a couple of images of deformed hatchlings, I cried. I don't know if I could deal with that in person. Sure a lot can go right with incubation, and raising the hatchlings ,but a lot could go wrong as well. I'm still weighing all of the pro's and cons. I've even set up a separate savings account for my pets in case of an emergency. I'm in the process of building my small collection (6)of juvies and sub adults, in nice breeding combinations just in case I decide to take on the challenge of breeding. However, if I decide that I'm not going to breed them, I still wouldn't have lost out because I'll end up with a very nice collection. :main_thumbsup: :main_yes: