Is Sharing a Gecko a Bad Idea?

[Cola7]

I was going to get a gecko myself until I went to pet smart with my sister. Now of course she wants in on it, I said yes at the time thinking "This is gonna be sweet this will cost me half as much now!" So now were getting it together, was this a good idea?

 

[MiamiLeos]

if you live in the same house and agree to some basic rules and guidlines, then i dont see how it cant work. there will probably be some disagreements but overall it can cost you and her both less and you still get to have your gecko.

 

[Taquiq]

Yes it could work. There could be some fights like who holds it, gets to do stuff, but overall it is a good idea.

 

[Srt14292]

Sounds like a good idea to me, but I'm guessing a month down the line there might be a few fights over who cleans the leo out and changes the water, but im sure you can work those out yourselves.

 

[Sikmike]

Just make sure your sister is just as %110 knowledgeable as you are I'm assuming since you're bringing an animal into your care for the next 20+ possibly years. Prepare for every situation and variable in care. I recommend a small feeding station or closet to keep all the supplies/meal worms in, and you and your sibling can make sure everything is kept organized and well prepared. Keep a calendar next to your tank and record how much your gecko ate or didn't eat/when it pooped on each day, takes 10 seconds. Work together, don't over handle, set rules, just have common sense and be smart. Remember it's about the animal, not you (to be blunt). So if there are any 'fights' about holding the gecko or along those lines, perhaps this isn't the best time to invest in reptile keeping.

- Mike

 

[Cola7]

k thanks everyone but whats the point of the calendar???

 

[Srt14292]

Well if there are two of you, you can mark off whose day it is to feed, clean etc, and tick it once its done. Easy way to check whos doing what they should be that way.

 

[Sikmike]

A calendar helps to track your reptile's habits, so you know when something is 'off', and that way you can watch closely for any change. Also what Srt said, you could mark off days of who's 'turn' it is to do what.

 

[Cola7]

good idea, thanks!

 

[MiamiLeos]

let us know how it works out but i did notice you were going to bring a leo home from the petstore... why not purchase one from a good, responsible breeder on here? the petstore geckos almost always have an array of parasites and several other health problems.. i mean its just my opinion but i thought i would mention it

 

[Adinar]

let us know how it works out but i did notice you were going to bring a leo home from the petstore... why not purchase one from a good, responsible breeder on here? the petstore geckos almost always have an array of parasites and several other health problems.. i mean its just my opinion but i thought i would mention it

+1 When we first got into leos a year ago we went with petstore bought ones... if anyone had seen the posts running from April - October there was so much heartbreak because of the illnesses they had from there. Granted we have 4 that were techinically from petstores (out of 17). 2 were from a private home and sold to the petstore then we aquired them. They were in excellent shape aside from some cosmetic issues with the one (half a regen tail and several missing toes due to bad sheds). The other two, well, I just think we got lucky.

Breeders may be more expensive, but you'll get a quality animal with no health issues as long as you do you homework.

 

[Cola7]

let us know how it works out but i did notice you were going to bring a leo home from the petstore... why not purchase one from a good, responsible breeder on here? the petstore geckos almost always have an array of parasites and several other health problems.. i mean its just my opinion but i thought i would mention it

Do you know if their are any breeders on here from the oshawa-toronto area?

 

[MiamiLeos]

theres a bunch of good breeders on here and im sure some are near you but distance doesnt matter all that much because the gecko will most likely be shipped to you anyways, unless you happen to have a breeder living down the block from you. that would be convienent LOL.

 

[Baoh]

let us know how it works out but i did notice you were going to bring a leo home from the petstore... why not purchase one from a good, responsible breeder on here? the petstore geckos almost always have an array of parasites and several other health problems.. i mean its just my opinion but i thought i would mention it

Fiction.

-------------------------------

To the OP, sharing a gecko seems like a great way to cause some co-owner conflicts.

 

[Lickin]

I just bought a leo from there and with leo, 10g, screen, uth, carpet, and coconut hide cost me only $65 ish. So why don't you each get one. At my store the leos are only $15. I got a nice one with tons of orange in it.

 

[MiamiLeos]

Fiction.

...Not.

 

[Lickin]

but i did notice you were going to bring a leo home from the petstore... why not purchase one from a good, responsible breeder on here? the petstore geckos almost always have an array of parasites and several other health problems.. i mean its just my opinion but i thought i would mention it

just noticed this after my last post. A leo from that store will be great 99% of the time. They take great precautions with breeders. If one is found to be bad they will lose a seller. IF for some reason a leo or other rep is sick, it is taken to a Vet and great money will be paid to make it healthy. WHEN it is healthy and unsellable it will be adopted out to a pet parent who is willing to take care of it after. If a associate is found to be incompetent they WILL be removed.

My leos are all from there and are awesome healthy well cared for leos.

Additional... if you ever notice a animal from the first mentioned pet store, please please please report them to corporate. IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MiamiLeos]

just noticed this after my last post. A leo from that store will be great 99% of the time. They take great precautions with breeders. If one is found to be bad they will lose a seller. IF for some reason a leo or other rep is sick, it is taken to a Vet and great money will be paid to make it healthy. WHEN it is healthy and unsellable it will be adopted out to a pet parent who is willing to take care of it after. If a associate is found to be incompetent they WILL be removed.

My leos are all from there and are awesome healthy well cared for leos.

Additional... if you ever notice a animal from the first mentioned pet store, please please please report them to corporate. IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok i guess the pet stores where you live are awesome. I live in Miami with a bunch of big chain stores. I have never been in a petstore where the animals are taken care of adequately. Never have I seen a manager or employee care if there is a dead animal in the same tank as several live ones. 90% of them have regenerated tails because they get hides and stuff dropped on them. Thay are all skinny and lethargic. I have owned several leos from different chain pet stores in my area and all had large ammounts of parasites, missing toes from not being provided a proper hide and were underweight and malnourished. Because of these conditions, they all had great medical costs. All I can do is share my own experiences.

 

[Tony C]

Fiction.

-------------------------------

To the OP, sharing a gecko seems like a great way to cause some co-owner conflicts.

Agreed on both counts. I three perfectly healthy chain store geckos, one from **** and two from ****. They all come from a handful of large, well-known breeders, and if you inspect the gecko properly before making a purchase then your chances of choosing a healthy one are just as good as from any other source.

 

[Baoh]

Fiction.

...Not.

I can and have tested quite a few big chain store purchases for others.

Have you?

The two times I have found geckos with pinworm infestations, by the way, were from what the community considers reputable breeders. I wormed the individuals and that was that in those two cases.

Simply making a declaration does not mandate it is a matter of fact.

There are surely some leopard geckos that have various infestations from pet stores, but the bulk of them likely do not.

Besides the big chain stores, which are supplied by the seriously big breeders you'd probably love to buy animals from, smaller operations are often supplied by small-time hobbyist breeders like myself.

The sources you recommend and the sources you advise against are often the same.