Hi everyone, i just wanted to know people's point of view on the topic of what to do with my gecko (maybe 1 more gecko soon) when i have to go to college. Being a high schooler, i will have to move into a dorm in a couple years, and unfortunatly, no colleges that are really good around me(yale and university of GA or georgia tech) allow reptiles. Now i know, granted, things could change and i might not go to aforementioned colleges, but still its better to prepare for the worst. I have a leo who im really attached to. She's my first reptile, and i love her like a person, but im not sure if i would trust my parents with her. I just cant imagine them changing her water, misting her moist hide, changing the substrate in the moist hide, and dusting her food. Also, my birthday was recent and i have enough money for a crested gecko (which i've really wanted for a long time) but once again i dont know what i would do with it when i would go to college. Advice?
What to do when i go to college?
- Thread starter Zencoran
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TokayKeeper
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My dorm RA didn't care. I had 10 leopard geckos, a madrean alligator lizard, 2 green tree pythons, a great plains rat snake, and a tarahumara mountain kingsnake in my dorm.
He asked my major (biology), then asked if my cages were secure. Told me the first one to escape and they all have to go.
Not get anymore? I hate to sound harsh but it looks like your not going to be allowed them. I dout your parents will as well, no i dont know them, but SOOOO many parents are stuck with there kids pets(mammals and reptiles alike) and then post them on craigslist for next to nothing and whoever wants them gets them. If its a option and you really wish to keep them why not go to college and live at home? Obviously hiding them isnt a option. Getting in trouble and possibly kicked out isnt worth it. Again not to sound harsh but i take in rescues and i have one that came froma parent whos kid went to college...lets leave it at your right to worry about dusting and misting(MBD and missing toes she now has). Weigh your pros and cons.
I mean i guess i could get a dorm off campus, and live with my gecko(s) but ive heard you miss the college expierience by living off campus. i need to ask my parents on what they would do. if im going to any of the colleges i mentioned, i would only be a 1-2 hour drive away from home.
TokayKeeper
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That's so far from the reality of that time in life that I had to LOL
Some of the best times I had were hanging out at 4 NMSU baseball players' shared house after myself and their right fielder would get done with our Animal Behavior assignments. Beer, beer pong, and playing video games...then again, everyone in that house was over 21 too.
You've got a couple years before you ultimately have to make the choice. Whichever you choose will be the right one, just one may be more right at that given time in life than the other.
TokayKeeper
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I wouldn't bet on it. And if they don't, then they find out you have some...well that doesn't tend to turn out well. I think at NMSU it was just grounds for being expelled from campus housing. Some universities may even fully expell you for campus housing violations. That worry, plus it was cheaper, was the reason I moved off campus after a year of campus housing. Oddly, campus housing did allow for the keeping of a 10 gallon tank with fish, though that was 9 years ago.
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Franklinj480
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The college experience: "I can't believe we did that", the walk of shame the next morning, having your roommate urinate in some random location in your room, and close run-ins with campus police.
You wouldn't be missing much living off campus, I did the dorms for two years and now I've moved back in with my folks for the rest of my bachelors. Its just too expensive and not worth it.
As for your gecko, when I was in a freshmen connection dorm at a state university it would have been pretty easy to keep a leo in a 10 gallon set up. Just out of direct line of site from the hallway. Don't feed crickets and don't make a big make it news to everyone that you have one. Of course it all depends on your RA, violating dorm policy could very well get you evicted.
You wouldn't be missing much living off campus, I did the dorms for two years and now I've moved back in with my folks for the rest of my bachelors. Its just too expensive and not worth it.
As for your gecko, when I was in a freshmen connection dorm at a state university it would have been pretty easy to keep a leo in a 10 gallon set up. Just out of direct line of site from the hallway. Don't feed crickets and don't make a big make it news to everyone that you have one. Of course it all depends on your RA, violating dorm policy could very well get you evicted.
Fencer04
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I had a substantial amount of Leos in my dorm room at NYU circa 1999. I had a room mate that was never there and my RA was on the fencing team with us so he was cool. I didn't know any of this before getting there (I didn't have have any reptiles yet).
My advice would be to talk it over with your parents and see how they feel about taking care of the gecko. If they are cool with it then go away to college and see what it's like. If you get there and people are cool with it then you can always bring him along later.
If your parents aren't OK keeping the gecko then I would recommend finding him a good home before you go. It would be hard for me to do but it would be the only logical choice. I know that the times I had in college away from home were priceless. I recommend everyone go away for their freshman year the experience taught me a lot.
My advice would be to talk it over with your parents and see how they feel about taking care of the gecko. If they are cool with it then go away to college and see what it's like. If you get there and people are cool with it then you can always bring him along later.
If your parents aren't OK keeping the gecko then I would recommend finding him a good home before you go. It would be hard for me to do but it would be the only logical choice. I know that the times I had in college away from home were priceless. I recommend everyone go away for their freshman year the experience taught me a lot.
I lived in a dorm at school for 1 semester my freshman year. I hated it for a couple of reasons 1: They room you with someone you dont know. 2: If there is a party you cant sleep doesnt matter if you have a test next morning. I lived off campus. Still had a ton of friends. Git tons of quiet sleep and study time. Still went to parties and had a few ;-). But when I wanted to go to sleep or be with my girl ;-). I went home and didnt have to deal with all the inconveniences. I also had a bedroom for my 5' iguana which there was no way I could keep in the dorm. Just a side note but NOONE will take as good of care of your pets as u do no matter how good their intentions are. GOOD LUCK.
the problem with finding a new home for my leo is that right now, i look on craigslist, and there are over 100 different people posting ads about leos they want to get rid of in my general area, so theres a big supply of them and nobody wants one. I would never give her to a petstore, and i have no idea if the person i give her to will actually care for her, but we'll see. next summer im going to israel for a month, i can test my parents then if they can take care of my leo.
fl_orchidslave
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There are herp societies in most major cities (google your state) that may be able to assist you with an adoption or maybe even a foster situation. We also have an adoption section on this forum.
im faster
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Lots of people like normals..
BUT if it were me i would go for keeping it..
first what they dont know wont hurt them..
if they find the leo and have a problem then rehome.. they my not care..
i was in the navy and i kept chameleons in my dorm and they didnt care most thought it was cool even though the rules said no pets..
i would NOT feed crickets though or should i say keep crickets between feedings you will drive some people nuts!!! unless you can find a place where no one can here them.
BUT if it were me i would go for keeping it..
first what they dont know wont hurt them..
if they find the leo and have a problem then rehome.. they my not care..
i was in the navy and i kept chameleons in my dorm and they didnt care most thought it was cool even though the rules said no pets..
i would NOT feed crickets though or should i say keep crickets between feedings you will drive some people nuts!!! unless you can find a place where no one can here them.
Tailless
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I had a similar experience in college. I think that you would miss some of the "college experience" if you lived at home with your folks for your first year, but I do not think you would miss anything if you rented an apartment or room near campus. That way you can have all of the benefits of being close to campus without all the stress of living in a dorm. However, whether or not it will be financially feasible for you to rent an apartment instead of living in the dorms will probably depend on where you go to college. (If you go to college in a big city where living is expensive--like New York City--the dorms might be the only thing you can afford.) You might want to take this into account when you choose a college!
The other option is find a responsible friend or relative (perhaps someone other than your parents if you think that they can't/won't do a good job) to take care of your gecko during the semester while you are away. If you find someone who is *actually interested* in geckos (instead of just doing this as a favor to you as your parents would be), then this could work well. And, you could still have winter and summer vacations with your gecko!!
I am stubborn with my leo as well and I don't trust my parents with keeping her when I go to college next year. I am bringing her no matter what my parents say, I'll just have to really hope for an RA that will allow her to stay. I have heard tons of people saying that their RA didn't mind, and it will just be one gecko. So I'm willing to take my chances. I'm very responsible when it comes to keeping my leo, and I really want what's best for her. I've thought long and hard about this decision, I'm not just bringing her for my own selfishness. I knew I would have to do this when I bought my leo last year, but I still think it was worth every second. I doubt my parents will be able to go above and beyond to care for her. Plus, they don't know about my mealworm colony... They would freak.
They would freak.
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fl_orchidslave
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Rule breaker! Do you have issues with authority?
im faster
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Well being authority i know when its ok to push the rules to the max haha..
in this case it is not causing ANY inconvenience to anyone. and i think it will be a rule over looked as some are.
(im a police officer)
in this case it is not causing ANY inconvenience to anyone. and i think it will be a rule over looked as some are.
(im a police officer)
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