why do these people own reptiles?

[EchoPet]

I was going to mention how much people piss me off when they come into my work (small local pet store) as one of my pet peeves in the "what chaps your ass" thread... but I really needed to rant about something that happened today and figured it sort of deserves it's own thread as to not hijack the other one. I'm still going to post it here in Fight Club instead of Rants and Raves.. just so I can still curse...

A couple came in today and were looking in the reptile section. I could tell they needed some advice so I asked them if they needed my assistance. They were looking over the commercial bearded dragon diets and looking totally fucking clueless. The man tells me, "oh well I could use some crickets," and goes back to staring in wonder at the diets. I give them some time, and then ask again after getting the crickets. They tell me that they have a bearded dragon who hasn't been eating, and ask my advice about what to feed it. I recommend that fresh greens and gutloaded prey insects are better than the pellets in my opinion. They set one thing of pellets down and still hang onto the other. Ok, whatever... The woman tells me that they've tried greens, but the dragon won't eat them, so I ask what kind to make sure it's not iceberg lettuce or something stupid. She lists off several appropriate answers, so I'm like "huh, ok...that's weird..."

As I'm checking them out, I ask what the temps in the cage are, and explain that low temps are often the cause of lack of appetite. The man says "oh.. probably around 80 degrees. I don't know, we don't have a thermometer." HOLY CRAP. 80 degrees? OH! That would be your problem right there! I explain that dragons need a basking spot that's AT LEAST 100 DEGREES. I note that the 40 watt day bulb they're buying probably isn't strong enough for the size tank they have. "Oh, hm." "Maybe you should try a stronger watt bulb?"... I wait... they still want to buy it. I explain that reptiles can't digest their food if they don't have warm enough conditions. I mention the risk of impaction. I try to stress, gently, that maybe they should get a stronger bulb or a ceramic heat emitter and a thermometer to monitor things more. No go, they're sticking with the 40 watt. Ugh. "He doesn't like to bask on his log anyway," I'm told.

Then, another thought strikes me, cause I've never seen a dragon who didn't like to bask. "Do you just use that kind of bulb or do you also have some sort of UV bulb for UVB and UVA?" "Huh? Just this one." BINGO. Problem solved, right? I explain how this is why their dragon isn't eating - how important not only temps are, but how they need UV rays and all of that. The dangers of MBDs. All of it. I offer to show them what type of lighting they need. "No thanks, we'll just stick with this and try these pellets." WHAT THE FUCK? Ok, so I just explained in detail the needs of your pet that you're not meeting, and how serious it is, and you're just going to ignore me and keep slowly killing your beardie. FUCK YOU.

Why are people like this? This is not the first time that I've had customers who own reptiles that need to have UV and they've just been totally clueless and don't want to spend the money on proper lighting. (Even worse, the people who catch wild reptiles, cram them into a Kritter Keeper, and then get offended when I say they should either buy the proper set up or release the poor animal. "But I liiiiiike him," or "but my kids would cry!" BOO FUCKIN HOO. Think how the poor animal feels!) Or the people that don't want to spend money on calcium because the $8 tub that will last for a long time is "too expensive", the people who think I'm just trying to make a sale when I advise them that their two year old iguana should be in something bigger than a 20 gallon tank, or the ones that describe a pretty serious case of mouth rot and when I tell them what it is and that they should take their gecko to a vet, they just sort of shrug and say "oh well".

It's these sort of people that really make me hate my job, and they totally overshadow all the good pet owners I deal with on a daily basis.

I just want to pull my hair out.

 

[Riyo]

It is so frustrating to see people own animals..any animal..and not provide the proper care for them. I can't tell you how many times I wish I could just..shake a person and ask them what the fuck they think they are doing! The blatant disregard for an animal's well being is disturbing, but unfortunately it is very common..

It's hard to watch and listen to but all we can hope to do is keep educating and hope that our words will fall on somebody's ear.

 

[Kristi23]

I hate that, too. I research so much before I buy an animal. I may not know everything, but I at least know proper care and set-ups. People look at pets as something they can just get rid of if it gets too sick.:main_angry: I can't understand why you would buy an animal that you really don't want to take care of.

 

[Haligren]

I can totally sympathize with you, Janna. I used to work at a pet store too and I had a very similar situation occur. I actually told them though "No offense or anything, but why did you get the animal in the first place if you don't want to take proper care of it?" (Was off my meds that day I think.) And they got all huffy and was like "Well that's none of your business" and "That's awfully rude of you to say". I almost stopped myself thinking that I didn't want to dig my hole any deeper but figured that I had started it, I should finish it; "Well, why did you ask me for help if you didn't want it anyway?"

Bitch replied: "I'm never coming here again. You have been very rude to us."

My thought was "Thank, God". lol

I really, really don't understand people some times.

 

[David Evans Reptiles]

I know this may require a bit of work but it might help at least one animal. When people like that come in I wonder if you handed them a flyer with the most common websites and forums on different types of reptiles and explain how important it would be to research the sites for that animal. I know there's a ball python site a corn snake site and of course the gecko site. Each site would have a basic care sheet on it and maybe the pet owners would dig a little deeper and read a few threads. I know this sounds like a long shot but I really wished every pet store would offer this kinda information to people looking at reptiles as pet stores see these people more so than most. I know most people will just throw the paper away, but maybe just one person would do the research. It really bothers me also to hear about people like this. Most of them see pet store workers to be like used car salesmen and refuse to believe anything that is told to them. I happen to be one of those people because of to much bad information offered to me over the years. But I would have researched websites if they would have been offered. Just a thought..

 

[LizMarie]

This is why I never applied to work at a pet shop and never will because I swear if they catch me on a bad day and I hear that bullshit I will be beating someone's ass. Not only will I be fired I'll also have charges put against me. I just don't have patience for ignorance. Those are the same people when they are bored with their animals they release them into the wild because they don't give two fucks.

What I hate even more is uneducated sales associate. I went to buy mealworms once and the guy was like what do you have at home and I told him a leo. He's like you should be feeding waxworms on a daily basis because the mealie will eat through it, I know because I've seen it. I just stood there gave him a stupid look and just walked away. Or when I went to a pet shop and they have this little leo in like 3inches of sand sitting up (the way we would on a couch), ripped shed that was stuck on, breathing really heavily (I could see him/her as he took each breathe). I was so bothered that I went to the STORE MANAGER and told him about what I saw and how concerned I was, he pretty much looked at me, shrugged and said he'd take a look when he got a chance. I left my stuff at the register and just walked out.

This is all part of the reason why I buy almost everything for my leo online. Let is be feeders, decorations, vitamins, etc. The only thing I havn't bought was an enclosure beacuse the shipping is too expensive so I use craigslist instead.

Did I mention how i have NO patience, lol.

 

[Foreverandever]

I hate that shit. What I hate worse is the ever classic answer... "it's just a reptile"

Or cat, dog, etc


Yeah, well you're just a fucking piece of rotten asshole

 

[EchoPet]

It's so nice being on a forum of people who understand and actually care for animals. I could write a book about all the shithead animal owners I come across on a regular basis. The ones I mentioned in my first post were just some of the reptile owners that piss me off. Don't get me started on all the other animal owners lol. I'm the Canine and Feline Nutrition Specialist, and there's so many people that come in and are so stubborn about what they feed their dogs and cats. I can explain in plain and simple terms about why cats shouldn't eat grains, and why supermarket brands and Science Diet is crap for their pets, but it just goes in one ear and out the other. I think this job is helping me get the motivation to go back to school and get a degree so I can work in a zoo or something instead of retail. I love working with the animals, but it's the retail aspect that drives me crazy most of the time.

And David - I'm working on putting together caresheets for all the species of animals we sell. Just have to get them approved by my boss to hand out once they're finished. Problem is, there will still be people who just don't give a shit, even if proper husbandry is spelled out for them. The bottom line for most people is the almighty dollar. People are so selfish about spending money to buy the appropriate things for their pets. Most people don't care that it's their responsibility to provide proper care for animals that they own - they just care that they enjoy having the animal, even if they're not doing things right for it and the poor thing is miserable or unwell. It will be easier to hand out caresheets when someone buys a new animal, but most often the worst customers are the ones that already have the animal and think that things are just fine, so why should they bother changing anything now. "But my pet is doing just fine on/with/eating _fill-in-the-blank_" is such a common excuse. I try to combat that thinking with the line "every pet is just fine until something goes noticeably wrong" but they don't get it.

Take cat food for example. Cats are obligate carnivores who need to get the majority of their moisture from their food. Try telling someone that they shouldn't be feeding kibble full of corn and by-products but should switch to a grain-free canned or raw diet... "Well my two year old cat is doing just fine." "But a dry diet over the lifespan of a cat leads to chronic dehydration and is the leading cause of kidney and bladder problems." "Well my cat hasn't had any symptoms so he's doing just fine on what he's eating now." "Yes, but, over time..." "He's fine, thanks." Most people just don't want to hear it.

I wish that I knew what I do now about nutrition when I was younger. My dog that I grew up with was doing "just fine" on Science Diet for 13 years until all of her organs started failing. I wish I had someone back then point out that there were better foods I could be feeding her, but instead I just had the cocksucking vet who was making money hand-over-fist on Hill's promotions telling me that Science Diet was the best food in the world because that's what he was getting paid to tell me. We all have to learn somewhere, and I'm glad I was able to learn... but it pisses me off so bad that when I try to help and educate people for the sake of their pets, they just don't give a shit at all!

 

[Haligren]

It's so nice being on a forum of people who understand and actually care for animals. I could write a book about all the shithead animal owners I come across on a regular basis. The ones I mentioned in my first post were just some of the reptile owners that piss me off. Don't get me started on all the other animal owners lol. I'm the Canine and Feline Nutrition Specialist, and there's so many people that come in and are so stubborn about what they feed their dogs and cats. I can explain in plain and simple terms about why cats shouldn't eat grains, and why supermarket brands and Science Diet is crap for their pets, but it just goes in one ear and out the other. I think this job is helping me get the motivation to go back to school and get a degree so I can work in a zoo or something instead of retail. I love working with the animals, but it's the retail aspect that drives me crazy most of the time.

And David - I'm working on putting together caresheets for all the species of animals we sell. Just have to get them approved by my boss to hand out once they're finished. Problem is, there will still be people who just don't give a shit, even if proper husbandry is spelled out for them. The bottom line for most people is the almighty dollar. People are so selfish about spending money to buy the appropriate things for their pets. Most people don't care that it's their responsibility to provide proper care for animals that they own - they just care that they enjoy having the animal, even if they're not doing things right for it and the poor thing is miserable or unwell. It will be easier to hand out caresheets when someone buys a new animal, but most often the worst customers are the ones that already have the animal and think that things are just fine, so why should they bother changing anything now. "But my pet is doing just fine on/with/eating _fill-in-the-blank_" is such a common excuse. I try to combat that thinking with the line "every pet is just fine until something goes noticeably wrong" but they don't get it.

Take cat food for example. Cats are obligate carnivores who need to get the majority of their moisture from their food. Try telling someone that they shouldn't be feeding kibble full of corn and by-products but should switch to a grain-free canned or raw diet... "Well my two year old cat is doing just fine." "But a dry diet over the lifespan of a cat leads to chronic dehydration and is the leading cause of kidney and bladder problems." "Well my cat hasn't had any symptoms so he's doing just fine on what he's eating now." "Yes, but, over time..." "He's fine, thanks." Most people just don't want to hear it.

I wish that I knew what I do now about nutrition when I was younger. My dog that I grew up with was doing "just fine" on Science Diet for 13 years until all of her organs started failing. I wish I had someone back then point out that there were better foods I could be feeding her, but instead I just had the cocksucking vet who was making money hand-over-fist on Hill's promotions telling me that Science Diet was the best food in the world because that's what he was getting paid to tell me. We all have to learn somewhere, and I'm glad I was able to learn... but it pisses me off so bad that when I try to help and educate people for the sake of their pets, they just don't give a shit at all!

I guess I'm weird. I love spending money on my animals. I love it when I have extra money and I can go to the pet store and buy new toys or treats for my cat and new decorations or food items for my leos. Not only do I love my animals, I love everything about them; especially seeing them prosper.

I feed my cat Nutro brand because one day I actually looked at what was in Friskies and just decided it was too many by products and grains and stuff for my liking. Since feeding my cat a proper grain-free diet she has lost weight, is more active, and doesn't get that funky odor any more. I don't feed them canned food that much though; should I? When I do I like to feed them something called Almo Natura. All it is is real meat (mostly chicken and fish like tuna) in a bit of water and occasionally cheese or something. Even people can eat it. It has no preservatives or anything in it. There's also another really nice canned food made by Merricks that's all natural and holistic as well. Nutro and Merricks and such are more expensive but I think it's worth my peace of mind and my cat's health.

 

[LizMarie]

When I give my cat canned food she basically looks at me then at the food licks it, paws it then walks away. Then I have to clean up the mess.. ugh.. How do I get her to eat it?

 

[EchoPet]

I guess I'm weird. I love spending money on my animals. I love it when I have extra money and I can go to the pet store and buy new toys or treats for my cat and new decorations or food items for my leos. Not only do I love my animals, I love everything about them; especially seeing them prosper.

I feed my cat Nutro brand because one day I actually looked at what was in Friskies and just decided it was too many by products and grains and stuff for my liking. Since feeding my cat a proper grain-free diet she has lost weight, is more active, and doesn't get that funky odor any more. I don't feed them canned food that much though; should I? When I do I like to feed them something called Almo Natura. All it is is real meat (mostly chicken and fish like tuna) in a bit of water and occasionally cheese or something. Even people can eat it. It has no preservatives or anything in it. There's also another really nice canned food made by Merricks that's all natural and holistic as well. Nutro and Merricks and such are more expensive but I think it's worth my peace of mind and my cat's health.

If that's weird, I guess I'm weird too. I love spending money on my pets. I'd rather browse through pet supply catalogs than shop for clothes and things for myself.

Nutro is definitely much better than Friskies, but keep an eye on the ingredient label. Nutro was bought by the Mars Candy Corporation and has had some product changes. I know that in the Nutro Natural Choice Dog food there's been some ingredient changes, such as Lamb being used now instead of Lamb meal (which means that there's less lamb). Not to mention the dog food bags have gone up in price and the bags are getting smaller (40lbs is now 35lbs, etc). There's also currently a lawsuit against them or some such thing because of a recall and pet deaths (sorry, haven't taken the time to read up on what's going on cause I've got so many other things on my plate at the moment). Does Nutro have a grain-free cat food now? I haven't seen it yet but would like to take a look.

Merrick is a really good brand though. I haven't had any problems with it, and regularly give their treats to my dogs. The Merrick brand dog food we carry in my store is very good - I just don't use it because I prefer to stick with grain-free foods.

Should you feed the cats canned food? Definitely. Cats don't have a thirst drive like dogs do, and are designed to get their moisture WITH their food since they were domesticated/descended from a desert species. Canned food comes much closer in replicating a cat's natural diet's moisture content. I realize that it's not in everyone's budget to feed a good quality canned food exclusively, but the more canned you can give your cat, the better she will be in the long run.

When I give my cat canned food she basically looks at me then at the food licks it, paws it then walks away. Then I have to clean up the mess.. ugh.. How do I get her to eat it?

What type of canned food have you tried with her? It can definitely be difficult to get cats to switch foods. But the trick is to be persistent, even if you have to "cheat". If you're currently free-feeding, the first step is to switch to mealtimes, then work on making the switch to canned. Mealtimes should be twice a day, for 30 minutes. Anything not eaten in that time should be taken away. To switch to canned, I'd start with setting the food down for breakfast. If she doesn't eat within 30 minutes, take it up and don't offer her any food again until dinner. Repeat at dinner. If the cat still won't eat the canned, give her a little bit of dry food again but not a full meal. If cats go between 18-24 hours without eating anything, they can be at risk for hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease). Try putting some kibble in the canned to help make the switch and the association that canned food is actually food. Sometimes a bit of tuna juice from human canned tuna can be a good bribe as well. Some cats also like Parmesan cheese and this can also be used as a bribe.



Hope this helps and feel free to PM me or reply here if you have anymore questions or need some more advice.

 

[David Evans Reptiles]

Well its good that you are trying to offer a caresheet. Like I said most people will never look at it but you might get one or two that does. One or two reptiles getting what they need will be worth all the trouble. Good Luck