Unthinking people.

Just curious, how many people know someone who buys animals on impulse cause they "look cool" and then never bothers to do any research?

I mention this because a friend of my best friend has gotten an axie. She is what I like to call a serial pet killer. Me and my friend have frequently ended up with her animals if we can get to them before they die from ignorance.

She bought this axie for her equally clueless bf. When they bought it, it only had half its gills due to a fungus infection at the pet shop. Not the shops fault in this case as the lady did take my advice and quarantine and treat the 2 infected ones.

She asked me after they bought it if it needed its ears or if it was fine without them. I had to explain that the "ears" were actually gills and that they did in fact come in handy. I also warned her about the possiblity of the fungus coming back if she didnt keep right on top of conditions. I gave her detailed care instructions and this website. She obviously hasnt been following my advice as the axie has its fungus back.

I have written out a care sheet to help her try to treat the fungus but it remains to be seen if the poor thing will get better. Im hoping that she realises what a big task it is and follows my friends' advice about giving it to me.

People like that annoy me. Even if you do buy an animal u know nothing about on impulse, the most you could do is research it afterwards! Grrrr!

Well anyway, thats my rant. Hope its in the right spot and with ne luck I will end up with another axie pretty soon.

I hate people like that

OMFG.
Sorry for the language - but goodness.

I ALWAYS do my research - Ignorance is NOT an excuse.

Even if i get a new animal suddenly presented to me, I'll do a whip round and details later.

But for crying out loud - EARS????

I researched on axies for months before I got one. I would never buy an animal if I knew virtually nothing about it.

I use the computer for research, then get everything I need for the animal, and then set up its tank and after that I purchase the animal. But I usually take about 3 weeks for all of that before purchasing.

I used to work in a wildlife rehabilitation centre, which was supposed to house LOCAL wildlife...after a time, it became a drop off place for pets...we had people dropping off frogs, snakes and lizards from around the world...One morning upon coming to work, there was a bucket of dead pirhannas on the steps of the building, obviously, the previous owners didnt think about leaving a tropical fish out in a canadian february!
One exceptionally kind man stopped on the side of a near by road to pick up a 4 foot long iguana that was sunbathing on the paved shoulder. Wether he escaped his home or was let go ws never determined. He still lives at the centre.
My boyfreind works in a petshop, and on occasional mornings there will be a hampster or bunny cage with a note and a smiley face saying the animal was just too much to handle... "Hi, my name is Sunshine, please feed me and take care of me"...
People do need to realize getting a pet is a long term commitment, and some pets have incredible lifespans. Taking adequate care of an animal requires time, effort and money. When the novelty of a new pet wares off and the owner loses interest and stops maintaining their animals...they become a nuissance to the owner, peeing on carpets, stinky cage, cloudy tank, and usually the anials just die off...but then there those tough *bastards*(scuse the potty mouth) that cling on to life, living in horrible conditions until the owner dumps it on a freind, or sells it, which is another entirely different subject...(animals sold from negligent owners are full of problems and bad behaviours and require a rehabilitation period most of the time....)
So, Anna, I TOTALLY sympathize with you! Sorry to go on forever on my little rant, but I have seen horrible, horrible things working with animals over the years...The sad thing is shelters are few and far between...and the funds that keep existing shelters going are miniscule. I make it a point not to buy animals, they usually come my way from neglectful keepers...My sallies were rescued as well! (Taricha granulosa and pachytriton labiatus)

It's nice to hear that you have shelters that will take in those sort of animals.

Over here, I think they only take on the "cute and fluffy" kind - I've certainly not seen anywhere capable of dealing with aquatics yet.

It's a sad fact I guess - some people do buy things because it's a novelty.

I must say I'm guilty - but I have the decency to to all the work first, and my LFS is very good about who it sells to.

We had a little boy in yesterday whilst I was dropping of some plats to trade - and he spotted the baby axolotls.
"Mummy mummy I want that - he can go with the other fishies."

I lifted my eyebrow, and Gary (one of the owners/workers) stepped in and explained to the woman that it wouldn't be possible - they're not tropicals - and that's why they're being held in the COLDWATER section.

So Sixhills - I thank you guys - you're great.

I totally sympathize! I myself have half a dozen rescued snakes. 3 came in a 40 gallon tank, carpeted in months of feces and months of shed, no clean water, no hides. That was last winter, and they're now starting to put on some size. One has severe spinal deformities, due to negligent care (some jackass yanked his tail and dislocated the vertebrae), and a fair amount of my caudates are 'rescues'.

I'll admit that a time or two I have gone into a pet shop and saw a sal in deplorable conditions and 'rescued' it. But I'll only do this in small, local stores (I know the animals were dropped off, not mass-collected), and I'll explain to the owner what the proper care is.

This is how I got my first T. granulosa. Poor girl was in an all-gravel tank, about 85F, with about 1cm of water in a small pool, with DART FROGS!! This setup isn't good for either of those species. But the owner understood what I was saying, and gave her to me for free.

I do a lot of educational outreach programs. I'll take a big boa or a big python or the anaconda to classrooms and gatherings, and I explain to people that even though they're very cool looking, they don't all make good pets (don't get me started on the selling of baby sulcata tortoises! 120 lbs, can burrow 5 feet into the ground, dislodge a furnace, and gets to be almost 3 feet long! It's cute when it's the size of a 50 cent piece).

The anaconda is unusually docile. But all big snakes poop like a horse, eat LOTS of large food (the anaconda gets rabbits), and needs a massive enclosure. This is not to mention the fact that the animal can kill you with no hesitation.

I really try to beat it into people that you should NEVER buy an animal without knowing the proper way to maintain it for it's entire life span.

It is heart warming to see other member of te site feel so strongly about such a righteous issue!! RIGHT ON!

When I got my wild type from the local guys who do axies, (they know all about axies- all about the sand, earthworms, tank temp., not to be kept with fish etc.) there was an adult leucistic with it's gills looking really sorry and toes bitten off and things like that. They said that these guys had bought him from them 6 months ago, all healthy, the guy told them exactly how to care for him and even gave them a care sheet, but they had returned him to them that day in the way that I have just described. Obviously one of those scenarios...

That's pretty much how I got the late Ari.
(Poor babe, I miss him - you chase the clouds sweetie)

He'd developed a bacterial problem, and was floating on his back.
He hadn't eaten in what I can only guess was a month or so - or if he had, not very much.

*shakes head sadly*

I guess it was too late for him.

Amber, you just have to do what you can. Sadly, we can't save them all.

*shrugs and nods*

At least he was happier with me.

By the way - a lot of axolotls like nose tickles.

Yeah- mine like getting tickled under the chin as well.

i allways wanted one of those big anacondas i love the way a snake feels when it moves but i know way better than to attempt to house one. Wake up with it wrapped around me in my sleep after it got out hehe.

Forrest, responsible ownership means adequate housing. If you provide the appropriate tank, and locking mechanisms, you won't have a problem. My big snakes are housed in sliding-glass doors with locks. This way they can't slide the door open themselves. It also prevents anyone from opening it without myself present. I suggest a Ball Python as a 'first snake'. They're short-ish but stocky, docile, great personality.

Some people think just because im only twelve that i bought an axolotl because it 'looked cool' and i just wanted a pet and new nothing about it.

months and months before i bought loki, i researched everything imaginable. food, tank, gravel, filters, water temps and water preperations. stress, sickness everything!

and i now have a tank that is a lot (and i mean a lot) larger than my old one, it is currently cycling with a fish inside.

it is very annoying when somebody thinks the worst of me because i am just a kid, from the moment i bought my axie i knew i was in for years of devotion and care towards them, and it is all well worth it.

(Message edited by taelliejade on September 26, 2006)

Hi Taelliejade I have a question for you. What colour type is axie? I got my axie (cracker) from pet shop that didnt know anything about them. Told me to keep in a tropical tank with gravel . Of course the fish nipped his gills off. I have in a new little take until hes better . Iam working getting a bigger one for him. Sorry back to the point they told me mine was white but he looks just like yours? Thanks for the help

Jade, I commend you! It's nice to know that there are some people that care about the little guys. I know adults who buy animals and know nothing about them. It's a testament to your character that you researched before you bought. May the little guy bring you years of joy.

Karrie, post a pic, especially of the eyes. If it has red eyes, it's albino. If it has a white body and dark eyes (black/brown/blue), it's called leucistic.

I'm the same age as Jade, and my friends thought that I bought them 'cause they looked cool. I bought them because I researched like hell on them, got all the right stuff, knew what long-term pets they can be etc. etc. Looking cool was a bonus. (I mean the axies- not me lol!)