considering...

[ChameleonRave]

Stick with your Chams! You appear to be a fine owner, in which is willing to learn to succeed in taking care of them here. Let the advice of some roll quickly OFF your back and pay attention to those that DO HELP YOU!

oh I will! some of them just p*$$ me off! its unbeleivable! and you are very helpful yourself! I love the custom built cages you make! I keep looking at them! haha

 

[Carlton]

Sometimes it's hard for "senior members" who are adults and who have more control of their lives to understand how you couldn't manage getting cham food. We have our own credit cards, phones, home keys, transportation.

But all of us have something that limits how much freedom we have. We have full time jobs, debts, kids' schedules to work around, unsympathetic spouses, all sorts of stuff. Maybe some of us are disabled too. What ends up being an excuse and what is a real problem is actually in our own minds most of the time.

The point I'm trying to make is, even with help from others, in the end it is up to YOU to think ahead before problems come up. To keep animals and to learn how to deal with life means you have to stretch your brain and get creative. It also means thinking about the "what ifs" before they happen. Every thime you do this you get better at it. Soon those unsolvable problems dissolve away. It really works!

For example, I may be independent, but I also live in a remote Alaska town of 400. There are NO pet supplies, vets, hardware stores or anything other than a post office and a small convenience store in my town. The closest place to even get a cricket is a 30 minute small plane flight over open ocean. I have frogs, birds, a cham, a python and a dog. All this really means is that I make darned sure I have back up plans for food and supplies. I culture the insects I can. I order in bulk and care for the feeders really well. I gutload everything I feed well so even if I run out of food my animals are healthy enough to handle slim meals for a few days in a pinch (this hasn't happened yet and I've been here 10 years). I stock up on lights, supplements, cage materials, have backup heating and water for storms. I rely on others as little as possible.

It can be done. But sometimes if I seem a bit unsympathetic to a post that complains about the price of a feeder, lights, or how far away the vet is you'll understand why. When I have to take a pet to the vet I either have to box them up and ship them on a Piper Cherokee on their own or spend $180 in airfare to go over with them (and then pay the vet bills on top).

 

[ChameleonRave]

Sometimes it's hard for "senior members" who are adults and who have more control of their lives to understand how you couldn't manage getting cham food. We have our own credit cards, phones, home keys, transportation.

But all of us have something that limits how much freedom we have. We have full time jobs, debts, kids' schedules to work around, unsympathetic spouses, all sorts of stuff. Maybe some of us are disabled too. What ends up being an excuse and what is a real problem is actually in our own minds most of the time.

The point I'm trying to make is, even with help from others, in the end it is up to YOU to think ahead before problems come up. To keep animals and to learn how to deal with life means you have to stretch your brain and get creative. It also means thinking about the "what ifs" before they happen. Every thime you do this you get better at it. Soon those unsolvable problems dissolve away. It really works!

For example, I may be independent, but I also live in a remote Alaska town of 400. There are NO pet supplies, vets, hardware stores or anything other than a post office and a small convenience store in my town. The closest place to even get a cricket is a 30 minute small plane flight over open ocean. I have frogs, birds, a cham, a python and a dog. All this really means is that I make darned sure I have back up plans for food and supplies. I culture the insects I can. I order in bulk and care for the feeders really well. I gutload everything I feed well so even if I run out of food my animals are healthy enough to handle slim meals for a few days in a pinch (this hasn't happened yet and I've been here 10 years). I stock up on lights, supplements, cage materials, have backup heating and water for storms. I rely on others as little as possible.

It can be done. But sometimes if I seem a bit unsympathetic to a post that complains about the price of a feeder, lights, or how far away the vet is you'll understand why. When I have to take a pet to the vet I either have to box them up and ship them on a Piper Cherokee on their own or spend $180 in airfare to go over with them (and then pay the vet bills on top).

Thanks! You are VERY HELPFUL! and I wish I was an adult honestly. I know the ropes already. I had a job but lost it over a month ago after I lost my dad. so since then things have been going downhill. my only option to help keep my chams alive is to sell my beloved turtles that I have had since nov. when they hatched.. :/ its hard to think but you have to cut around the corner to make it. I would love to stock up but my mom is the one who has to limit me. after this I am going to wait on getting the Jacksons Chams until I have a few colonies going for them and that way it is unlimited (hopefully) and you brought alot of help for me Thanks Carlton! I am going to start planning further ahead, the troubling part is when I used to plan far ahead it just got ruined for some reason. its like Reptiles are my life and it keeps me busy and out of harms way... :/ I just try to be the best I can and then getting accused of lieing it makes it worse. (not trying to make a sap story here) but all my life I had someone telling me I can and then someone else putting me down for what I want to beleive or do. so thats why I take it so hard when someone says I am making up excuses, when they in all reality don't even know who i am and what im about... they don't know what i go through on a daily basis either so when they assume im lieing about it, it just ruins my whole day. and crushes what spirit I have left of keeping my Chams and turtles... :/ and thanks Carlton you really summed it up alot for everyone on here. your a great Senior Member!
-Zac

 

[Carlton]

Aww Gee, I try to help.

So I think you are on the right track...limit the type and number of animals you keep for now until YOU are the one calling the day to day shots! It'll happen, don't worry.

 

[ChameleonRave]

Aww Gee, I try to help.

So I think you are on the right track...limit the type and number of animals you keep for now until YOU are the one calling the day to day shots! It'll happen, don't worry.

haha yeah! you are super nice and helpful!

I am limiting myself already having to find new homes for my turtles. so i have a bit more space for my Chams I only have two right now but until I get another job and more feeders and start up a colony for alot of the food then i will consider more chams
thanks

 

[FFSTRescue]

You can't let what people say affect you and get you emotional... water off a ducks back, ya know? It sounds like you have been through quite a bit lately, so you don't need that. You are very passionate and caring and want to prove to people that you are a good reptile owner, but you don't need to prove it to anyone but your animals, as long as you are caring for them. You came here looking for help, some gave it to you, some were a tad harsh, but who cares what some people say, take the pertinent advice and ignore the criticism, because you know that you provide a great home for them (coming to this form to say you are out of food for a couple days proves that ), and you know they provide happiness for you. The most important thing is to take care of yourself so that you can take care of your animals. I have rescued plenty of animals that people have lost everything in their life, didn't seek help, basically "lost their minds" and just bailed. There is nothing more disturbing than walking into a home with starving and dead animals. So I'm just saying to take a deep breath, do what you need to do to keep yourself calm, then take care of your animals. You will find that it is very simple. Some people may not like this, but I make my animals eat if I know they are hungry and all I have are the silkworms in a can, lol. I open the chams mouth, throw the worms in, and they automatically chew. In fact, I have to stick dead worms in their mouths all the time because I inject them with meds sometimes, which kills the worms, and I toss the worm in their mouth when they hiss at me or when I gently open it. It is pretty funny to see a cham go from being so livid he's hissing at me to calming down and chewing on a worm... makes me laugh every time. So there are options, but take care of yourself first emotionally so that you will make better decisions for your pets, and the older you get and the more you learn, the better those decisions will be

 

[nsxnr6]

haha yeah! you are super nice and helpful!

I am limiting myself already having to find new homes for my turtles. so i have a bit more space for my Chams I only have two right now but until I get another job and more feeders and start up a colony for alot of the food then i will consider more chams
thanks

I think you should really listen to the more experienced members here as well as your statement above and wait until you have gained some more knowledge keeping chameleons, and have an established breeding colony of <insert insect name here> before considering purchasing more chameleons. Just yesterday you were willing to give up the chameleons you currently have because you had a "food dilemma", and today you're out looking for more to add to your collection?

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=188156

 

[Syn]

Well that Fauna post is new information for sure. :s

 

[ajacobson]

alrighty! you think that you know what really happened to my house key go out and find it for me. I don't like you at all! look most of my friends would rob my house. I have many things that they don't. and becuase my mom doesn't have a credit card its against the law?! whats wrong with you! certain people choose not to own a credit card! and if you read correctly I was saying I will check out the prepaid visa card! and i if I loan my key to my brother he has the responsibility to give it back in the condition i gave it to him.

and just for you! I don't have a cell phone no house phone either! i did have a prepaid cell phone but ran out of time! so there you go you can call or text it 605-520-8252 have fun getting no answer and saying that its unable to make the call or text!

A) Get new friends. B)Also consider all of the information members give you and keep caring for your chams. I heard butterworms you can just keep in the fridge and they last for 6 or so months. Get a prepaid card, order it online and be prepared for when something else goes wrong. No one is trying to put you down, you are just a bit defensive when people offer up advice.

Someone asked what would happen if your cham needed to go to the vet for an emergency. What would you do? You don't seem to have access to get to a vet asap if it needs to happen. I think you should just plan out what you could do in emergencies.... good luck.

 

[ChameleonRave]

I think you should really listen to the more experienced members here as well as your statement above and wait until you have gained some more knowledge keeping chameleons, and have an established breeding colony of <insert insect name here> before considering purchasing more chameleons. Just yesterday you were willing to give up the chameleons you currently have because you had a "food dilemma", and today you're out looking for more to add to your collection?

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=188156

just FYI its for later on down the road... i don't plan on getting them right away, but later on down the road in a few months or years. but thanks for acknowledging it... and like i said i don't plan on getting it right away. I wanted to see if anyone local or in the US sells them for a good price. not rushing it may seem like it to you but im not getting them RIGHT away. so dont jump to conclusions... please and thanks

 

[Thompson]

Hold off on anymore chams. I know this feeling, I would love to buy a couple more chams but that means more mouths to feed and more money out of my pocket! Stick to just the cham you have now and later down the road when you have everything all together get another cham. I think you should wait a lot longer before you start breeding!

 

[ChameleonRave]

A) Get new friends. B)Also consider all of the information members give you and keep caring for your chams. I heard butterworms you can just keep in the fridge and they last for 6 or so months. Get a prepaid card, order it online and be prepared for when something else goes wrong. No one is trying to put you down, you are just a bit defensive when people offer up advice.

Someone asked what would happen if your cham needed to go to the vet for an emergency. What would you do? You don't seem to have access to get to a vet asap if it needs to happen. I think you should just plan out what you could do in emergencies.... good luck.

if it is an emergency I and my mom rush to the vet for our animals... we don't fool around when it comes to our animals health.

 

[ChameleonRave]

Hold off on anymore chams. I know this feeling, I would love to buy a couple more chams but that means more mouths to feed and more money out of my pocket! Stick to just the cham you have now and later down the road when you have everything all together get another cham. I think you should wait a lot longer before you start breeding!

exactly what i plan on doing! i don't like the sound of breeding it scares me a bit so many eggs! D: and the wanted add on the classifieds are for the future they stay on there for ages so thats why i posted it. i am selling and looking for other herps too but doesn't mean that i am getting them right away. first of all i have to get money (this goes to Syn) and more setups and supplies

 

[ChameleonRave]

You can't let what people say affect you and get you emotional... water off a ducks back, ya know? It sounds like you have been through quite a bit lately, so you don't need that. You are very passionate and caring and want to prove to people that you are a good reptile owner, but you don't need to prove it to anyone but your animals, as long as you are caring for them. You came here looking for help, some gave it to you, some were a tad harsh, but who cares what some people say, take the pertinent advice and ignore the criticism, because you know that you provide a great home for them (coming to this form to say you are out of food for a couple days proves that ), and you know they provide happiness for you. The most important thing is to take care of yourself so that you can take care of your animals. I have rescued plenty of animals that people have lost everything in their life, didn't seek help, basically "lost their minds" and just bailed. There is nothing more disturbing than walking into a home with starving and dead animals. So I'm just saying to take a deep breath, do what you need to do to keep yourself calm, then take care of your animals. You will find that it is very simple. Some people may not like this, but I make my animals eat if I know they are hungry and all I have are the silkworms in a can, lol. I open the chams mouth, throw the worms in, and they automatically chew. In fact, I have to stick dead worms in their mouths all the time because I inject them with meds sometimes, which kills the worms, and I toss the worm in their mouth when they hiss at me or when I gently open it. It is pretty funny to see a cham go from being so livid he's hissing at me to calming down and chewing on a worm... makes me laugh every time. So there are options, but take care of yourself first emotionally so that you will make better decisions for your pets, and the older you get and the more you learn, the better those decisions will be

Thank You for the help!!! You are soo kind!
I would never give up on my chams and starve them intentionally. or accidently at all! i will be picking up canned worms next time i get to Sioux Falls to Petmsart!