Petstore husbandry

[Tinydino]

Today i went to my local pet store to pick up a few things for the furry critters in my life.
I noticed while there, that they have baby panthers
This pet store usually only has a few kinds of fish, the odd pacman and a rescue cat/kitten.
I noticed right away that the little Cham isnt doing well. Sleeping during lights on.
Incorrect lighting. No branches under the dome lighting.
Moisture build up on the glass. Substrate and too big superworms in a food dish on the floor. Etc.
I tried to talk with one of the employees. But honestly wasted my breath.
I have a veiled. So I'm not 100% on panters needs. Im thinking of going in tomorrow when the owner is around and talking to them directly.

i still have my veiled baby cage and spare lights.
Enough Cham safe plants to have a set up put together in 20 mins.
I also have lots of very small crickets. Because mine keep breeding.
Is it worth it to take on a potential lost cause??
heres a pic of the baby. It opened its eyes in time for the picture. Its tiny. Much smaller than my female veiled was at 8 weeks thats for sure.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Is it worth it to take on a potential lost cause??

Only you can answer that for yourself.

There are many threads in the archives about folks here who've done it or tried. As one might surmise, some have turned out positive and been rewarding (albeit potentially expensive with vet bills) and some have not (and may still be expensive in trying). Costs may not just be monetary.

I think anyone considering should establish some boundaries for themselves—both financial and emotional—how far are you willing to go and how far can you go? Once you hit those boundaries, you need to be able to let go.

IMO there should be no guilt attached to giving such situations a pass.

Best wishes whatever you decide.

 

[bbyoda]

Talking with the owner is a good idea. You could haggle down the price since you're probably looking at some vet bills. Mainly though...if you can help them change their husbandry for future chameleons and to better educate people who purchase those chameleons, that'll have longer term impact.

If they're completely unwilling to do anything to provide basic care for chameleons and still sell them? I'd give them a bad review on Google and shop elsewhere. That might get their attention.

 

[MissSkittles]

The care for panthers isn’t all that terribly different than that for veileds. I think higher humidity of between 50-70% for panthers vs 30-50% for veileds is probably the biggest difference. Panthers do grow slower and aren’t plant eaters the way veileds are.
If it’s a small privately owned business, you may have better success getting thru to the owner. I’m sure he/she doesn’t want the bad reputation of selling sick and dying animals. It’s very possible that he/she really has no idea about proper care of chameleons and that they are much more fragile to improper care. Write down the link for chameleon academy for the owner and even send them to Neptune the chameleon on YouTube.
As for taking on an ailing baby, only you can make that decision. It’s pretty much 50/50 if baby still has a chance or it’s too late already.

 

[Tinydino]

Thanks everyone.
The rescuer in me has a hard time seeing this kind of stuff.
I will have a chat with the owner today and see where it leads.
I mentioned it to a friend, but they didn't understand why I was "so worked up over a lizard"
if this were a cat or a dog, it would be a a huge problem.
These creatures arent goldfish. But even a goldfish deserves a certain level of care.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

If it’s a small privately owned business, you may have better success getting thru to the owner. I’m sure he/she doesn’t want the bad reputation of selling sick and dying animals. It’s very possible that he/she really has no idea about proper care of chameleons and that they are much more fragile to improper care.

Wouldn't you think someone in a position like that—in that business—would know better than to take on animals whose care they know nothing about?

Sometimes IDK if I give people too much credit (optimism) or not enough (pessimism).

"50% of people are below average."​

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I mentioned it to a friend, but they didn't understand why I was "so worked up over a lizard"
if this were a cat or a dog, it would be a a huge problem.
These creatures arent goldfish. But even a goldfish deserves a certain level of care.

It's a matter of where one draws the line. Where some will swat a bug () others will relocate it back to nature. Of those, some may consider whether the bug is beneficial or detrimental/invasive before acting.

Folks here are understandably more concerned/passionate/sensitive about reptiles and their welfare. Yet while we feed bugs to them, some will still relocate a non-feeder rather than swat/kill.

Don't mind me; I tend to wax philosophical when trying to examine both sides of an issue objectively/non-judgmentally. OTOH, I can also be as opinionated/passionate as anyone.

 

[Tinydino]

Wouldn't you think someone in a position like that—in that business—would know better than to take on animals whose care they know nothing about?

Sometimes IDK if I give people too much credit (optimism) or not enough (pessimism).

I actually applied for a job there last year. I own and care for a lot of animals. Fish, birds, rabbits.. anything on old mcdonalds farm.
I'm also a nerd.
My blood parrot cichlid is 15 next month for crying out loud. Haha

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I'm also a nerd.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! (There goes my again... )

" .... We're ALL Bozos on This Bus!"

 

[MissSkittles]

Wouldn't you think someone in a position like that—in that business—would know better than to take on animals whose care they know nothing about?

Sometimes IDK if I give people too much credit (optimism) or not enough (pessimism).

~Looking at you over the top of my glasses~
Didn’t someone famous say ‘the depths of human stupidity never fail to amaze me’? sounds like something Mark Twain would have said.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

~Looking at you over the top of my glasses~
Didn’t someone famous say ‘the depths of human stupidity never fail to amaze me’? sounds like something Mark Twain would have said.

Wasn't me. No, that was Reddit.

Einstein was alleged to have said, "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." but that's been called into question (at least the last phrase).

Einstein, Twain, and Berra ("I never said most of the things I said.") are all credited with quotes they may not have actually said, but funny is funny.

Historian Yuval Harari is attributed, "We should never underestimate human stupidity."

 

[Highway61]

....My blood parrot cichlid is 15 next month for crying out loud. Haha

Totally off topic and unimportant but years ago I had a Striped Rafael Cat that I brought home as a baby in 1994. He finally died in 2019!

 

[Tinydino]

Totally off topic and unimportant but years ago I had a Striped Rafael Cat that I brought home as a baby in 1994. He finally died in 2019!

I am so proud of my old dude.
He was a rescue from walmart.
Back when they still sold fish in the pet section here in my neck of the woods.
Brought him home January 2007.