Worth it to get a chameleon?

[Donatello]

Hi guys, I'm a chameleon lover and I really want to get myself one..
Have been saving quite a while to get myself a panther.But the thing is, I'm getting my car soon and maybe I should rather spend the money on the car?
I also like to go sleep out on weekends and I'm not always at home.
How do you guys find your experience with chameleons? Would it be worth it for me to get one? PLZ help guys.. I just dont want to buy the chameleon and not be able to give it the caring it needs or get limited and cant go anywhere because of the chameleon

What do you guys think?
BTW I'm 17 y/o

ANY advice would be appreciated

Thanks

 

[dc2ap2]

i would say dont do it unless you are ready to put the time in but if u get a misting system and light timers ,staying over night is no big deal as long as its not every night. im 27 and run a small glass shop and i work all week up early and like to play kinda hard on the weekends so some nights i dont make it home but all ten of my cages are on misting and light timers so if i dont get home the still get lights and watter

 

[eisentrauti]

Why not ? I don't now your financial situation, but chams are also not cheap. But if you really want some I promise you'll find a way to pay it all. I'm just 20, university student and I manage it always to get more chams

 

[jannb]

I have found that chameleons are fragile and expensive to keep. They also require allot of time with not only the cham but caring for the feeders and plants. To me; I love them and they are worth it.

 

[Dunnigan]

Get an automatic Misting system, it will make you life sooooo much easier, and it will make your chameleon happy too.

IMO leaving an adult chameleon unattended for a full day will not cause irreversible damage, just give him/her a long shower to rehydrate. They guy a bought my male veiled from told me that an adult , well hydrated veiled can go "a few days with out water" I personally have never tried this tho. This is also something that you should not be doing every weekend.

A young one on the other hand (anything under one year ish, depending on size), i would not be too comfortable leaving that guy unattended for a day.

I never thought of this, until i was moving out, but if you plan on going to college think about what you are going to do with you chameleon. These guys can live for years. If you plan on living in a dorm room chances are housing a chameleon will not work. And some apartments dont allow reptiles (maintenance guys love them tho...)

As far as finances go, chameleons are expensive pets. Between vet trips, feeders(esp when they are young!) and all of the other misc. things that pop up with these guys the $$$ really start too add up.

If you are finding panthers are too expensive, try looking at some veileds!

 

[Pure]

In the big scheme of things, transportation is way more important than a Cham. I'm not saying not to get one, but like what has been said, get a veiled or any other cheaper Cham. Compromise a little.

There really are a bunch of species that are worth keeping even if they aren't as colorful as a rainbow. If it's color you want, Veilds are the cheapest, most bang for your buck, Cham you can buy.

In the end it's up to you.

I do commend you for coming on here, trying to make an "adult" decision.

 

[Sang]

Having your self set up much prior to having the animal is ideal.

if you arn't home much, timers and a automated mister is a key.

make sure you have everything well before buying your chameleon.


as long as you balance everything feeders don't cost that much, especially if you can manage some kind of insect farm.

 

[beeze]

Do your homework. Spend as many hours as possible on here BEFORE you buy any cham.

 

[hallenhe]

They're expensive and time-consuming - for reptiles. But you would spend a lot more on a dog or cat during the animal's lifetime, and a dog would be more limiting on your being out of town - and countless people keep dogs and get perfectly used to providing the care they need. I've had chameleons for six years and, for me, it's definitely been worth it.

 

[chamelisa]

They are addictive. You have been warned.

 

[GooglezNvincent]

Its funny because honestly us cham lovers, well ill speak for myself, when got nothing to do and i see my beauties, i just cant resist and i hold them and play with them, which can stress them out if they are not comfortable with you. But chams are better off not being held, so if he does have enough money for feeders, misting system, lights, plants, light timer, drainage system, calcium and other supliments, and extra money for check ups if the cham needs it, oh and of course the cage and the cham, then go for it.
IMHO if you have healthy gutloaded feeders you give it every day or every other day and you have your misting system and lights right, its actually better that you are not around all the time.

 

[Gluuvan]

They are Wonderful pets the key i have figured out is having the proper setup, Once you achieve that the it isn't much more the 10 mins a day. Being gone a lot of the time isn't a bad thing, they do enjoy their quiet time, but spending time with them is very enjoyable. I do personally recommend the car first They have the ability to get you to and from school/work, which is going to provide you with the money. Which in turn will provide you with being able to supply all your cham's needs!

 

[chequepoint]

Some might disagree with me here, but I'm of the opinion that you shouldn't own an animal unless you can afford it, everything it needs, and a few extra hundred dollars that goes in the bank for vet bills. I actually keep a separate bank account for that. Every new animal means more cash in that bank account, or I don't do it. Thats me.

 

[GooglezNvincent]

They are Wonderful pets the key i have figured out is having the proper setup, Once you achieve that the it isn't much more the 10 mins a day. Being gone a lot of the time isn't a bad thing, they do enjoy their quiet time, but spending time with them is very enjoyable. I do personally recommend the car first They have the ability to get you to and from school/work, which is going to provide you with the money. Which in turn will provide you with being able to supply all your cham's needs!

Well he could buy the chameleon and then invest in a shrink ray, reverse its amplitude and then ride his chameleon to school every day. Its a good bully repellant too, they make yummy snacks!

 

[jojackson]

Depends how badly you desire a chameleon, is your heart in it? They do require attention, like a small green child.
If you can go the distance, in terms of time, fuss and expense, Then have at it!

On the otherhand, if its your first Reptile pet, and if you are unsure of how much commitment you can give, or how much you can afford to maintain it, then it might be worth considering another option until you are financially independant, or just better equipped to Immerse yourself in the hobby.

A snake will be cheaper to maintain in the long term (except vet visit if needed) , require pretty much no attention, other than supply of basic needs, eats once a week or fortnight, only craps that often, less cleaning, and you can party hard, without concern for your pet.

Any reptile you choose to buy will ofcourse set you back $ initial setup/housing etc.
Whatever you buy, try to ensure you start with the healthiest possible speciman, save yourself expense and problems long term. Never buy from a petstore unless its your last option.

At 17, you can afford to buy green bannana's! No rush. Learn as much as possible about the captive care of any reptile you would like to keep. You have time to save for something you really want.

Good Luck!

 

[Gluuvan]

Well he could buy the chameleon and then invest in a shrink ray, reverse its amplitude and then ride his chameleon to school every day. Its a good bully repellant too, they make yummy snacks!

That would be the most pimped out ride in the parking lot lol

 

[lampshade]

Dude, it's either a car or a chameleon? What are you getting a 85 Station Wagon; $300 for a car or cham isn't going to make or break the bank.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Some might disagree with me here, but I'm of the opinion that you shouldn't own an animal unless you can afford it, everything it needs, and a few extra hundred dollars that goes in the bank for vet bills. I actually keep a separate bank account for that. Every new animal means more cash in that bank account, or I don't do it. Thats me.

I agree with this whole heartedly. If you even have to think about the expense, you're not ready for a chameleon. If you're not so in love with the work involved with keeping a kewl to look at, somewhat expensive, very delicate animal that you cant touch much, cant play with, cant leave for more than a day with an exotic pet sitter, cant afford an expensive exotics vet,.... Get the car.

 

[Slofe]

They are Wonderful pets the key i have figured out is having the proper setup, Once you achieve that the it isn't much more the 10 mins a day. Being gone a lot of the time isn't a bad thing, they do enjoy their quiet time, but spending time with them is very enjoyable. I do personally recommend the car first They have the ability to get you to and from school/work, which is going to provide you with the money. Which in turn will provide you with being able to supply all your cham's needs!

This is what i've found. Once you have the setup right they're really not all the time consuming, expensive or majorly difficult to look after. As long as you do tons of research beforehand you'll be ok. The only major expense you'll have will be vet bills. Get a roach colony six months before you buy your chameleon, this is what I did. I bought 120 for £30 and now I have thousands of them, more than my chameleon can possibly eat! but it's a great way to save money on food for them. Just top up with different feeders when they get bored, which will cost you no more than $10 a month.

 

[eisentrauti]

They are addictive. You have been warned.

That's true ! And they need very much time in comparison to other pets