My Pets @rosy-reptiles - Tumblr Blog

Word of advise from a former petco employee to new pet owners, take any information given by a chain pet store employee with a grain of salt. Rodents, reptiles, invertebrates, birds, and fish have very specific requirements, it's unreasonable to expect one person to know all of them. Employees are there to make a pay check, and that means getting you to buy as much as possible. Despite what the company might say, the well being of animals is not the main goal. And while we're on this topic, just because a pet store sells a product does not mean it's good for animals.

motch-ey

a team of the most skilled writers in the country couldn’t achieve the same visceral reaction to anything that this clip got out of me the first time i saw it

telltaletypist

landhermitcrabowners-blog

I want to address a growing trend in our community that is becoming quite concerning.

At the end of each tourist season, we see at least one person who has taken on far more hermit crabs than they can handle because a vendor, shop, or carnival told them they were going to put the crabs in the trash or turn them loose. While that individual’s heart is in the right place, we (as a group) are being taken advantage of and overloading our adoption program.

LHCOS aims to end the wild capture of hermit crabs for the pet trade. Our approach has always been to educate the public so they don’t buy a hermit crab in the first place. Decades of imploring stores to change or improve their practices has proven fruitless, there is a demand and stores want the money from meeting that demand. However, if no one is buying hermit crabs, and they sit in the shop for months, the store will not order more. Stores don’t stock products that don’t sell well and stores don’t restock products that are still on the shelves. These stores see animals as a product just like food or bowls. When they can’t move a product any longer they stop carrying it. It doesn’t happen overnight but it does happen. They don’t care HOW the hermit crab leaves the store, only that it moves off the shelf and now there is room for more.

Boardwalk shops, vendors, and carnivals are now engaging in what I see as destructive and predatory behavior. When they encounter someone who clearly cares about hermit crabs they use that to their advantage. They know you are a kindhearted person and they tell you they are going to put their unsold crabs in the trash or set them free, knowing full well you won’t stand by and let this animal that you so clearly love die. Now they’ve solved their problem this year, you have taken on the burden for them. Next year will they order fewer crabs? Nope. Why would they? You happily took the unwanted crabs off their hands this year and you or someone else will do the same next year. Problem solved―for them anyway. They are using our caring natures against us, causing us to bear the burden of dealing with dozens of hermit crabs. Hermit crabs that were taken from the wild but cannot be returned there. Hermit crabs they will have forgotten all about when next summer arrives and it is time to order more crabs for the season.

If you are told by a seller that they plan to release or dump hermit crabs you should calmly gather some information. Their name, business name, contact information etc. If you can get video footage or audio of them threatening to dispose of the hermit crabs that would be helpful. Don’t engage them or tip them off to your intentions, simply feign interest and collect the information you would need to get back in touch with them.

Now, contact your local Game Warden or Dept of Natural Resources and report this vendor.

Putting live animals in the trash is illegal.

Releasing non native animals is illegal.

Releasing an animal in a habitat in which it can’t survive is illegal in many places.

Encourage them to please go and speak to the person about the fate of these hermit crabs. Your local police department may not want to deal with this but the Dept of Game and Fish or Natural Resources WILL care. A visit from the local authorities or local news will be far more effective than you taking home 40 hermit crabs. Now they will be under scrutiny. Now they may think twice about ordering so many hermit crabs next year if they are forced to ethically deal with dozens of leftovers from this year.

No one person in our community has the ability to rescue large numbers of hermit crabs year after year. Our adoption program is not equipped to process that many crabs, nor will we devote our time and resources to aiding distributors and wholesalers of wild-caught hermit crabs. I cannot tell you what YOU should or should not do, but if you bring home dozens of hermit crabs, please do not do so with the impression that our adoption program will take on the burden of rehoming them all. Our program exists to help hermit crab owners, not wholesalers and distributors.

We must stand fast and be resolute in our convictions and our mission. We must stay focused on the larger mission.

I know it is SO HARD. SO VERY HARD to say no, I will not ‘rescue’ these crabs to help you. I will not feed the cycle of abuse.

LHCOS will not—and logistically cannot—serve as a dumping ground for masses of unwanted seasonal, carnival, or kiosk hermit crabs. That undermines all of our hard work spent educating the public and reducing sales. Why bother reducing sales of hermit crabs if we are just going to swoop in at the final hour and take all the crabs anyway? That just makes us an accessory to abuse and neglect and gives these irresponsible vendors an easy way out.

i-m-snek

What are the best resources for learning before breeding ball pythons? I have a few websites I’ve been looking at, but since I’m so new (and don’t plan on breeding for at least a year) I want to make sure I have the best chances with my ball pythons and the eggs, as well as the healthiest babies/breeders possible. Thank you!!

Mmmmm this is a tough one, because there's no one source that has all the info on breeding. Here are a few I've referenced when I first started though! Morphs with issues: https://www.owalreptiles.com/issues.php Pairing ball pythons: https://www.americanmadeexotics.com/breeding-ball-pythons-article.html#/ Incubation details: https://community.morphmarket.com/t/easy-fool-proof-egg-setup/105 If you choose maternal incubation: https://www.lllreptile.com/articles/203-maternal-incubation-in-ball-pythons/ Hope this helps!

youkaiyume

Home made Catio!

Tai got to play in it for the first time today!

I’ve been working on and off on a catio (cat patio–in short, an outdoor enclosure) for my kitties. I know at least for Tai Lung (my boy kitty) must get bored inside, so I wanted a way for him to safely play outdoors without worrying if he’ll get lost, run over, or be attacked by other animals. But professionally made catios are expensive! ($2,000+) and even store bought enclosures can get pricey ($300+).

Luckily, I found this great tutorial on how to make your own custom catio inexpensively and without a need for tools using wire cubes!

The materials, including the mats I used for the runways cost me around $100! (the decorations and foliage cost me extra, but I wanted it to look cute >.< ) Take note that I happen to buy the wire cubes when they were on sale at Target. But you can also find them at KMart or bed bath and beyond. The mats were bought from Daiso ($1.50 each)

I’m happy (and relieved) to say that Tai absolutely loves his new enclosure. He stayed outside for most of the day (until it got too dark and I lured him back inside with treats). Kona… well, she went outside ONCE and then quickly lost interest. Definitely an indoor kitty (can you tell by her old lady flab? it’s ok, I knew she probably wouldn’t get as much use out of it).

The cats can get in and out via the Kitchen Window. I removed the screen on the window, and to prevent them from jumping on top and escaping, I put an extra wire panel vertically for blockage.

It’s also great if you’re a renter like me, since it is relatively nondestructive and easy to take down if you ever move. Not to mention, it’s great if you have no carpentry/building skills (tools and me don’t mix)

If you have an indoor kitty and would like a way for them to safely bask in the outdoors I’d definitely recommend this method. And the best part is you can make it as big or small as you want and continue to build and expand later!

Again, if you missed it, here’s how you can make a do-it-yourself catio! CLICK HERE!

awanderbunch-deactivated2018111

Oh my gosh! Dipper would LOVE this. He’s lucky enough to be leash trained and able to hang around in the yard with supervision. But THIS would be so useful for when he wants to go out but I can’t take him.

knifedog

this is really great!! but the tutorial is down?? I keep getting 404 not found and I’d really like to send this to my stepmom for her 3 kitties.

lysspossum

I looked all over and couldn’t find the same article, but I found one that looks very similar http://toughkittypuffs.blogspot.com/2013/07/catio.html

zooophagous

Heads up pet keepers: zebra mussels have been spotted in Petco Betta Buddy brand moss balls.

If you don't know what zebra mussels are, they're an invasive aquatic species that reproduces incredibly quickly, to the point where it can damage power plant equipment and pipes, and also is a major threat to native mussels as it rapidly outcompetes them. They are a scourge on lakes across the midwest and spread easily on boats or other watercraft thats been exposed to them.

Finding one in a chain pet store item is BAD NEWS. These items are sold across the entire country and this has the potential to be a major spreader event. If you spot a zebra mussel on marimo or on any other aquarium plant please make a report to the relevant wildlife officials so they can be controlled. Do not dispose of any aquarium animal or plant in a waterway.

If we are vigilant, we can help keep our native mussels safe.