Pet World has a little 4 inch Red Foot now. What a sweetie it is.
In the absence of being able to buy every tortoise I see, I've made it my own personal mission to call out the manager of every store and tell them what needs to be done for the Torts in their care.
Sure they won't listen, and they'll dread seeing me come, but maybe after enough months they'll try to get SOME things right just so they don't have to hear about it.
So this little sweetie was COVERED with mites or something... little tiny bugs just crawling all over her neck and front legs and in the shell in that area. I showed an floor person and told her what needed to be done, but then I called the manager that was on. Unfortunately it wasn't the guy that has tons of torts himself, and this lady was like "I don't see anything but we'll soak her anyway." Turns out they've reused the substrate in that cage for the last several "residents" of that cage... so they need some clean substrate as well.
I'll go back in a few days and talk to the manager guy who has the torts at home. Make sure he gets things taken care of.
Or I'll be back. MWAHAHHAHAHAA!
(LOL!) Oh and I don't try to approach them all "know it all" like... more like "I understand you haven't had this one for more than a week so you really couldn't know what it came with and this is common so all he needs is a simple soak and clean cage..." blah blah blah!
(And maybe one day I'll go back for her.... but not for a month or two at least... and not if she looks really healthy actually 'cause then she has a chance of getting bought and not staying there for months and months and months)
Kelly,
I wonder if printing up some specific care sheets would help.?To have the pet store hand out when they sell them?
The pet store near me usually gets some kid to cover the "exotic" dept. Once in awhile it's one who truely has an interest and even less occasionally they get someone very knowledgable, but they never stay.I have been debating doing that my self.(Printing some care sheets) Do we have a spot on this site that we can post care sheets that can be printed from?I know I can go to other sites. I just hate thinking about when the people who have no clue buy them. Gee maybe I'll get the plastic dish with the plastic palm tree along with this little turtle for my kid..... UGH I could just scream!!!! Nay
Petsmart passes out care sheets, but they are always totally WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Care sheets are a great idea, I am planning on having some done for my WTTS site when I get it up and going. If so anyone is more than welcome to print them off and pass them on to pet stores, etc. Maybe Danny has some written or could be persuaded to write some?
So I went back to check on the little sweetie. They had taken care of the mights, and changed out the substrate (about time!) That was good.
BUT she wouldn't open her eyes AT ALL, not even a sliver. The day prior they decided to give her eye drops... since her eyes were watery. :\ I told the floor girl AND the manager that those watery eyes meant the tank (yes of course it's a glass tank) is not humid enough for her and all she needs is more misting/more humidity. But they forced eye drops on her and now she won't open her eyes.
IDIOTS! I hope they don't do more damage to her. :\
Kelly, I think I just heard something. What? What was that? Oh...I think it was a little tort calling your name! LOL
Dude I wish but my tort funds are more than spent this month! And they're asking a pretty penny for her!!! I hope she'll do okay for another month!!!!!!!!!
I recently had a similar experience but with a different outcome. Saw arf in alocal privately owned petshot kept in dry, cool enclosure ( this was roomy for change) being fed dry tort chow and lettuce. She had a small water dish. I spoke to the owner about proper care of a rf. He promply upping the heat to about 85, gave her a larger water bowl (large enough for her soaking), and a hide with dampened moss and said he would get proper diet for her and also research further about them. He is primarily a snake guy but concerned about all. Checked back a few days later and changes had been made. Some pet shops see that healthy animals sell well. He is about 1 mile from a Petco & Petsmart that can't understand why their herps don"t sell well. I wonder why.
Update on petshop tort. Friday when in to check on her and found her dry enviorment without hide (tort in hide doesn't sell well). When into horsetrader mode and walked out with her.Suggested setup was ideal for large male bearded dragon, which he said sell better. Okay. Put her in her new home, where she soaked for about 1/2 hour, gave her welcome dinner of necturines and collards (went for the collards immediately), and then settled into her damp moss bed. She is now a happy 4.5 inch rf.
Congrats Itort! So happy when I hear stories of rescue. You will have to give us some pics!
Congrats Itort so happy you ended up with her.
The scary part is this is one of the better shops in the area. At least she had room to move and was getting a correct diet but they didn't want raise the humidity. Hopefully they move the dragon in there and that would preclude another tort.
They still don't have the 4" sweetie set up right. She's opening her eyes now, but still has little mites or something crawling on her. They tried to talk me into getting her since she was on sale... 25% off of $255, which is STILL alot.... but I just can't this month. And I told them I didn't to get her because then they'll keep getting in new Red-Foots thinking "they sell" when it's just me getting everyone.
But I feel so bad for her. She deserves better, ya know?!
It is really aggravating that they don't take proper care of the torts. Then they give the wrong "care" information to people buying them. I know this from the experience of buying my first tort from a Petland. They gave me some fruity gel stuff to feed her, said she didn't need anything else. Not just that but many things they told me were wrong. By the time I figured out everything was wrong, it was too late. I think she was sick even before I brought her home. I take blame for a some of it for not doing all the research before I bought her. Although I think many people are naive(as I was) and think that the Pet stores will give you proper information. Also, with torts....I think most people (as I did) think that all torts are the same and don't realize the specifics each one needs. If I only knew then what I know now!Thats why I chose the buy the new tort from a breeder and not a pet store. I really wish something could be done about it, that I could do something. It's so sad.
*hugs* I know it's hard on you knowing she is just sitting there and not getting the treatment she deserves. Just remember, you are trying to help her. Your not just walking away and complaining to others about the store. Your taking an active role in changing things. Kudos to you for that.
Maybe next month when you do have the money, and she is still sitting there, you will bring her home with you. Perhaps by then with all your constant complaining, that a lone will make them think twice about ordering another one to sell.