# Research your pet!



## RonHays (Jul 28, 2012)

It pains me to see people who go into a pet store and buy a tortoise or tortoises on impulse. A lot Of the time they buy or find a all aquarium, throw sand and miracle grow pitting soil In it, buy tortoise pellets and feed them iceberg lettuce. Maybe on occasion, put a 100w heat bulb on a clamp and attach it to the aquarium. Then after the tort/torts health declines or dies, then they want answers and finally do an attempt to research the problem for a quick fix without taking the pet to a Vet. 

In this day and time, there is no excuse for that. The Internet is a very powerful tool and almost everybody has access to it. If you start a project or any kind of hobby, you don't go both feet knee deep into it without the research and and some guidance to do it right. Same goes for tortoises or any other type pet. A tortoise is NOT a coffee table showplace for your friends. It's a living, breathing animal that demands time and proper care. 

People are lazier now these days then they ever have been before. But it only takes a couple of hours away from your social networks to do the research. I'm not an expert at all on care and husbandry at all. But from the minute my wife and I decided to buy our first tortoise, we did 2 days of research before we went and bought her. 

Without this forum and the many members that have helped me from the beginning, I would be lost and probably would have a sickly or worse than that, dead tortoise. Thank you all very much for all the help and insight you have given me on proper care of a tortoise. Now I have 6 beautiful torts that are healthy and thriving. And I owe it to the people on this forum. Again, thanks

Ron


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## wellington (Jul 28, 2012)

Well said. Most of the people that don't do the research and are impulse buyers, will not only probably kill the animal because of bad care, but will get rid of it before to long. On their defense, just a little. Even though we do have the Internet. It is hard to figure out what info is correct and what isn't. I wasn't a impulse buyer. I did my research,which was very confusing and contradictory. When I purchase my leopard, I decided to listen to just the person I purchased from. I still kept researching to try and learn more and luckily, I found this forum. That's when I decided I had to not listen to the breeder and listen to this forums members. Luckily, I was able to start raising Tatum smooth, but not until after some pyramiding from poor breeder advice. However, pyramiding aside, he is very healthy and I don't think he would have been had I stayed with the first advice I had gotten. My point. Sometimes the info you get, that you think is right, after all, they(the person raising them)should know, right. Well isn't always the correct info.


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## RonHays (Jul 28, 2012)

You are correct. It's easy to get bad info. That's why people should check multiple sources instead of just one. Kind of like getting more than one estimate on repairs of your vehicle. But pet stores are partially to blame also. They're full of employees that dont have the correct info or knowledge and just want to make a sale. There should be a law that requires that pet store employees give a detailed care sheet with the sale of every pet.


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## Silferme (Jul 28, 2012)

Today there is no excuse for not doing your research but just few years back the "right" way to take care of your tortoise was quite bit different. Just for example, find some books about tortoise care which were "accurate" 10 years back (meaning that you find them from your local library where the books hasn't been renewed since 20 years back). 

Internet makes it easier to find good and bad info and the bad has not always been wrong, it's just old.


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## Lilithlee (Jul 28, 2012)

I think it's best to do all research before( like I"m doing now with blue tongue lizard I want) you get an animal. However, there are impulse buyers that do seek out info and end up being a very good pet owner. I have more problem with people whom get pets for their kids, and take no responilites in care and then once the kid loses interest the animal is other shipped off or is dead.


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## RonHays (Jul 28, 2012)

Lilithlee said:


> I think it's best to do all research before( like I"m doing now with blue tongue lizard I want) you get an animal. However, there are impulse buyers that do seek out info and end up being a very good pet owner. I have more problem with people whom get pets for their kids, and take no responilites in care and then once the kid loses interest the animal is other shipped off or is dead.



Or just turned loose into the wild.


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## Lilithlee (Jul 28, 2012)

RonHays said:


> Lilithlee said:
> 
> 
> > I think it's best to do all research before( like I"m doing now with blue tongue lizard I want) you get an animal. However, there are impulse buyers that do seek out info and end up being a very good pet owner. I have more problem with people whom get pets for their kids, and take no responilites in care and then once the kid loses interest the animal is other shipped off or is dead.
> ...



The state of Fl has so many probelms because of this!


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## RonHays (Jul 28, 2012)

Yeah I know. I've watched on animal planet the problem that Florida is having with big boa-constrictors that have been turned loose into the wild because they got too big and the owners didn't want them anymore. It's insane how many big snakes are in the wild down there.


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## Lilithlee (Jul 28, 2012)

RonHays said:


> Yeah I know. I've watched on animal planet the problem that Florida is having with big boa-constrictors that have been turned loose into the wild because they got too big and the owners didn't want them anymore. It's insane how many big snakes are in the wild down there.



I've seen the same program, but I also live in Fl can remember hearding about it alot. Not just snake, but birds too. People would let go their macaw, if they didn't want them thinking they would be fine.


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