posted March 30, 2005 02:37 PM         

Perhaps the biggest sin lies with those that caught them in the first place. Lets remember of course that they do so for profit so we also have a part to play and not encourage this nefarious practice by buying them. Please think twice. Is your amusement worth the suffering?

Gia

posted March 30, 2005 10:25 PM         

Of course I'm not talking cats and dogs. I'm talking about wild, exotic animals that we keep merely for our amusement and not because we have their best interests at heart. This reptile has a tiny cage and a heat lamp. It's going to have a wonderful life I'm sure in the corner of her bedroom.
--------------------------
One does not become enlightened by imagining the light, but by making the dark conscious.

Carl Jung.

Gia

posted March 30, 2005 11:15 PM         

but would it matter if snakes-n-such are born in captivity instead of a wild reptile caught?

posted March 31, 2005 03:37 AM         

I've also been to many friends houses' where they'd have a reptile, like Gia explained, and I can't help but feel that these creatures are really living their life being alone 90% of the time, being fed 'who-knows what', and being played with by human hands.

Dogs, Cats, are fine in my opinion, they are very social, and enjoy the company of humans.
But little wild creatures have their own plane of existence.
I feel it's interference by keeping them for our own selfish purposes.
I've seen them in their element in the wild.
Someone also bought me a rat once too, and it escaped- I wonder why?

Anyway- it is right to be selfless and think of the animal first.

posted March 31, 2005 06:10 PM         

I'm not totally against having pets.
I also had birds when I was little, and the love we shared with them was beautiful, and I know they felt it, and that they were happy.
That's different.
All you need to do is ask yourself, and you'll know if you're doing the right thing or not.
We've all had very different and unique experiences with animals.

It's each to our own, and we cannot assume anything about eachothers pets!!!

As long as there's loads of love involved, it's ok in my book!

posted March 31, 2005 06:21 PM         

As for loads of love, it all depends how you would define love I suppose and perhaps how your animal would define it.

Gia

posted March 31, 2005 11:01 PM         

Here is some interesting information regarding reptiles:

Stephen L. Barten, DVM
From his Burns chapter, in Reptile Medicine and Surgery (Douglas Mader, DVM, ed. W.B. Saunders. 1996. pp. 9-19).

"Thermal burns may result from any source of heat. Heat sources that allow direct contact between the captive reptile and t he source, such as hot rocks, heating pads, or spot lights within the cage, are most often implicated in burn cases. Burns may be prevented by keeping heat sources outside of the cage or shielding them to prevent contact with the captive reptile. Backup thermostats should be wired into the system in case the primary thermostat malfunctions."
http://www.anapsid.org/hotrock.html

In closing...
If I sound negative at times, it is because I am. Experts estimate that between 50-90% of reptiles die their first year in captivity, on top of the 10-50% that died during the importation process. The reasons for their dying once they reach the importing country are primarily due to people not knowing what they are getting into, relying on inaccurate care information (including that provided by most pet stores), and not being able to afford the necessary equipment, upkeep and veterinary care (assuming that the basic equipment required is actually available in the country in which the reptile is sold).

Of all the animals kept in captivity, reptiles are the only ones who do not typically reach their normal lifespan. In captivity, most animals should live to-or exceed-their expected natural life span due to the improved conditions (regular feeding, veterinary care, etc.) and lack of predators. That this doesn't happen with reptiles is a tragic commentary on how poorly we understand and provide for these animals. If the pet trade were itself fully knowledgeable, if the people selling reptiles were honest about what it takes to properly house and maintain reptiles they sell and about the reptiles' eventual size and temperament, the reptile trade would not be the multi-million dollar business it currently is...

If reptiles were as cool and easy to care for as too many people think they are, then reptile rescue groups, herpetological and humane societies wouldn't be getting literally dozens of calls a week from people trying to give away their reptiles. Yes, give away. Besides the 20-40 calls every month from iguana owners who no longer want their lizards, I take calls from people trying to get rid many different types of reptiles (most common: Burmese pythons, red-tailed boas, large monitor lizards, aquatic turtles, box turtles). They generally call me after they have found that no one has beat down their doors trying to buy their reptile, and that the pet stores or breeders from whom they originally bought their animal, and zoos and wildlife educators and refuges don't have any more room for cast-off pets. Others are shocked by not being able to find a vet who will treat their severely ill reptile for free, or that there isn't anyone else out there who will pay for the necessary care for them. Besides the 20-30 iguanas a year I take in and try to find homes for (something that has become increasingly difficult as there are more people buying them than are actually capable of and willing to care for them properly), I have taken in or otherwise rescued: gopher snakes, ball pythons, Burmese pythons, red-tail boas and corn snakes; savannah monitors, gold tegus; bearded dragons, leopard geckos, tokay geckos, water dragons, and sailfin lizards; box turtles, tortoises, and aquatic turtles; and assorted amphibians. Most are suffering from some form of neglect and many are moderately to severely ill. Most come from people who never thought beyond merely buying the animal and sticking it in a (generally too small) enclosure.

Reptiles are not things. They are living, breathing, feeling (yes, they do feel pain and suffer from the effects of stress) animals, with the same basic emotions, nerve structure and needs that the so-called higher animals have. Whether they live only a couple of years or 150 years, they require the same commitment to their care and well-being as does any animal.

Reptiles are not stuffed toy animals you can just stick away in a garage because someone in the family thinks reptiles are icky, or because everyone's lost interest in it. Reptiles do not belong in garages, just as cars don't belong in the bedroom or family room. Sticking an intelligent reptile, such as a green iguana, in a garage is nothing less than cruel and inhumane. For some idea of what it is like being shunted away from family activities, or forced to spend your life in a cage way too small just because the humans refuse to provide you the space you need to ensure your health, please read my article, Imagine: A Visualization Exercise.

Keeping a reptile properly can provide a wonderful learning experience for the family. But so, too, can choosing not to keep one.

If you take away nothing else from this article, please consider this: do not get, nor agree to letting your child (or spouse or significant other) get, any animal that you are not willing to care for, provide for and support entirely for the rest of its natural life. Because all too often, that is exactly what you will be faced with...
http://www.anapsid.org/parent.html

posted April 01, 2005 08:02 PM         

I dunno, experts say dogs are "den" animals and they are naturally inclined to sort of burrow adn sleep in small cozy spaces.

anyway, my parotlett just killed/ hung himself on a toy in his cage. he got his beak stuck in between a ring and we came home to a dead bird. (adn I had a friend staying at my home to look after him in teh same room.) It happened in the middle of the night, which was odd.

posted April 02, 2005 02:39 AM         

But really - I don't feel like a frog would much care if he lived in a tiny puddle or if he lived in an aquarium with lots of food and other froggies to play with.

posted April 02, 2005 12:33 PM         

I'm not saying we can't enjoy animals, but why do we feel they need to purchase them like the latest handbag? To own them?

Again I am not talking about cats and dogs, but for animals who normally live in wild enviroments.

I think we can go back and forth on this one. I just pray and hope people think twice before they do it that's all!

Gia

posted April 04, 2005 10:21 PM         

I didn't realize I spelled it wrong

posted April 05, 2005 10:47 AM         

The prayers of the zodiac

ARIES: "Dear God! Give me PATIENCE and I want it NOW!"

TAURUS: "Dear God, please help me accept CHANGE in my life, but NOT YET."

GEMINI: "Yo God...(or is it Goddess?)...Who are you?...What are you?.....Where are You?.....How many of you ARE there? I can't figure you out!"

CANCER: "Dear Daddy, I know I shouldn't depend on you so much, but you're the only One I can count on while my security blanket is at the cleaners."

LEO: "Hi, Pop! I'll bet you're really proud to have me as your kid!"

VIRGO: "Dear God, please make the world a better place, and don't screw it up like you did the last time."

LIBRA: "Dear God, I know I should make decisions for myself. But, on the other hand, what do YOU think?"

SCORPIO: "Dear God, help me forgive my enemies, even if the ******** don't deserve it."

SAGITTARIUS: "OH ALMIGHTY, ALL KNOWING, ALL-LOVING, ALL-POWERFUL, OMNIPRESENT, EVERLASTING GOD, IF I'VE ASKED YOU ONCE, I'VE ASKED YOU A THOUSAND TIMES --- HELP ME STOP EXAGGERATING!!!!!!!!!!"

CAPRICORN: "Dear Father, I was going to pray, but I guess I ought to figure things out for myself. Thanks anyway."

AQUARIUS: "Hi God! Some say you're a man. Some say you're a woman. I say we're ALL God. So, why pray? Let's have a party!"

PISCES: "Heavenly Father, as I prepare to consume this last fifth of Scotch to drown out my pain and sorrow, may my inebriation be for Thy greater Honor and Glory."