Pet Store and Pet Ownership Horrors

[Android raptor]

Yeah, they typically eat fish and other turtles because there aren't too many mice swimming around in a pond

Yeah, I looked up some care sheets. Apparently in captivity they can eat many things including mice, but I highly doubt live mice especially are something they *need*. All the care sheets listed things like worms, crayfish, shrimp, fish, meat (especially chicken), and certain plant stuff first.

I mean I could see someone throwing a prekilled rodent that got freezerburnt or something in for them since they sound like they're kinda garbage disposals, but I don't think any good owner would go out of their way to live feed since there's so many other things they'll eat.

Other than sick fucks who live feed for shits and giggles, another brand of reptile owners that can fuck off are people who feed large constructors as much as humanly possible in order to get the biggest snake they can. A lot of these snakes just end up morbidly obese, which like with anything else can cause fatal health problems.

On the flip side are the people who underfeed large constrictors to keep them small. It does keep them small, but only because the animals are so malnourished it stunts their growth.

It just seems like being into reptiles exposes you to so much animal cruelty and mistreatment

 

[AnOminous]

On a related note, apparently seeking out snappers and killing them for fun is a somewhat popular thing to do in some places

They're generally considered a varmint and you don't want them around. Some people will pay to have them killed.

It's not nice to kill them just for fun, though they make an excellent soup.

 

[neverendingmidi]

I've done dog rescue, and the worst one I've personally seen was one that was covered, from head to tail, in lice. Every hair on the dog, and it was a long haired breed, had two or three things on it be it egg, larva, pupae, or adult. It was horrifying. Especially as the vet told us that an infestation like that would've taken a year or more to establish. And she was a puppy mill momma, I still cringe to think of the puppies. We took her up, gave her a bath in Rid, then took her to the vet's the next day and had her dipped and shaved right down to the skin. Then after they were dead we kept giving her baths and scrubbing with a brush to loosen the crap that remained stuck to her hair. Fortunately, dog lice aren't transferrable to humans.

Now as far as the rescue dealt with, that would either be the one that had maggots in their hotspots under matting, or the one with over 100 ticks that had to be removed. The pictures were appalling.

Also, pets turned in by the elderly had two conditions, so skinny they sometimes needed hospitalization, or so fat they were almost splitting their skins. Nothing in between.

 

[The Knife's Husbando]

They're generally considered a varmint and you don't want them around. Some people will pay to have them killed.

It's not nice to kill them just for fun, though they make an excellent soup.

They also will try to take off a finger while you're checking your trotlines. They love catfish.

 

[Android raptor]

They're generally considered a varmint and you don't want them around. Some people will pay to have them killed.

It's not nice to kill them just for fun, though they make an excellent soup.

I do wonder how much if that is actually justified and how much is myths/cultural biases. Venomous snakes are treated the same ways despite not really being a problem as long as you leave them alone (yes, even if you have kids since kids should be taught not to touch any strange animals and if they're too young to understand, they shouldnt be outside without close supervision) and are even beneficial since they eat rodents without also being a destructive invasive species like cats. Sauce: reptile sperg deeply immersed in the local amature and professional reptile sperg communities (in a venomous snake rich area at that).

I seem to recall hearing from one of my reptile friends that snappers are much less of a threat than people think they are, but don't quote me since I'm super new to them and their conservation issues.

On a vaguely related note, there was recently a think where some country singer made a post on FB about how his friend was bitten by a rattler therefore it's okay to kill them whenever you see them. The pic of his friends bite, as is turned out, was actually a pic of a bite from a north African snake that didn't happen anywhere near the time he claimed his friend was supposedly bitten.

I'm biased as fuck, but I think it's more than a little fucked to manufacture propaganda to justify and encourage animal cruelty.

 

[AnOminous]

I seem to recall hearing from one of my reptile friends that snappers are much less of a threat than people think they are, but don't quote me since I'm super new to them and their conservation issues.

They can be a huge nuisance if they get into a pond on your property. They eat the fish you stock it with, and bits of you if you're not careful.

 

[Magique]

Horrible story I had to share.

When I was about 16 years old, I used to play vidya at my friends home. He had that cute kitten he named Dark. He was gentle, loved playing and kept jumping at the TV screen whenever we played Smash Bros.

Anyway, I was at his home. Didn't saw Dark near but I thought maybe he was sleeping. It was when I got to his trash can that I saw that poor kitten. He was dead and smell like smoke.

So when I confronted my friend, he said he wanted to test something. He even filmed it. He fucking put Dark in his microwave and watch him as he died. He told me he loved doing " experimentation " with cats like this. And that his mother will send him a new kitten soon.

So I told him our friendship was over. Got out and told Peta about this right away. I really hope that kitten had justice.

 

[LazarusOwenhart]

Horrible story I had to share.

When I was about 16 years old, I used to play vidya at my friends home. He had that cute kitten he named Dark. He was gentle, loved playing and kept jumping at the TV screen whenever we played Smash Bros.

Anyway, I was at his home. Didn't saw Dark near but I thought maybe he was sleeping. It was when I got to his trash can that I saw that poor kitten. He was dead and smell like smoke.

So when I confronted my friend, he said he wanted to test something. He even filmed it. He fucking put Dark in his microwave and watch him as he died. He told me he loved doing " experimentation " with cats like this. And that his mother will send him a new kitten soon.

So I told him our friendship was over. Got out and told Peta about this right away. I really hope that kitten had justice.

Surely telling the local Humane Society would have been more productive? PETA are basically good for two things, publicity stunts and noise making. The Humane Society can prosecute for animal cruelty.

 

[Bugaboo]

Horrible story I had to share.

When I was about 16 years old, I used to play vidya at my friends home. He had that cute kitten he named Dark. He was gentle, loved playing and kept jumping at the TV screen whenever we played Smash Bros.

Anyway, I was at his home. Didn't saw Dark near but I thought maybe he was sleeping. It was when I got to his trash can that I saw that poor kitten. He was dead and smell like smoke.

So when I confronted my friend, he said he wanted to test something. He even filmed it. He fucking put Dark in his microwave and watch him as he died. He told me he loved doing " experimentation " with cats like this. And that his mother will send him a new kitten soon.

So I told him our friendship was over. Got out and told Peta about this right away. I really hope that kitten had justice.

Death via microwave is a horrible way to die.
Also I hope they tried to get a kitten from the humane society and they were all like "YO WE NEED A NEW ONE THE OLD ONE DIED RANDOMLY IN THE MICROWAVE" and they launched an investigation. But hell, they probably went out to a farm and got a free one

 

[The Knife's Husbando]

Horrible story I had to share.

When I was about 16 years old, I used to play vidya at my friends home. He had that cute kitten he named Dark. He was gentle, loved playing and kept jumping at the TV screen whenever we played Smash Bros.

Anyway, I was at his home. Didn't saw Dark near but I thought maybe he was sleeping. It was when I got to his trash can that I saw that poor kitten. He was dead and smell like smoke.

So when I confronted my friend, he said he wanted to test something. He even filmed it. He fucking put Dark in his microwave and watch him as he died. He told me he loved doing " experimentation " with cats like this. And that his mother will send him a new kitten soon.

So I told him our friendship was over. Got out and told Peta about this right away. I really hope that kitten had justice.

You're a better person than I am. I'd of ended up in jail & him in the ICU.

 

[Magique]

Surely telling the local Humane Society would have been more productive? PETA are basically good for two things, publicity stunts and noise making. The Humane Society can prosecute for animal cruelty.

At that time, I thought PETA could do something. Still don't know what happened with him.

Death via microwave is a horrible way to die.
Also I hope they tried to get a kitten from the humane society and they were all like "YO WE NEED A NEW ONE THE OLD ONE DIED RANDOMLY IN THE MICROWAVE" and they launched an investigation. But hell, they probably went out to a farm and got a free one

Worse, his mother is a cat breeder. Each years, she had new kitten she loved giving to people. She doesn't even sell them.

I still feel guilty of not seeing the sign. He had too much cat who had " run away ".

 

[Bugaboo]

Doing shit like that to animals when you're young is totally a sign that something is super fucked up in your brain. That chick's gonna have a sociopathic kid on her hands and watch the fuck out when he wants to see what it's like to hurt a human.... And this lady does not seem like the type to seek help for her son's troubling behavior

What did I do wrong? I only gave him countless cats to murder!

 

[Magique]

I know right? I'm just hoping he doesn't reproduce. If he can't care for a cat, what will it be with a child?

 

[SpessCaptain]

Saw this on my facebook feed. A three year olds gonna learn something real important about animal care and life VERY SOON.

Also I started up my tank myself today, it's a bit bigger than that size and I'm currently treating the water - suggestions on what to buy and do next? I am thinking of a fighting fish or some neon fish.

 

[Bugaboo]

Saw this on my facebook feed. A three year olds gonna learn something real important about animal care and life VERY SOON.

Also I started up my tank myself today, it's a bit bigger than that size and I'm currently treating the water - suggestions on what to buy and do next? I am thinking of a fighting fish or some neon fish.

I'm assuming you have a 10 gallon and you're cycling the water (which if done properly, will take about 3-4 weeks, many people buy a few ghost shrimp and feed them and do frequent water changes as well as weekly water tests for nitrates and ammonia, at the end of cycling both should be 0)
Once the tank is cycled you have a few stocking options
-1 male betta/Fighting Fish or 3 female bettas (must not have a power filter, a sponge filter should be used with a betta, power filters with currents can damage fins are injure swim bladders)
-3-5 neon tetras (these can be tricky and delicate, I'd skip them unless you want a challenge)
-3-5 ember tetras (hardier versions of neons)
-1-2 honey gouramis (requires a planted tank for maxium happiness)
-1-3 african dwarf frogs (a lovely choice, can live peacefully with bettas, tetras and gouramis but should be given hiding spots, it's a fully aquatic frog and requires no land areas)
-a small colony of small shrimp such as tiger shrimp or cherry shrimp (be careful, some fish may eat shrimp, check with ghost shrimp first to see if your animals will eat shrimp before spending money on more expensive shrimp)
-2-4 kuhli loaches (must be in at least pairs, social animal)
-2-4 Dwarf cories (cute little catfish guys)
-1-2Mystery Snails (these are cute and weird but require fresh veggies and cuttlebone to survive, they'll eat algae and some waste too, if you have 2 they will lay eggs above the surface, eggs can be scraped off and disposed of if you don't want to be a snail grandma)

Some of these fish may be successfully stocked together, a betta and 3 frogs, cories or loaches should get along swimmingly (heh) bettas must not be stocked with gouramis because the betta will kill the gourami, some bettas may be kept with tetras, but it does depend on the individual betta's temperment wether or not they'll be a snack.
Fancy guppies are also an option but they breed so fast you'll be up to your eyeballs in them

 

[RV 229]

-1 male betta/Fighting Fish or 3 female bettas (must not have a power filter, a sponge filter should be used with a betta, power filters with currents can damage fins are injure swim bladders)

Please don't keep any less than five female bettas together or keep a sorority in a tank smaller than 20 gallons. Anything less is horribly stressful for them and they may end up killing each other.

 

[The Knife's Husbando]

I'm assuming you have a 10 gallon and you're cycling the water (which if done properly, will take about 3-4 weeks, many people buy a few ghost shrimp and feed them and do frequent water changes as well as weekly water tests for nitrates and ammonia, at the end of cycling both should be 0)
Once the tank is cycled you have a few stocking options
-1 male betta/Fighting Fish or 3 female bettas (must not have a power filter, a sponge filter should be used with a betta, power filters with currents can damage fins are injure swim bladders)
-3-5 neon tetras (these can be tricky and delicate, I'd skip them unless you want a challenge)
-3-5 ember tetras (hardier versions of neons)
-1-2 honey gouramis (requires a planted tank for maxium happiness)
-1-3 african dwarf frogs (a lovely choice, can live peacefully with bettas, tetras and gouramis but should be given hiding spots, it's a fully aquatic frog and requires no land areas)
-a small colony of small shrimp such as tiger shrimp or cherry shrimp (be careful, some fish may eat shrimp, check with ghost shrimp first to see if your animals will eat shrimp before spending money on more expensive shrimp)
-2-4 kuhli loaches (must be in at least pairs, social animal)
-2-4 Dwarf cories (cute little catfish guys)
-1-2Mystery Snails (these are cute and weird but require fresh veggies and cuttlebone to survive, they'll eat algae and some waste too, if you have 2 they will lay eggs above the surface, eggs can be scraped off and disposed of if you don't want to be a snail grandma)

Some of these fish may be successfully stocked together, a betta and 3 frogs, cories or loaches should get along swimmingly (heh) bettas must not be stocked with gouramis because the betta will kill the gourami, some bettas may be kept with tetras, but it does depend on the individual betta's temperment wether or not they'll be a snack.
Fancy guppies are also an option but they breed so fast you'll be up to your eyeballs in them

I wish we had a very informative rating. Do you work in a pet store? You should.

A few years ago, a good friend of mine who is really into fish and aquariums was sans-vehicle at the time, so she called me up and asked me for a lift someplace- no questions asked. Okay. this makes me a little suspicious, but no biggy- she's done me tons of favors before. So I hop in my truck and head over to her place.

I get there and she looks my truck all over, and asks me if I have anything like a brake-light out or anything else that could get us pulled over. And also, BTW- when we get to where we're going, I have to sit in the truck- with it running- while she goes into dudeman's house by herself, and we're to avoid any and all cops as we drive straight back to her place. Okay. Now this makes me more than a little paranoid, so I call her out on it. I'll remember this conversation till my dying day:

Me: "Hon, if ya wanted some weed or something, all ya had to do was ask. I'd of brought it to you."
Her: "It's not drugs."
Me: "Oh, shit. Do you need a gun? Are you in trouble?"
Her: "No, it's not that either, but it's illegal, and no one else can know. I trust you hon, but look I just gotta go see this guy for a bit while you keep watch."
Me: "Wait. Are you hooking up with this guy?!?! Keep in mind I'm friends with your hubby as well."
Her: "Oh, for fuck's sake. It isn't that. It's just he's kinda...a dealer."
Me: "In. What.?"
Her (annoyed): "Dammit. All it'm trying to do is buy an Apple snail. They're illegal in this state."
Me (laughing my ass off): "You're asking me to drive you to a fucking SNAIL RUNNER?!?"

 

[Trans Fat 41g]

I have neighbors who I helped with their aging/dying Samoyed, and it crushed me and them all equally, as well as a few of the other neighbors who watch me walk her. I brushed her hair one time and I could smell the faint scent of almonds. That's a diabetic symptom. It absolutely punched me in the gut when I learned this is also a symptom of a fatal stage in diabetes with canines.

Anyways the lady of the house rescued a battered chihuahua from a shithole just around the corner from here, you know those crackerbox condominiums that all have the same industrial square shape? She also learned of a frequent customer at a Petsmart who was institutionalized over four times for neglect and abuse of over thirty cats and dogs. Sad thing is I thought of helping out at a local vet, but these horrors just... I don't know. I've dealt with a lot of fucked up realities in my life but this takes the cake.

 

[Bugaboo]

I wish we had a very informative rating. Do you work in a pet store? You should.

A few years ago, a good friend of mine who is really into fish and aquariums was sans-vehicle at the time, so she called me up and asked me for a lift someplace- no questions asked. Okay. this makes me a little suspicious, but no biggy- she's done me tons of favors before. So I hop in my truck and head over to her place.

I get there and she looks my truck all over, and asks me if I have anything like a brake-light out or anything else that could get us pulled over. And also, BTW- when we get to where we're going, I have to sit in the truck- with it running- while she goes into dudeman's house by herself, and we're to avoid any and all cops as we drive straight back to her place. Okay. Now this makes me more than a little paranoid, so I call her out on it. I'll remember this conversation till my dying day:

Me: "Hon, if ya wanted some weed or something, all ya had to do was ask. I'd of brought it to you."
Her: "It's not drugs."
Me: "Oh, shit. Do you need a gun? Are you in trouble?"
Her: "No, it's not that either, but it's illegal, and no one else can know. I trust you hon, but look I just gotta go see this guy for a bit while you keep watch."
Me: "Wait. Are you hooking up with this guy?!?! Keep in mind I'm friends with your hubby as well."
Her: "Oh, for fuck's sake. It isn't that. It's just he's kinda...a dealer."
Me: "In. What.?"
Her (annoyed): "Dammit. All it'm trying to do is buy an Apple snail. They're illegal in this state."
Me (laughing my ass off): "You're asking me to drive you to a fucking SNAIL RUNNER?!?"

I used to work in a pet store as a temporary thing for school, the only issue if I would work in a pet store is the blatant disregard for the lives of smaller animals like fish and crabs by a huge amount of people and even the attitude some people have about their dogs, yeah it would literally drive me insane.
After I got spider #2 I was told that tarantulas are actually illegal to own in my region. It doesn't seem to be a widely enforced law because there are a like 3 stores that sell them. The actual law is poorly worded and I think it was in reference to spiders who are dangerous to humans rather than all spiders. According to the guy I buy crickets from the only time anything would ever be said about it is if an officer from the spca came to your house and saw it, and in that event they would just tell you to be careful with the spider and not take it away.

 

[Ido]

Sorry to necro the thread but shit fucking blew up. I have a headache and I'm very emotional but I need to just get it out.

I had to tell a different relative not to bathe with her Bearded Dragon because that was unsanitary as fuck. The beardie now has a calcium deficiency but I will give her credit, she took him to the vet and got him the shots he needed. He's still not in the best shape, but at least she cares enough to get him proper medical care.

I took ^him off my relatives hands. The poor baby has really bad metabolic bone disease, he just started being able to move maybe a millimeter every few hours (if that, but it's something) and the only way I can get him to eat is to shove a bit of food into his mouth as he twitches. I let him soak a bit in the morning and at night, and I've been trying my best to make sure he's as comfortable as possible. I've taken him to two pet stores and a vet to get their opinions on him (I trust all the people involved), it's unlikely he'll be able to walk normally but he's improving. He's been getting better and I'm proud of the little guy, he's such a little trooper... but the relative I took him from doesn't think he's that bad, that I'm doing anything special, that she can do it better than I can, and has even told me. Multiple. Fucking. Times.

I was gonna stop at that, I had it all typed up yesterday, I got scared off of posting but then shit hit the fan.

I'd almost lost him about five days in, I'm pretty sure the MBD and the stress of a new environment just got the best of him. I told her this, she said "Maybe it's because you took him out of my house", her house is disgusting, she has emphysema and can't even breathe in the damn thing because she never fucking cleans. She's said that she can do shit just as well as I can, when all she's done is pinch at his (by a vet's own admission) "atrophying" legs instead of working them and making him stand up on them, as well as hanging him by his front feet at the top of his cage.

She's been trying to tell me that he's been doing so well for her, he was standing and everything was fine, trying to rub it in my face that she can do what I've been doing, even though she's had him for 3 years, he's had to go in for two different rounds of calcium shots btw (and it was only after my insistence that she even took him to the vet).

My family is going through a war, everyone's fighting with each other over the stupidest of shit (this relative is in the middle of it, instigating it all) and today she texted me, called me insensitive for taking him "under the guise that she was gonna get him back" and it hurt her, he's been in her family for three years now. She claimed it not to be a money thing but when I got on the phone with her she threatened to sue me, I told her to go ahead. I told her I'd pay her for him, she said $800, I said what ever it took, she then refused. We struck up an agreement after we calmed down a bit (I was crying), I'd get to keep him for two weeks and we'd take him to the vet to let them decide.

A few hours later I decided I couldn't do, I was way too stressed, if he was just going to relapse it would be better to not have to suffer for much longer, so I called her up and told her to come get him. She brought her neighbor (who's father just passed away two days ago and shouldn't be dealing with this shit) and blamed me, "I was just starting to find a positive him being with you, but you couldn't even give me a day."

I feel like shit, but I'm done with her.