I gotta do it, I gotta ask the big question.....?

Question

I might come off as a jerk, but you know what? I don't care, it drives me crazy and I give what information I can where it's needed, but..........

Why do people buy pets that they have ABSOLUTELY NO FREAKING IDEA ON HOW TO KEEP? Honestly, people, would it have been THAT much trouble to get a dang book and LEARN a little bit about the animal you're about to buy and perhaps give a death sentence to because you have NO IDEA HOW TO TAKE CARE OF IT?

What happened to common sense in reptile keeping?

charstar.... contact animal control or whatever's in your area and get some live traps, send the cats to the shelter and maybe if the owners want them back they'll take better care of them... *grin* (I did that when I had a neighbor who fed the ferals...)

nolo8.... You might not think reptiles are like cats and dogs, but I personally can't remember a moment in my life when we didn't have at least a lizard or a turtle. People who don't know about reptiles might think "Oh, they don't have feelings." or "Oh, it's just a stupid reptile, you can't mistreat it." But you can. They don't interact with us the same way as mammals do, but they do acknowledge our existence, and they do know who feeds them. btw, I've NEVER flushed a lizard, they ALL get proper burials...

Mr. G. : You came home not only with the snake, but with books, this is wonderful, and I wish that everyone could say the same thing. But this whole "I just got a such and such, what does it eat/ what kind of cage should I have/ etc." drives me nuts. *shrug* When a new animal is taken into a home, it should be a learning opportunity for everyone.

moabmusher.... I know I'm lucky that I have an exceptional store in my town, but yes, the pet store I go to DOES make sure that new owners at the VERY least have a care sheet for the animal that they are taking home. Yes, it is -partly- pet stores, but I still think that it's more the ignorant people buying animals not only without prior knowledge of the animal but without the desire to educate themselves about the new animal.

Answer 1

Thank you, I love you, I rescue tons of reptiles a year and people tell me oh their healthy and active when I get them I feel like punching them and asking them if it hurt because their "healthy" pet is in more pain with it's missing toes, infected tail, respitory infections, mites and abcesses. People are so ignorant and lazy, they buy animals not knowing how to care for them properly or even what the animal is. It looks cool so I'll get it, that's all they think about it's sick how people can sit there and watch an animal waste away to nothing or suffer to death, but if it were a dog or cat it wouldn't be like that they would take it to a vet first sign it was sick. People are just really stupid sometimes.

Answer 2

people are just dumb. They see a cute little puppy and they can't resist so they bring it home. Then they go "oh, I forgot that puppies need to be house broken" or "I think my puppie is sick why doesn't it pee outside like the one I had as a kid" people are just so dumb when it comes to pets sometimes. They just see the little cute thing sitting there in a cage, and they buy it before they know anything about it. MY idiot neibor bought a horse because it looked unhappy being ridden all the time by it's last owners. OMG So to save the poor horse cause the person had it chained in his back yard not giving it grain or hay, they said It doesn't need fed, It's next to a tree and some flowers. That's what they eat. THE IDIOT. so I had to buy the horse off him and now I've had it for three years. ( I already had three so another didn't really matter)
I don't think people relize that a pet is as much work as a baby.
They need to THINK before they buy. I agree read a book. Ask around. Study the animal, make sure you have the time and the room, and then if it's rite for you buy one. But IDOITS make sure you can actually take care of a pet. and get some common sense! Thank you gal for posting this, I needed that. :)

Answer 3

They are things that can only be discovered after hundreds and hundreds of trials. And of course, strict restriction needs to be in place. However, because the basis of science is always changing due to new discoveries, we need to also have sympathy to the drug company as well. They are not miracle makers, they only try to make profits by selling something that they "think" might help other people. Imagine the world without antibiotics and other medication, how many people would have to die? If we agree that science can be changed, the drug company might not have an excuse of increasing medication prices because of law suit.Also if we look at any other area that has used the socialist system it has bogged down and failed to live up to its Utopian promise. No system is perfect but open and free market is the best out there.

Answer 4

Look around here: it's not just reptiles! People with 4 yound kids go to the mall & get a Chow Chow puppy for them ... and then ask what to do when the cute little pup grows into a big scary, biting, untrustworthy dog. Gee, because 1. they should NEVER buy a dog from a pet store, as it comes from a genetic cesspool puppy mill 2. Chows are NOT a good breed for kids & 3. They never had time or did one ounce of training or socialization for the pup.

Get used to it. I could say blame the pet stores, but CONSUMERS ARE RESPONSIBLE for their choices. Too many do not bother to educate themselves first to make wise ones, and animals suffer - from dogs, to snakes, to birds, to...?

Answer 5

I agree with you to a point.

I think people should not buy pets if they are not willing to learn how to take care of them if they don't already know.

My family is a perfect example, my son wanted a snake for his birthday. Before getting the snake, we had no idea how to care for one. When we got it, we also got a couple books (as you suggest) looked up snake care on the Internet, and asked people who have snakes for tips.

I think it is a better question to ask why people get pets and then do not take care of them.

If you are willing to put in the time to learn, I think getting an "out of the ordinary" pet can be a great experience.

"Jake" is now almost 3 feet long, eating great, shedding full skins, and teaching my family about snake care!!!

Answer 6

I so agree with you! have you noticed that we keep seeing the same questions over and over? doesn't anybody read?
We have quite a "library" on all sorts of fish, birds, reptiles and animals, we never buy an animal until we do all our research
we've tried to loan books to others for their new pets but I guess they are too lazy to read

Answer 7

The answer:

The people who deal in living things: The pet store people.

Would their question be:

"Do you know how to take care of this living thing?"

or would the question be:

"Cash, check, credit or debit?"

and: There is a discount on a 40 gallon tank to go with this iguana. Do you need a tank?

Answer 8

Mannn i find myself asking the same question. Not only does it effect the family and neighbors but the poor animals. Its cruel to keep an animal in a place that is not properly suited for them. These people end up hurting and sometimes killing innocent animals due to improper care. It makes me sad :(.

Answer 9

We've become an impulse-buying, instant gratification, "Have to have something way cooler than anyone else" society. Not to mention the "Why do I need to buy that (UVB light/ceramic heat emitter/calcium dust/viv with enough room for the animal to turn around in/ [fill in whatever]) when I just spent $### on the animal?".

(Personally, I agree with you 100%!)

Answer 10

People think that a pet is a fashion accessory nowadays and not a real, live ANIMAL that takes WORK.

Common sense is not so common anymore.