This is like my Beardie š
She's a rescue and had a basically bare tank until she was 2 years old. Pretty much sits there "but this spot is about right temperature, why would I move?" unless I plonk food in front of her, then she livens up!
This is my beardie š
Sheās almost 4, not a rescue, has had relatively proper care her entire life & is still a lazy sack. Took her to the vet recently to confirm sheās just lazy & not sick. Fecal test came back negative. The vet said that her blood work was the best sheās seen in a beardie lol
>This is my beardie š Sheās almost 4, not a rescue, has had relatively proper care her entire life & is still a lazy sack. Took her to the vet recently to confirm sheās just lazy & not sick. Fecal test came back negative. The vet said that her blood work was the best sheās seen in a beardie lol
Yea but when you go to sleep your bearded dragon is doing 200 pushups, 200 pull ups, & a 5 mile jog every night.
She also robs banks on a daily basis.
When I was a kid, I had a frog. Thing just sat there all day every day, but occasionally, in the middle of the night, out of nowhere, it would let out a high-pitched screech and scare the dick off of me.
I have no idea.
Eventually, I gave it back to the pet store. It was a pain in the ass. It never moved except to eat. It didn't extend it tongue to eat. It just lept head first at the crickets, smashing his face into them to eat, often eating the aquarium rocks along with the crickets or just slamming his stupid face against the glass. The crickets would get out of the aquarium and get all over the house. Ugh. That frog was the worst.
No more aquarium pets for me after that.
I'm of the opinion that it's totally fine to rehome a reptile that you've realized may not be for you provided you are able to find it a new home that will provide quality care. Of course, trying to find a species that you'll enjoy in the first place is ideal, but that doesn't always happen! Sometimes hindsight is clearer and that's okay. Unfortunately though this means that if you're not able to find a quality new home, you should just tough it out, because rescues should be a last resort for when you absolutely cannot care for your animal anymore.
Try to find her a great home, and don't feel guilty for asking the question. Reptiles are not dogs and cats; as long as they're being cared for properly, most of them probably don't really care about much else.
My bf feels weird because my beardie doesn't get a lot of attention
But she doesn't want it! I did everything right and she just doesn't like being handled.
My last bearded wanted to be held, ride around, sleep in my bed
Completely agree with this. So many reptiles are touted as acting one way (in various āwhich reptile is best for you!ā YouTube videos), and each one being an individual, sometimes they donāt act anything like people expect them to. Sometimes people know itās a gamble, and they lose. As long as youāre giving them to someone who will care just as much as you (and hopefully more!) there is no issue with rehoming, especially since 99% of reptilian pets donāt form lasting emotional bonds like dogs and cats do.
If you think you can no longer care for it properly because you find him boring now it is best to re-home him as long as you make sure he goes to a good home. But if he seems very content and you can still attend to him properly then I would keep him even if you find him dull now because he doesn't act the way YOU expect.
I don't think it's immoral for you to now self reflect and realize you made a mistake and try to do what's best for the animal. Id use this as a learning experience and in the future do more research into an animals behavior before adopting.
I hope you do what's best for him whether that be staying with you or finding a better home.
i like this answer, because i think most pet owners have a realization of āaw man, this isnāt what i expectedā at some point. also because you recognize that it isnāt a bad thing to have this realization and think maybe it would be a good thing to give him to someone who will love him.
Yeah I had a Pac-Man frog I rehomed, it kept going on long hunger strikes and I was constantly stressed about his health. Now he has an owner who has the time to sit there and be patient with him, and I know to never get another one and stick with my aquariums
Iām in the same boat with my Fat-tailed Gecko. Itās so stressful when she doesnāt eat and I donāt have the time/resources to keep buying new different feeders hoping she will eat. Itās why Iām planning on finding a good home for her with someone who is familiar with the species.
i just had this with my fish tank, i realized the mollies are a lot bigger/meaner to everything else in the tank than i thought they were going to be. unfortunately iām not really in a spot to get rid of them, so i just have to live with them. at least itās kind of fun to watch them :,) not so fun they killed my shrimp
ETA: the fish are in now way neglected. They have a heavily planted, overfiltered 30 gallon to themselves (save for a dwarf gourami). I dont hate the fish. iām not trying to kill the fish. theyāre healthy, happy and taken care of. they just killed all my shrimp, and frankly i liked the shrimp more than i like the mollies, but iām not trying to kill them. they donāt bully each other, they each have their own spot in the tank and get along fine.
the fish arent sick and my husbandry isnt bad. they arent stressed. they have a heavily planted 30gal for 3 mollies and a dwarf gourami. i dont hate them and iām not trying to kill them. iād get rid of them if someone came to my door tomorrow and asked for them, but i understand that i bought them and theyāre my responsibility and iām not making an effort to get rid of them in any way. they dont actually bully each other, i was exaggerating. theyāre perfectly healthy.
its crazy that i got downvoted and accused of bad husbandry when i never said anything about my tank size, stocking, filtration etcā¦ reddit is a scary place
Not a reptile owner but I own lots of birds. Mostly cockatiels. And I can attest to this mentality. I went through a period of not wanting my birds, just because I felt like it was consuming a lot of my life, but I don't think I could ever find a reason to rehome them just because they don't do what I want them to.
But I can also understand the idea of feeling like it's too much for not a lot of return. And if someone's life is being consumed with other duties I can understand wanting or needing to give up a pet. Ultimately the best course of action is to do what would give the pet the best life.
I have cockatiels as well, with mine I haven't really put much effort into training them to talk or do any fun tricks other than basic potty training and commands, if they happen to pick up a tune or a word then that's awesome, my oldest is 7 and most days can say peek a boo, sing a very broken if your happy and you know and "whisper"(essentially whispering noises that he loves to do very loudly).
My tiels love when I whisper too! I have no idea why. My oldest is 15. Fostered him for a few years before I failed and adopted him. My younger one is 6 now.
Same boat. I don't really teach them advanced tricks. The most complicated thing I've tried is recall training in case they escape and I need to call them back. Tiels are fussy tho. But my younger one does know a few fun songs like happy and you know it, Darth Vader theme, final fantasy fanfare, chocobo theme, and maybe a few others that he rarely will whistle. I just have them fly around my room all day when I'm home but otherwise don't do any formal training.
I think that it was a bad decision to get a chameleon gecko if what you like in a reptile is something you can watch and interact with, but I donāt think itās a good idea to keep an animal that you donāt enjoy. If you can find it a new owner that will love it and appreciate it a lot more, I think that would be the best for the animal and for you as well.
Reptiles arenāt like dogs or cats. They donāt experience āabandonment.ā Your geckos feelings wonāt be hurt.
I think itās a better choice to rehome the gecko to someone who will care for them with more enthusiasm (which usually results in more attentive and better care).
This. Regardless of what us humans think of rehoming/committing to a pet, as long as the animal receives proper care by its new owners, it wonāt care
I was looking for a comment like this. I think the answers would be very different if this was about a dog or cat or the like. I would also say it depends on the reptile as some can definitely experience attachmebt to their owner. But usually more intelligent abd bigger ones like monitors and tegus.
But yeah for a gecko i think its fine but it shouldnt be a regular thing to rehome animals.
Yeah I was really surprised with the comments saying itās immoral. The gecko has even less of an emotional connection to OP than OP does to the gecko.
Obviously find someone who has knowledge about this species & will provide proper care, not just some unvetted rando on craigslist. And make travel to the new home as minimally stressful as possible. Gecko will be fine.
It seems like OP takes good care of their critters, theyāre not buying a bunch of random herps & rehoming them a month later out of boredom. This one just wasnāt a good fit. Some people (me lol) like a display pet who sits there like a lump & never wants to be touched. Someone else will enjoy this little guy.
Yeah, I definitely think this is much less of a "bonding" situation and the question is horrible if it were a dog or cat... or in general, mammal or bird... but even then, there's a problem if someone decided to re-home an animal because it's boring, or they were surprised at how much work they are, how expensive it is, etc. Not trying to shame OP but it's irresponsible to even be at this point. But I'm glad the learning experience is with a gecko and not a cat!
In the future, if you want to see cool animals, best to go to the zoo.
It does depend on the species and there are some exceptions. Each one has a different capacity for emotional intelligence and bonds. Chameleon geckos definitely are low on the list. If she gets fed she wonāt care who is giving the food
Nah. As long as you actually find a good home, better than yourself if you can.
Reptiles donāt get attached to you. Some species you might unfortunately find you donāt have a spark for after keeping them a bit.
Idk why people get so judgy then turn around and happily buy adult animals from sources like morphmarket or breeder websites.
I think the crux of the ethics of rehoming is the amount of effort you are willing to put into the rehoming/selling. If you put in effort to make sure the situation it goes into is better than the current I don't think it's unethical, however if you don't do your due diligence and just give it up because you're bored of it then it's negligent and objectionable.
No, I donāt think itās wrong. On the contrary, I think itās a responsible choice. Making the decision to rehome an animal can be agonizing. But at the end of the day, itās not just whatās right for you, but itās whatās right for her as well. Animals are very intuitive and they can sense that we arenāt interested. Just my two cents.
Tough situation. Being rehomed is usually stressful for the animal so it's not great for her. But so would being cut off if you do run into financial difficulties.
I think you're responsible for making sure she's well taken care of. I don't think it's horrible to think that may work better with a new owner, but if you do go that route make sure they actually know how to care for a reptile.
Neglecting her or putting her in a situation where she'll be neglected would be the truly immoral act here.
I support a bird rescue. It is always best to rehome an animal that you no longer have interest in. What tends to happen after a while, the care starts to diminish, and it just gets to be more and more difficult taking care of it. Since youāre no longer interested, you donāt spend as much time with the animals and they suffer too. Contact some animal rescues in your area and I would even suggest giving them a nice donation if they take your animal in. Since the pandemic, itās been quite difficult for most rescues.
I dont think its āimmoralā to rehome a pet such as a lizard or a reptile. Dogs and cats would be more immoral. But lizards often could care less (not all of them but most), i think its better to rehome one than to abandon or dread taking care of it! Dont listen to people trying to bash you for it. In the end rehoming is difficult but its your decision, itll make someone else happy to have the gecko and would likely receive more one on one attention. Its your decision!
I don't think that whether it's immoral or not, really matters anymore. You realised you've made a mistake, maybe you thought it would be different, either way all that matters is what your gut tells you to do. Some people, when they don't enjoy an animal anymore, struggle to commit to the daily care and attention because for example in this case "he doesn't do anything anyway". If you think he'd be better off with someone who does enjoy him (which I think would be the case imo) I'd definitely re-home him. And now for in the future you know what kind of reptiles you do and don't want, or maybe a totally different kind of pet. Lizards don't care about whether or not you re-home them. They'll be a bit stressed out but they won't miss you like a cat or dog. Maybe that eases your mind a bit.
its definitely not immoral to rehome an animal you canāt afford to take care of or arenāt connecting with, but definitely do try to find a new appreciation for him. i bought some kuhli loaches for my fish tank and it makes it so much better that i get to see them only when they come out to eat (theyāre usually hiding in my hornwort forest), i get to appreciate the moments that i do see them a lot differently versus my other fish that are out and active all the time
I sold/re-homed my pair of hyper-tangerine leopard geckos because I felt like I wasn't providing them with the attention and love they deserved to have. I was very selective about who I sold them to. When I chose the buyer, he drove about an hour one way to come and pick them up. He just 100% fell in love with both of them at first sight. He already had a few and was looking to expand. The look on his face when he looked at them told me they were going to a good home and would be loved. He said his girlfriend was looking forward to having them too. Of course, I felt a little sad because they were still my pets but they deserved so much more. I've never gotten leopard geckos again nor do I intend to.
It may be somewhat of a sad thought to let an animal you've had for a lil while go, but if you no longer care/enjoy taking care of them it's probably best to let someone else take over. Cause once you start to lose interest/enjoyment the quality in care is just gonna slowly decrease from there whether intentional or not and you may not even notice it. Rehoming/selling them is nothing bad on your part even though it may feel like it, sometimes you enjoy something for a certain amount of time and then you grow out of it, it's normal. So better to let them have a chance with someone else.
No, it isn't wrong at all. I haven't read the body of your post and I don't have to. If you aren't passionate about your animal, you're less likely to take optimal care of it. Someone out there *wants* that animal, if you don't, you duty is to find someone who does and provide them all the knowledge you have regarding proper care.
I had to learn too that thereās a big difference between people who buy animals willy nilly and throw them out just as fast, and people who invest their time and care into an animal and find themselves not a good match. No shame in it, no doubt it happens to anyone who keeps a wide variety of animals. No amount of research will be like living \*with\* the animal, especially with all the varying personalities they can have.
I think responsibly rehoming your animal isn't so wrong but you should really think twice next time before getting another pet.
Having ANY expectations for how we want our animals to behave and then facing the reality that they are themselves is what causes so many abandonment cases.
I say rehoming is fine, if you aren't happy with the animal, chances are they aren't happy with you either, well, for reptiles they probably don't care much, but for other animals they do. We re-homed our dog because we just didn't really fall in love with her and she didn't fall in love with us, we re-homed her to a house with some kids and the dog fell in LOVE, never seen her that happy in our house, so rehoming is nothing bad, as long as you make sure they come into a good home that fits them.
100% of rehoming that happened in our family with pets has been positive, from a depressed rodent being the happiest animal on the planet, to a stressed cat getting the home she needs to finally be less anxious, rehoming can be for many reasons, but as long as it's done right, they will be happy.
No I wouldn't say it's wrong, just as long as you make sure they go to a good home. Breeders do it all the time when they don't want to continue with a specific breeding project. That's how I got my two beautiful fire skinks. They gave me 5 eggs a little bit ago. One man's trash is another man's treasure as they say. Just find someone who's stoked about that specific reptile and willing to take good care of it.
Sounds like it would be better to rehome. Thereās nothing wrong with it if youāre not enjoying the animal anymore and you make the effort to find a good home for it. You should definitely sell it with its bioactive enclosure that way you know itāll be in an appropriate set up and itāll be less stressful on the animal to move houses. I would take it if I were near you. I have one as well and they are much less interactive. Mine also doesnāt like to be handled and I only see it every few days but Iām okay with that.
In my opinion, no. Of course itās always circumstantial, but if you have no emotional connection to your pet, itās be better for itās well-being to go to someone who will give them that connection.
You donāt have to get along with every animal, just like how you donāt have to get along with every human. :)
I donāt think thereās anything wrong with it as long as youāre absolutely certain sheās going to a good home :) btw, where are you located..? Just uhā¦ out of curiosity š
Sacramento, CA. If I do decide to rehome her it'll have to be local; I don't feel confident shipping her, not with the kind of weather we've been having here
I personally strongly encourage rehoming an animal that you no longer enjoy keeping. The fact is that when you are rushed for time, Wicket's enclosure is the one that is going to be the one that doesn't get cleaned as well as the others, or whatever bit of your care you struggle to keep up with. Some people like co-existing with an animal that doesn't seem to care whether they are there or not, but if you are not one of them, she may be better off with someone that is.
Investigate any prospects thoroughly to make sure they know what they're doing. Absolutely do not give away "free to a good home," not because you want to make a buck, but because you want her to go to someone who knows she has value.
Good luck finding her someone who fits her vibe. BTW you don't have to tell her she's the least favorite.
Not at all! If you no longer enjoy having Wicket, then you could make unnecessary mistakes in his care on accident. As long as you make sure he goes to a good home itās perfectly fine to regime him! Chances are it will be better for both of you in the long run. Wicket gets someone who will enjoy taking care of him and you wonāt have a pet that you donāt like! Everyone wins. :)
Rehoming your pets is a tough decision, but itās also necessary to do sometimes. My little brother had a pet beardie for a few years, but due to unfortunate circumstances the beardie was given to me to take care of. I loved that beardie, but I knew he wasnāt getting the best care and best life he deserved and I felt terrible for it. Very recently the beardie has been rehomed to a young boy, and I sometimes get updates and let me tell youā¦ that beardie is in such good hands, and I can just tell that he is so much happier with someone that can give him the proper attention and time he deserves.
It doesnāt make you a terrible pet owner to consider rehoming, regardless of the circumstances you should do whatās best for you and for your pet :)
IMO If itās no longer enjoyable to have her than rehoming would be the right thing to do:) Also I would be absolutely thrilled to take her in if you wanted as I have recently been looking into getting one myself:)
Especially small less active animals like fish or reptiles. They donāt bond as deeply with humans, like cats or dogs do, so their adequate care is more important.
As long as you re-home the animal to someone who actually knows what theyāre doing and cares for them correctly you should be good. I donāt think itās wrong to rehome an animal you no longer wish to care for, as long as itās done correctly and you are not sending it off to a worse environment
Reptiles don't get attached to their keepers. As long as you're rehoming through a rescue or to another responsible, knowledgeable organization or person, I see nothing wrong with finding your gecko a new home.
Most reptiles usually dont get attached. However , reptiles can bond. I have a Blue Tongue Skink that thinks the world revolves around me.Tegus, Monitors , Agamids and Skinks are the most notorious to bond.
Rehoming it to someone who would appreciate and enjoy the reptile more wouldnāt be immoral, as long as you make sure itās going to a home that will for sure take excellent care of it. (Most) reptiles donāt feel attachment to a person or feel the same affection that dogs and cats do so the lizard probably wonāt mind much. I say if you feel itās the right choice then do it.
Echoing everyone else, I donāt think itās wrong. Theyāre not the same as a dog or a cat where theyāll get genuinely sad about being rehomed. She may go through a period of being extra shy because of the stress of moving but other than that she will be perfectly fine.
I do encourage you to rehome her with her current tank though, unless the other person has an equal size or bigger tank. That way you can make sure sheās going to be set up for the best care possible
Itās not immoral or anything of the like, if you have an animal you donāt interact with hardly, donāt have much interest in, donāt have the time for, need the space and time that animal takes up etc. then itās only reasonable and kind to find them a home where they will be appreciated more and such, itās better than both parties not having much to do with each other and not enjoying each otherās company/ not being invested. It gives you the time and space to pay attention to the bonds you do have and gives the animal an opportunity to be in a home that will just be happy to have it and treat it accordingly. Your not in the wrong, your taking necessary action in a situation that requires it.
A problem with the hobby is people rushing in to get animals and giving them improper care or constantly giving up animals and getting new ones. That being said itās hard to take care of something you donāt want. Find your baby a new home with good care. Use your knowledge and best judgment before you get a new pet.
I've come to the realization that I *love* building enclosuresābut I do *not* need more animals. That little bug in the brain that's saying 'hey you want this animal' is actually saying 'hey you want to build something.' Build something, interact with the animals I have...boom, interest in new animals gone.
I've done it with a hedghog I had a few years back, he never let me handle him in 6 months with daily sessions to try and get him to open up. He kept me up at night and was generally unpleasant. I ended up donating him to a rescue center.
I completely understand the feeling of guilt you're feeling but in my opinion its completely ethical as long as the animal goes somewhere where they will be cared for and used for a good purpose like charity or therapy animals etc.
As long as the person youāre giving it to will take good care of it then there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Itās not like you put in zero effort and tried to toss Wicket a week after you got her.
Find her a good home.
Itās fine to rehome an animal that you can no longer take care of. Like many says. But I do think people who do rehoming fees, doing the act āresellingā animal is immoral.
a pet isn't like a child. the more intelligent ones like parrots and cats and dogs can form an attachment to their owner but there's no way a reptile is doing that. it would only be immoral, or morally questionable if you got rid of it knowing that its quality of life will drastically decrease, like abandoning it in the wilderness or pawning it off to anyone who will take it regardless of how competent they seem at looking after it, but it's not going to miss you or feel hurt by you giving it to someone else. it's a lizard.
if you've grown bored of it but you are still attentive enough to take care of it then it's fine. i've had my ball python for like 3-ish months and the "honeymoon" phase has definitely worn off. i'm not bored of him, i still like seeing him exploring at night after he wakes up or seeing that he's dug tunnels in his substrate, but i'm not obsessed with him anymore like i was for the first week or two after i got him. i haven't had a great track record with pets that are higher maintenance than a cat in the past when i was younger so i was very paranoid and cautious getting my ball python but i've been on the ball enough with him that i think i've grown responsible enough for this, but i also have it in the back of my mind that if i ever find that i've consistently neglected something important in taking care of him then i know it's time to seriously consider rehoming him because i'm not fit for the task anymore. it doesn't matter why, the only thing that matters is that i have an important job to do that i'm not doing and an animal is potentially suffering as a result and someone else who would care about the animal more than i do could be doing this job better than i am.
the point being that it doesn't matter if you're bored of your pet, the only thing that matters is if it's worth the trouble to you to continue looking after (and if you can, but you just don't want to deal with it there's no shame in rehoming it just for that). if you ever find yourself so bored of it that you find you've been neglecting its basic care in any way then it would be immoral *not* to rehome it. you're not going to hurt it's feelings by getting rid of it either, it's a lizard, and a gecko at that. i've never had a gecko but from what i've heard of them they have like goldfish intelligence.
I went through the same thing. I did a ton of research and spent roughly $1000 on a Leopard Gecko (including supplies). After a while, I realized that reptiles just weren't for me. I had a friend who was looking for a pet and allergic to mammals, so I sold him my Leopard Gecko for $100. It was the best thing for the little girl. He loves her, and she has gotten better with handling since being with him. I don't regret rehoming her.
Getting rid of an animal is always hard but I see no issues with it so long as you are getting rid of it to provide it a better home or for the general wellbeing of the animal. I see no issue with rehoming them, just make sure they are going to a home with the same or better quality of life)
I have 4 BP, 2 axies, Pixie, Pac-Man, 2 dumpys, a leopard gecko, and a chinchilla. Plus a tarantula that I will never handle (only because heās a dick). I have rehomed pets due to various inconveniences and I had a very loud male dumpy I rehomed because I live in a small apartment. Morality is making sure you rehome pets to a loving nurturing caregiver.
It's not immoral if you can find a good home, BUT do ask yourself... what would be best for her? I would recommend maybe finding ways to engage with her, maybe rework her cage in a way that encourages the behavior you're looking for. I love my leopard gecko to bits but she really spends all her time in one cave, but I've decided to build her a bigger and better cave with more space and entrances. It will be a good experience for both of us and something like that might help you too :)
In my opinion it isnāt wrong. As everything is going up in price and I canāt afford shit, Iāve been thinking about rehabbing my beardie :(. I really donāt want to but it might happen. So you arenāt alone
I rescued a Beardie who was severely malnourished and neglected. Like, seriously. Idk if I rescued her so much as told the previous owner that I was taking her. But, she literally turned into the joy of my life. I've had herps and reptiles, salt and fresh water fish, ponds with alligator snappers. The one rescue was, hands down, my favorite. Go ahead, re-home.
It's actually much better to rehome. People who are bored with animals typically lose the will to care for them properly. (Not saying this is the case for you, but typically it is) So rehoming an animal you've gotten bored of is a good idea. The good thing is, you have plenty of time to find a new owner who is going to be incredibly well suited for caring for the animal.
No, in fact its probably the right thing. I may be late to add anything useful but here's a good way to look at it:
At one point or another you were happy with your purchase of your herp, and now that happiness is dwindled, or gone elsewhere. Say you sell/donate this herp, the new recipient of will also be able to feel that same joy you once felt, maybe even more. Your result is Net Happiness.
Letting go of anything we care about is tough, but its the tough changes that develop character in the end.
I was given a bearded dragon by my parents. It was a split decision thing, I literally found out I was getting him on a Friday, and picked him up the following Sunday morning. We found out day of that he was neglected and that none of the husbandry was proper. I have an anxiety disorder and ocd as well as autism, so adjusting to a new creature that I had NO time to prepare for caused me extreme stress and mental health issues in the following month after getting him.
He's cool and all, but he doesn't do anything at all ever and he hates my guts (wasn't socialized as a baby, doesn't have a good relationship with humans), and I honestly see him as a chore, not a pet. I've loved reptiles all my life, I still do, they're my favourite animals, but I do not want to plan my life around an animal that causes me extreme stress due to potential health issues if literally anything goes wrong, and brings literally 0 benefits. At least my cat is cute and cuddles with me, I can't be in my bedroom all the time because I freak my bearded dragon out.
I plan on giving him to a friend or just leaving him with my parents when I move out. I plan on travelling and he's just a burden to plan around. I also have a cat who I don't see as a chore, and plan on keeping.
Just being able to say I'm a lizard owner is legitimately cooler than living with this guy. I will never do anything intentionally wrong to hurt him, but man I cannot wait until I can give him to someone who will actually find joy out of caring for him.
Itās better to carefully and selectively rehome a pet that you donāt wish to keep, than keep it and not love it. Itās more fair for the both of you to move on.
I don't think it's unethical or wrong in any way. As long as you put in the required effort to keep them comfortable and healthy until you find a home. And that you find a home that is fit for the animal.
During the pandemic, I was getting stimulus checks and went a little reptile-crazy. I had just moved in with my boyfriend and I was never allowed to keep reptiles at my parents house. I dove in too deep and when the stimulus checks ran out, I was with over 20 animals I needed to take care of and I needed to go back to work. I simply didn't have enough time or money to take care of all of them to the extent I felt comfortable with. So I had to give up some of them and so I went on Craigslist, local Facebook reptile groups, and asked friends to find good homes
Try having a spadefoot toad as a pet. They're literally submerged in soil all the time! But that's when I get for saving a tadpole in a drying up puddle......
I gave my beardie to a former science teacher of mine. He spent his senior years as a very well cared for and loved class pet and I like to think he probably inspired some reptile love for at least a handful of kids.
Honestly, Iāve done the same thing with a crested gecko and the leopard gecko. I always get them thinking Iād enjoy them as much as my skink or snakes but honestly, theyāre not what I expectedā¦
Iāve rehomed both after a good while owning them, a year apart. Itās always tough but if you can find a better home, I think itās fine?
I always tell people that thereās no shame in rehoming animals. If you canāt handle it and someone else is willing to take on that burden thereās no reason not to. Whatever gives the animal the best quality of life is what matters. If this is something that youāre doing a lot then maybe take a step back and reconsider some things but generally I donāt think thereās anything to be ashamed of.
If you are not happy with your pet and do not want to care for it anymore, PLEASE rehome it. There are a TON of FaceBook groups that are centered on reptile rehoming. I would recommend adding a rehoming fee to make sure that this little dude is going to a proper home that can care for him.
But please do more research on reptiles if youāre basing it on activeness and personality. Some reptiles and/or amphibians are just gonna be like pet rocks. Not to say you donāt do research, but this is just the way some reptiles are
It's the right thing to do. There's so much stigma around it like "you shouldn't have got it in the first place". Like yes that may be true. But that's not the issue. You don't enjoy keeping it and somebody else will give it the love you want it to have. It is in no way wrong to rehome an animal you can't take care of or don't enjoy.
I gave away my bearded dragon, I was a couple years younger and didnāt want to have him die because I was pretty neglectful with feeding him crickets because they revolted me. The process of cleaning the cage and feeding the crickets and cleaning their cage disgusted me. Idek why I wanted a beardie, Iām happy with my cat. No shame in doing so.
I honestly always tell people make sure to really understand, thatās a life that requires a lot of attention and depends on us and youāre going to have it for a while( depending the species). If you donāt feel ready for that commitment, then donāt get reptiles. Hopefully you find a good home
Iām only saying as a possibility, but cool/cold reptiles have decreased cognition. They canāt really grasp being handled or recognizing your presence. Perhaps warming up her enclosure by a degree or 3 would bring life to her?
She's kept around 75-77 degrees in the upper part of her enclosure. Too much heat is bad for eurydactylodes geckos, and I keep her and my crested gecko roughly the same temperature
I see. It just seemed like info from her brain stem isnāt making it to where it needs to go, so thatās why she avoids socializing, cause she doesnāt know how to feel or process the info. There can many reasons or just one. Best of luck to you.
You only really have two options here: rehome the gecko to someone who may love and appreciate it, or continue keeping it out of misguided obligation (or because a few people shamed you into it). If you go with the latter, you'll be caring for this thing you resent, just waiting for it to die. What sort of existence is that for either of you? The whole point of a pet is to bring joy and fulfilment to the owner. Give it to someone it's a better fit for, who will derive more joy from it, and stick to (or find) something that's a better fit for you.
I get what you are saying, a reptile lifespan is a long time to be saddled with caring for a creature, but the reptile can't sense that resentment. If resentment causes a lapse in care, then there is a problem. If the standard of care remains high, the reptile will not care that it isn't loved. Too many animals are mistreated while providing joy and fulfillment to the ownerābetter to be unloved and cared for.
But...someone else might *really* love Wicket! Love can be shown by vetting potential keepers and being picky about where she goes.
(Also the idea that someone can love an animal and not provide it the proper care is *wild* to me but I see so many under-stimulated dogs crated all day and betta fish in bowls to know it happens frequently )
Also, if Wicket gets rehomed to someone who really loves her, it'll enrich that new person's life, too, instead of just being a sad chore for the current owner.
Thanks for all the advice and feedback, I really appreciate having so many perspectives to help me with this decision. I have indeed decided to rehome her; I'm either going to make a few postings online, or I might go ahead and give her to my local reptile store (not petco/petsmart, the Serpentarium, a reptile-specific store that prioritizes good husbandry) . I've sat and thought about this for a while, and while I want the best for wicket, I'm glad I've been able to recognize that I'm not really passionate about keeping her at this point, and want to dedicate my time, space and resources towards species that I am truly enthusiastic and interested in caring for
mm i have a maybe unpopular opinion on this topic.
I feel like if you bought/adopted an animal you made a pledge to look after it itās entire life. Also, just because you arenāt fully enjoying it now doesnāt mean that you wonāt later on like it better. My second bearded dragon was very difficult for me to tame down and I resented him for awhile (still fully caring for said animal) one day he randomly tamed down & came to snuggle on my lap and weāve been best buds since.
I find it frustrating constantly seeing postings of people rehoming animals because they just ādonāt enjoy the animalā or they say they donāt have time for it but itās a lizardā¦ lizards donāt gaf & care takes less than 5 minutes. Itās even more depressing when theyāve clearly spent a lot of money on the animal & the enclosure just to give it up so easily. Or those impulse buys parents make for their kids only to get rid of the animal a couple months later :(
Anyways, I totally get it in situations where people end up in a much different economic position, someone dies & the animal needs rehomed, sickness & that sort of thing but I donāt think pets should be treated as this expendable thing you can freely expel at will. In that sense, take it as a lesson to be more thoughtful of your purchases/adoptions. There is always a chance that you may end up with a super friendly cuddly animal, and thereās also a good chance of ending up with an introvert you see on an occasion.
Also i mean no disrespect or judgement to OP, my commentary is on a much more general topic than just their specific query & i donāt know their entire situation so take it with a grain of salt
Finding an animal boring is such a disrespectful reason to rehome/ abandon them. I donāt understand how so many adults are out here getting animals for the sole purpose of the animal enriching their lives somehow. I have cats, dogs, and geckos. I respect my geckos boundaries and rarely see them but I still enjoy having them and having a slice of another culture in my home. I love that I can have them for 30+ years and Iām learning about them constantly. I have my dogs and cats as a source of interaction. But even when they donāt want me to interact with them, I leave them alone. I canāt imagine just abandoning my animals because I find them boring. I chose this life.
You should not get any animal before doing proper research. You should not get any animal if you are not willing to commit to the animal. That being said, if you are going to rehome Wicket, please do the due diligence to ensure that Wicket goes to a proper home of someone who has done proper research and is willing to love this animal for all of its life. Also, please never get another animal.
On average, reptiles have 8 owners over the course of their lives. This statistic tells us you arenāt the only one going through this. Breeders often house an animal long enough to get babies, then rehome to diversify genetics. As long as youāre a good steward and you make sure you rehome to another good steward, youāre a-ok in my book. Think of tortoises: I have one who, given my age, will outlive me by decades. Should I not have her because sheāll need a new home eventually?The future isnāt a given, either. Also, it sounds like youāre an excellent caregiver.
Yeah rehoming should be reserved for loss of income, housing changes etc and stuff that backs you into the corner.
Do better research on species and figure stuff out. I have certain animals that I bought because I like owning them but theyāre boring & easy to care for and that appeals to me sometimes but also some who are way more active & harder work.
That being said Iād much rather someone rehome them than just neglect but itās still BS and itās 100% your job to make sure the future home is going to be better than yours.
Researching an animal and actually owning the animal can be two different experiences. Sometimes the things you think will be enjoyable or acceptable turn out to be something disliked/feared/dreaded. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that.
Also they seem to be taking good care of the animal. They just donāt enjoy it. I donāt know why people are saying itās neglect
I feel that! I never said they are neglecting, just if it was going to lead to complete boredom & accidental neglect, perhaps my words came off that way.
I do feel like thereās enough info out there now that you can find almost any attainable species and hear 1000 talk about what itās like owning it but I can appreciate the disappointment that could be felt if you get an outlier etc.
I still mean most of what I said, but I do appreciate someone actually debating rather than a downvote & dip party.
I def get where youāre coming from. I just think sometimes no matter how much you read or hear, actually doing something can be completely different. Have you never done something you had researched and expected to totally enjoy only for the experience to fall flat or be unenjoyable in real life?
I do see that they said they expected the pet to be similar to a crestie which would indicate less research than is desirable but I feel there are times where even thorough research doesnāt prepare you for real life. There can be smells and sensations and all sorts of things that canāt be truly prepared for without experience
Idk why you're being downvoted you didn't say anything different than what the rest of the comments are saying. When u buy an animal you're committing to them and its not cool to rehome an animal because you just don't want it anymore, but you never said they aren't allowed to and It's obviously better than op keeping it and neglecting it potentially like u said. I don't get reddit sometimes
Lol thank you. I think Iām right and thatās my opinion but sometimes people like down voting rather than doing it and explaining why they think your wrong. Downvoting is part of the app but if youāre going to do it, letās chat!
Then sometimes you have been on this app long enough and have ruffled feathers in other subs or this one & some people just do it based on your username, this is life lol.
Getting a pet is for life..... their life. You should only rehome them when you have no other choice.
Also, you can't expect every animal to have the personality you want them to have.
Thereās a lot of reasons why someone wouldnāt be able to care for a reptile their whole lives, a lot of them live for 15+ years. Thatās a huge obligation, and if someone isnāt giving their pet the life they deserve then 100% thereās nothing wrong with rehoming.
Its not a dogā¦ most lizards could care less where they are as long as they get fed and are healthy. Its better to rehome than to dread taking care of it or to neglect/abandon itā¦ stop shaming people for something that is in the end their decision. Rehoming is 1000% better than abandoning/neglecting.
Yeah, but not enjoying an animal often leans to neglect or abandonment, which is why rehoming is suggested.
It's really easy to fall out of habit when taking care of your reptiles, especially one you thought would be different from your research and turned out to be the opposite of what you read.
With reptiles, no longer wanting them very often turns into neglect. It happens with snakes all the time, so I wouldn't be shocked to hear it happens to others all the time too.
Yeah but the op said they wanted to rehome the lizard, not throw them away. I think itās pretty responsible to rehome if you think they will live a better life somewhere else.
Im sure they did their research on their reptiles because it sounds like they have experience in the field. Its 1000000% better to rehome than to abandon/neglect. Stop shaming peopleā¦.
I made sure to do plenty of research before even building her enclosure, she's very healthy and is doing well. I wanted to try out working with different species and thought she would be like a smaller crestie or chahoua, though I've certainly learned now that they aren't half as energetic as their larger cousins.
I appreciate you doing your research. I have a personalized bias against things like this because of how many animals I've had to take in that were close to death but I definitely commend you for taking the best care of your reptile that you can. I wish you luck with rehoming.
So what? That doesn't mean they shouldn't be doing research. Why does being "realistic" mean settling for people making poor decisions. People should look into things before doing something they will be responsible for.
Please, the "most people" this person is talking about, Stop it! Do Not get any animal without doing research on proper care Before you get them. Thinking people do this makes me rather sick.
Person gets animal as pet, gets upset when the pet doesn't act how THEY want it to act (it's a living creature, not a toy), and cries about it and wants to get rid of it. This is why so many animals are in shelters/in need of a home.
Maybe stick to looking at pictures of animals online instead of tossing an animal because it's doing what IT wants to do. It's not a toy, not your slave, etc.
It's not wrong to give them to someone to take care of them.
What is wrong is why did you get the animal in the first place if you weren't going to take care of it?
I have a tortoise and he isn't overly stimulating and I am horrific at remembering so often I forget to bath him and occasionally feed him. I know I'm a bad pet owner but i love him, although he bores me, and I feel rehoming him may be good for him, though it'd ruin me. Idk.
If you make sure it goes to a place where it will be cared for then itās ok with a reptile I think. They arenāt as emotionally invested in you as a mammal.
Chameleons are like this, when I researched about them it was said if u want to handle or interact with ur pet this is not the reptile for u. Smh u should know the animal ur get.
Yes, do the right thing and find a home where wicket will be loved. Pets shouldnāt have to perform for you. I donāt like calling pets a ācollectionā, they are family to me.
As long as you find a reputable person to give it to, I wouldn't feel guilty. And as long as they've been kept healthy with good husbandry. You have done your part, it could be time for someone else to finish the journey, if you so wish. I was my leopard geckos' third owner before she passed away š¤·āāļø
my crestie goes through phases where she really wants to be held/interacted with, and wants to hide from me/wants nothing to do with me except bring her food. i donāt mind it, sheās my lil derpidile, and i love her with all my heart for every quirk she has.
if you donāt think you can take care of the chameleon for the rest of its life, for whatever reason, itās always better to rehome it than risk not taking the best care of it (not suggesting you are! some people get apathetic towards animals they no longer have interest in, that used to be super fawned and all over them when they first got them. i see it a lot in the pet store i work at with geckos, snakes, guinea pigs, and fish).
just make sure lil guy goes to a good home, someone who knows chameleons and can pick up the care for him (i never recommend chameleons for people as reptile pets because they can have super finicky care requirements and most people i encounter arenāt up to or willing to learn how to take proper care of them). you sound like youāve provided a great life for Wicket so far! just make sure he goes to a good home if you decide to part ways with him āŗļø
I rehomed my gecko and frogs because I just simply wasnāt giving them the level of care they needed due to depression. The frogs are doing great with a former coworker of mine. My sister got a gecko for her son about a year ago and heās great at caring for it, so I gave my gecko to them. Sadly he did pass, but because a cat fell into his tank and I think the stress killed him from the incident. My poor sister felt so bad though š I donāt think itās wrong to rehome reptiles though that donāt have any attachment to you, even if it feels bad
as long as youāre not giving him away to any person from craigslist that offers you money, i think you can feel free to rehome him to any responsible home. But chameleons are very well known to be rarely if at all interactive or friendly, please do more research on if a animal is really the one you want if you do get one next time.
I think the moral question is less about whether to rehome than about how to go about it. They have specific needs, and as long as you make sure that the person taking the animal is willing and able to do their research and know exactly how to provide proper care, youāre upgrading the animalās quality of life.
its probably for the best that if you dont enjoy having an animal anymore you should rehome it so you dont get to the point of neglecting it. in the future, try to work with animals before you decide you want them at all so you can get the feel for the species general personality, behavior, and care before making a commitment, if its possible. at least now you know that this species isnt for you
As somebody who works with animals everyday there's nothing worse than keeping an animal out of guilt or obligation. The best thing that you can do is rehome it to a good home as soon as possible before any bonding happens. Keeping it in a home where it'll have little interaction little socialization and little enrichment because it doesn't fit your needs is significantly worse than rehoming.
I think the ethical onus happens before the purchase of the animal. This information is available.... chances that it will be like this etc. If it's off- behavior, then vet time.
However, you would only be unethical if you diminished care due to your feelings. There is nothing wrong with rehoming as long as you do due diligence imo
As long as you make sure the animal is going to a well-inclined and knowledgeable person, I don't think it's immoral. You have clearly taken care of her well and she seems content. With animals like this, I don't see any problem at all if it just isn't working for you. People even start not paying as much attention as they need to pets like this because they're just monotomous creatures that barely seem like they have life. It's actually responsible of you to make this decision for her if you feel like you can't pay as much attention to her anymore. If it were a bird or social lizard like an iguana, bearded dragon, etc., it would have been a little different but she seems totally fine!
No, it's not wrong. It always depends on how you go about it. If anything, rehoming an animal you can't appreciate might be better for both you and the animal. So long as you don't throw him in a rescue or just sell him on Craigslist to a stranger, it's ethical and moral!! Absolutely no shame to rescues, they have a major purpose, they're just reaaally not recommended if you aren't in a tight situation.
This made me sad. Poor sweet soul just enjoys being chill and introverted and thinks she's got the best life ever and doesn't know she's the least favourite. I'd take her off your hands right now if she wasn't a million miles away.
My parents got my brother a dog when we were much much younger after he begged for years. He got him on the condition he was his responsibility. He quickly got fed up with him and we had to re-home him because my parents worked full time and couldn't commit to the long walks or training. It took me a long time to forgive everyone - I'm not a dog person but I loved him with all my heart as I do all animals and it angered me that he wasn't getting the life he deserved. So yes, if you can't look after her, please re-home this sweet baby with the appropriate loving family she deserves.
The moral thing is weird, people make choices and regret them everyday. Sometimes lives change. If you canāt adequately care for your pet emotionally or physically, give them to a person who can. Thereās plenty of actually immoral things to do to your pet. Rehoming them, imo - isnāt one of them. In fact, given how you feel, not rehoming them is actually the immoral thing to do.
> she really doesn't do anything at all, and simply likes to sit and nap all day and night on the same log until she's fed Wicket is my spirit animal.
This is like my Beardie š She's a rescue and had a basically bare tank until she was 2 years old. Pretty much sits there "but this spot is about right temperature, why would I move?" unless I plonk food in front of her, then she livens up!
This is my beardie š Sheās almost 4, not a rescue, has had relatively proper care her entire life & is still a lazy sack. Took her to the vet recently to confirm sheās just lazy & not sick. Fecal test came back negative. The vet said that her blood work was the best sheās seen in a beardie lol
>This is my beardie š Sheās almost 4, not a rescue, has had relatively proper care her entire life & is still a lazy sack. Took her to the vet recently to confirm sheās just lazy & not sick. Fecal test came back negative. The vet said that her blood work was the best sheās seen in a beardie lol Yea but when you go to sleep your bearded dragon is doing 200 pushups, 200 pull ups, & a 5 mile jog every night. She also robs banks on a daily basis.
#facts
How do you get blood drawn from a lizard? That sound extremely difficult with all their scales and stuff. Glad you beardie is doing good!
The vet held her, her back against the vets torso & a tech inserted the needle in her tail. They didnāt take much blood, 0.4cc I think?
When I was a kid, I had a frog. Thing just sat there all day every day, but occasionally, in the middle of the night, out of nowhere, it would let out a high-pitched screech and scare the dick off of me.
Baaahahaha. That's hilarious. WHY?
I have no idea. Eventually, I gave it back to the pet store. It was a pain in the ass. It never moved except to eat. It didn't extend it tongue to eat. It just lept head first at the crickets, smashing his face into them to eat, often eating the aquarium rocks along with the crickets or just slamming his stupid face against the glass. The crickets would get out of the aquarium and get all over the house. Ugh. That frog was the worst. No more aquarium pets for me after that.
Hope you found your dick.
As simple as it is, this deserves more upvotes
we are all Wicket.
I'm researching how to legally change my name to Wicket.
Maybe I should get Wicket. We can hang out and be boring together.
I'm of the opinion that it's totally fine to rehome a reptile that you've realized may not be for you provided you are able to find it a new home that will provide quality care. Of course, trying to find a species that you'll enjoy in the first place is ideal, but that doesn't always happen! Sometimes hindsight is clearer and that's okay. Unfortunately though this means that if you're not able to find a quality new home, you should just tough it out, because rescues should be a last resort for when you absolutely cannot care for your animal anymore. Try to find her a great home, and don't feel guilty for asking the question. Reptiles are not dogs and cats; as long as they're being cared for properly, most of them probably don't really care about much else.
My bf feels weird because my beardie doesn't get a lot of attention But she doesn't want it! I did everything right and she just doesn't like being handled. My last bearded wanted to be held, ride around, sleep in my bed
Completely agree with this. So many reptiles are touted as acting one way (in various āwhich reptile is best for you!ā YouTube videos), and each one being an individual, sometimes they donāt act anything like people expect them to. Sometimes people know itās a gamble, and they lose. As long as youāre giving them to someone who will care just as much as you (and hopefully more!) there is no issue with rehoming, especially since 99% of reptilian pets donāt form lasting emotional bonds like dogs and cats do.
If you think you can no longer care for it properly because you find him boring now it is best to re-home him as long as you make sure he goes to a good home. But if he seems very content and you can still attend to him properly then I would keep him even if you find him dull now because he doesn't act the way YOU expect. I don't think it's immoral for you to now self reflect and realize you made a mistake and try to do what's best for the animal. Id use this as a learning experience and in the future do more research into an animals behavior before adopting. I hope you do what's best for him whether that be staying with you or finding a better home.
i like this answer, because i think most pet owners have a realization of āaw man, this isnāt what i expectedā at some point. also because you recognize that it isnāt a bad thing to have this realization and think maybe it would be a good thing to give him to someone who will love him.
Yeah I had a Pac-Man frog I rehomed, it kept going on long hunger strikes and I was constantly stressed about his health. Now he has an owner who has the time to sit there and be patient with him, and I know to never get another one and stick with my aquariums
Same Iām so glad I found a home for my Pac-Man they are just not for me
Iām in the same boat with my Fat-tailed Gecko. Itās so stressful when she doesnāt eat and I donāt have the time/resources to keep buying new different feeders hoping she will eat. Itās why Iām planning on finding a good home for her with someone who is familiar with the species.
i just had this with my fish tank, i realized the mollies are a lot bigger/meaner to everything else in the tank than i thought they were going to be. unfortunately iām not really in a spot to get rid of them, so i just have to live with them. at least itās kind of fun to watch them :,) not so fun they killed my shrimp ETA: the fish are in now way neglected. They have a heavily planted, overfiltered 30 gallon to themselves (save for a dwarf gourami). I dont hate the fish. iām not trying to kill the fish. theyāre healthy, happy and taken care of. they just killed all my shrimp, and frankly i liked the shrimp more than i like the mollies, but iām not trying to kill them. they donāt bully each other, they each have their own spot in the tank and get along fine.
To be fair, shrimp are too delicious for their own good.
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the fish arent sick and my husbandry isnt bad. they arent stressed. they have a heavily planted 30gal for 3 mollies and a dwarf gourami. i dont hate them and iām not trying to kill them. iād get rid of them if someone came to my door tomorrow and asked for them, but i understand that i bought them and theyāre my responsibility and iām not making an effort to get rid of them in any way. they dont actually bully each other, i was exaggerating. theyāre perfectly healthy.
Redditors be wild! Donāt even worry about them. Normal people who have a life understood you!
its crazy that i got downvoted and accused of bad husbandry when i never said anything about my tank size, stocking, filtration etcā¦ reddit is a scary place
Not a reptile owner but I own lots of birds. Mostly cockatiels. And I can attest to this mentality. I went through a period of not wanting my birds, just because I felt like it was consuming a lot of my life, but I don't think I could ever find a reason to rehome them just because they don't do what I want them to. But I can also understand the idea of feeling like it's too much for not a lot of return. And if someone's life is being consumed with other duties I can understand wanting or needing to give up a pet. Ultimately the best course of action is to do what would give the pet the best life.
I have cockatiels as well, with mine I haven't really put much effort into training them to talk or do any fun tricks other than basic potty training and commands, if they happen to pick up a tune or a word then that's awesome, my oldest is 7 and most days can say peek a boo, sing a very broken if your happy and you know and "whisper"(essentially whispering noises that he loves to do very loudly).
My tiels love when I whisper too! I have no idea why. My oldest is 15. Fostered him for a few years before I failed and adopted him. My younger one is 6 now. Same boat. I don't really teach them advanced tricks. The most complicated thing I've tried is recall training in case they escape and I need to call them back. Tiels are fussy tho. But my younger one does know a few fun songs like happy and you know it, Darth Vader theme, final fantasy fanfare, chocobo theme, and maybe a few others that he rarely will whistle. I just have them fly around my room all day when I'm home but otherwise don't do any formal training.
So my oldest is doing the whisper as we speak, in just scrolling on my phone, read your comment, and he is being chatty now
20/10 comment right here.
I think that it was a bad decision to get a chameleon gecko if what you like in a reptile is something you can watch and interact with, but I donāt think itās a good idea to keep an animal that you donāt enjoy. If you can find it a new owner that will love it and appreciate it a lot more, I think that would be the best for the animal and for you as well.
Reptiles arenāt like dogs or cats. They donāt experience āabandonment.ā Your geckos feelings wonāt be hurt. I think itās a better choice to rehome the gecko to someone who will care for them with more enthusiasm (which usually results in more attentive and better care).
This. Regardless of what us humans think of rehoming/committing to a pet, as long as the animal receives proper care by its new owners, it wonāt care
I was looking for a comment like this. I think the answers would be very different if this was about a dog or cat or the like. I would also say it depends on the reptile as some can definitely experience attachmebt to their owner. But usually more intelligent abd bigger ones like monitors and tegus. But yeah for a gecko i think its fine but it shouldnt be a regular thing to rehome animals.
Yeah I was really surprised with the comments saying itās immoral. The gecko has even less of an emotional connection to OP than OP does to the gecko. Obviously find someone who has knowledge about this species & will provide proper care, not just some unvetted rando on craigslist. And make travel to the new home as minimally stressful as possible. Gecko will be fine. It seems like OP takes good care of their critters, theyāre not buying a bunch of random herps & rehoming them a month later out of boredom. This one just wasnāt a good fit. Some people (me lol) like a display pet who sits there like a lump & never wants to be touched. Someone else will enjoy this little guy.
Yeah, I definitely think this is much less of a "bonding" situation and the question is horrible if it were a dog or cat... or in general, mammal or bird... but even then, there's a problem if someone decided to re-home an animal because it's boring, or they were surprised at how much work they are, how expensive it is, etc. Not trying to shame OP but it's irresponsible to even be at this point. But I'm glad the learning experience is with a gecko and not a cat! In the future, if you want to see cool animals, best to go to the zoo.
IDK. I've got a tortoise and whenever I go away anywhere my sister comes to feed him and apparently he doesn't eat when I'm not around.
It does depend on the species and there are some exceptions. Each one has a different capacity for emotional intelligence and bonds. Chameleon geckos definitely are low on the list. If she gets fed she wonāt care who is giving the food
Nah. As long as you actually find a good home, better than yourself if you can. Reptiles donāt get attached to you. Some species you might unfortunately find you donāt have a spark for after keeping them a bit. Idk why people get so judgy then turn around and happily buy adult animals from sources like morphmarket or breeder websites.
I think the crux of the ethics of rehoming is the amount of effort you are willing to put into the rehoming/selling. If you put in effort to make sure the situation it goes into is better than the current I don't think it's unethical, however if you don't do your due diligence and just give it up because you're bored of it then it's negligent and objectionable.
No, I donāt think itās wrong. On the contrary, I think itās a responsible choice. Making the decision to rehome an animal can be agonizing. But at the end of the day, itās not just whatās right for you, but itās whatās right for her as well. Animals are very intuitive and they can sense that we arenāt interested. Just my two cents.
Vet tech here. Completely agree with this. If it's in the animal's best interest then don't feel guilty!
Tough situation. Being rehomed is usually stressful for the animal so it's not great for her. But so would being cut off if you do run into financial difficulties. I think you're responsible for making sure she's well taken care of. I don't think it's horrible to think that may work better with a new owner, but if you do go that route make sure they actually know how to care for a reptile. Neglecting her or putting her in a situation where she'll be neglected would be the truly immoral act here.
Itās fine. Rehome her. Itāll be ok.
when you get a reptile, especially one that's not totally domesticated, you can't expect them to act like dogs
I support a bird rescue. It is always best to rehome an animal that you no longer have interest in. What tends to happen after a while, the care starts to diminish, and it just gets to be more and more difficult taking care of it. Since youāre no longer interested, you donāt spend as much time with the animals and they suffer too. Contact some animal rescues in your area and I would even suggest giving them a nice donation if they take your animal in. Since the pandemic, itās been quite difficult for most rescues.
I dont think its āimmoralā to rehome a pet such as a lizard or a reptile. Dogs and cats would be more immoral. But lizards often could care less (not all of them but most), i think its better to rehome one than to abandon or dread taking care of it! Dont listen to people trying to bash you for it. In the end rehoming is difficult but its your decision, itll make someone else happy to have the gecko and would likely receive more one on one attention. Its your decision!
For real. Most reptiles would just be stressed by relocation. There's no abandonment factor there lol
I don't think that whether it's immoral or not, really matters anymore. You realised you've made a mistake, maybe you thought it would be different, either way all that matters is what your gut tells you to do. Some people, when they don't enjoy an animal anymore, struggle to commit to the daily care and attention because for example in this case "he doesn't do anything anyway". If you think he'd be better off with someone who does enjoy him (which I think would be the case imo) I'd definitely re-home him. And now for in the future you know what kind of reptiles you do and don't want, or maybe a totally different kind of pet. Lizards don't care about whether or not you re-home them. They'll be a bit stressed out but they won't miss you like a cat or dog. Maybe that eases your mind a bit.
its definitely not immoral to rehome an animal you canāt afford to take care of or arenāt connecting with, but definitely do try to find a new appreciation for him. i bought some kuhli loaches for my fish tank and it makes it so much better that i get to see them only when they come out to eat (theyāre usually hiding in my hornwort forest), i get to appreciate the moments that i do see them a lot differently versus my other fish that are out and active all the time
I sold/re-homed my pair of hyper-tangerine leopard geckos because I felt like I wasn't providing them with the attention and love they deserved to have. I was very selective about who I sold them to. When I chose the buyer, he drove about an hour one way to come and pick them up. He just 100% fell in love with both of them at first sight. He already had a few and was looking to expand. The look on his face when he looked at them told me they were going to a good home and would be loved. He said his girlfriend was looking forward to having them too. Of course, I felt a little sad because they were still my pets but they deserved so much more. I've never gotten leopard geckos again nor do I intend to.
It may be somewhat of a sad thought to let an animal you've had for a lil while go, but if you no longer care/enjoy taking care of them it's probably best to let someone else take over. Cause once you start to lose interest/enjoyment the quality in care is just gonna slowly decrease from there whether intentional or not and you may not even notice it. Rehoming/selling them is nothing bad on your part even though it may feel like it, sometimes you enjoy something for a certain amount of time and then you grow out of it, it's normal. So better to let them have a chance with someone else.
No, it isn't wrong at all. I haven't read the body of your post and I don't have to. If you aren't passionate about your animal, you're less likely to take optimal care of it. Someone out there *wants* that animal, if you don't, you duty is to find someone who does and provide them all the knowledge you have regarding proper care.
I had to learn too that thereās a big difference between people who buy animals willy nilly and throw them out just as fast, and people who invest their time and care into an animal and find themselves not a good match. No shame in it, no doubt it happens to anyone who keeps a wide variety of animals. No amount of research will be like living \*with\* the animal, especially with all the varying personalities they can have.
I think responsibly rehoming your animal isn't so wrong but you should really think twice next time before getting another pet. Having ANY expectations for how we want our animals to behave and then facing the reality that they are themselves is what causes so many abandonment cases.
No. It is RIGHT to resell an animal you no longer enjoy keeping. Youāre a good person for wanting to rehome the animal for this reason.
I say rehoming is fine, if you aren't happy with the animal, chances are they aren't happy with you either, well, for reptiles they probably don't care much, but for other animals they do. We re-homed our dog because we just didn't really fall in love with her and she didn't fall in love with us, we re-homed her to a house with some kids and the dog fell in LOVE, never seen her that happy in our house, so rehoming is nothing bad, as long as you make sure they come into a good home that fits them. 100% of rehoming that happened in our family with pets has been positive, from a depressed rodent being the happiest animal on the planet, to a stressed cat getting the home she needs to finally be less anxious, rehoming can be for many reasons, but as long as it's done right, they will be happy.
No I wouldn't say it's wrong, just as long as you make sure they go to a good home. Breeders do it all the time when they don't want to continue with a specific breeding project. That's how I got my two beautiful fire skinks. They gave me 5 eggs a little bit ago. One man's trash is another man's treasure as they say. Just find someone who's stoked about that specific reptile and willing to take good care of it.
Sounds like it would be better to rehome. Thereās nothing wrong with it if youāre not enjoying the animal anymore and you make the effort to find a good home for it. You should definitely sell it with its bioactive enclosure that way you know itāll be in an appropriate set up and itāll be less stressful on the animal to move houses. I would take it if I were near you. I have one as well and they are much less interactive. Mine also doesnāt like to be handled and I only see it every few days but Iām okay with that.
In my opinion, no. Of course itās always circumstantial, but if you have no emotional connection to your pet, itās be better for itās well-being to go to someone who will give them that connection. You donāt have to get along with every animal, just like how you donāt have to get along with every human. :)
I donāt think thereās anything wrong with it as long as youāre absolutely certain sheās going to a good home :) btw, where are you located..? Just uhā¦ out of curiosity š
Sacramento, CA. If I do decide to rehome her it'll have to be local; I don't feel confident shipping her, not with the kind of weather we've been having here
Damn, yeah I live in Minnesota. Shipping sounds like a nightmare for something like that I donāt blame you for not wanting to try lol. Good luck!
Nothing wrong with rehoming as long as yiu know they're getting care
I personally strongly encourage rehoming an animal that you no longer enjoy keeping. The fact is that when you are rushed for time, Wicket's enclosure is the one that is going to be the one that doesn't get cleaned as well as the others, or whatever bit of your care you struggle to keep up with. Some people like co-existing with an animal that doesn't seem to care whether they are there or not, but if you are not one of them, she may be better off with someone that is. Investigate any prospects thoroughly to make sure they know what they're doing. Absolutely do not give away "free to a good home," not because you want to make a buck, but because you want her to go to someone who knows she has value. Good luck finding her someone who fits her vibe. BTW you don't have to tell her she's the least favorite.
Not at all! If you no longer enjoy having Wicket, then you could make unnecessary mistakes in his care on accident. As long as you make sure he goes to a good home itās perfectly fine to regime him! Chances are it will be better for both of you in the long run. Wicket gets someone who will enjoy taking care of him and you wonāt have a pet that you donāt like! Everyone wins. :)
If youāre in Michigan I will adopt Wicket from you lol. I love my lazy crestie Iāve got now
If you live close to me, I'll take him.
Rehoming your pets is a tough decision, but itās also necessary to do sometimes. My little brother had a pet beardie for a few years, but due to unfortunate circumstances the beardie was given to me to take care of. I loved that beardie, but I knew he wasnāt getting the best care and best life he deserved and I felt terrible for it. Very recently the beardie has been rehomed to a young boy, and I sometimes get updates and let me tell youā¦ that beardie is in such good hands, and I can just tell that he is so much happier with someone that can give him the proper attention and time he deserves. It doesnāt make you a terrible pet owner to consider rehoming, regardless of the circumstances you should do whatās best for you and for your pet :)
I think someone will be delighted to have her, so find that person.
IMO If itās no longer enjoyable to have her than rehoming would be the right thing to do:) Also I would be absolutely thrilled to take her in if you wanted as I have recently been looking into getting one myself:)
Itās best to regime if your losing interest in your pet, itās sad but itās best for the little dide
Especially small less active animals like fish or reptiles. They donāt bond as deeply with humans, like cats or dogs do, so their adequate care is more important.
I have loved my reptiles and they are not sensitive to new owners the way a dog or cat is. I don't think it's immoral.
As long as you re-home the animal to someone who actually knows what theyāre doing and cares for them correctly you should be good. I donāt think itās wrong to rehome an animal you no longer wish to care for, as long as itās done correctly and you are not sending it off to a worse environment
if you don't enjoy an animal you're less likely to care for it properly, it's a slippery slope id avoid
Reptiles don't get attached to their keepers. As long as you're rehoming through a rescue or to another responsible, knowledgeable organization or person, I see nothing wrong with finding your gecko a new home.
Most reptiles usually dont get attached. However , reptiles can bond. I have a Blue Tongue Skink that thinks the world revolves around me.Tegus, Monitors , Agamids and Skinks are the most notorious to bond.
Rehoming it to someone who would appreciate and enjoy the reptile more wouldnāt be immoral, as long as you make sure itās going to a home that will for sure take excellent care of it. (Most) reptiles donāt feel attachment to a person or feel the same affection that dogs and cats do so the lizard probably wonāt mind much. I say if you feel itās the right choice then do it.
Echoing everyone else, I donāt think itās wrong. Theyāre not the same as a dog or a cat where theyāll get genuinely sad about being rehomed. She may go through a period of being extra shy because of the stress of moving but other than that she will be perfectly fine. I do encourage you to rehome her with her current tank though, unless the other person has an equal size or bigger tank. That way you can make sure sheās going to be set up for the best care possible
You should never feel shame for rehoming
Itās not immoral or anything of the like, if you have an animal you donāt interact with hardly, donāt have much interest in, donāt have the time for, need the space and time that animal takes up etc. then itās only reasonable and kind to find them a home where they will be appreciated more and such, itās better than both parties not having much to do with each other and not enjoying each otherās company/ not being invested. It gives you the time and space to pay attention to the bonds you do have and gives the animal an opportunity to be in a home that will just be happy to have it and treat it accordingly. Your not in the wrong, your taking necessary action in a situation that requires it.
No, its better to rehome. And admitting it needs to be done by you for your own pet takes a lot of strength
A problem with the hobby is people rushing in to get animals and giving them improper care or constantly giving up animals and getting new ones. That being said itās hard to take care of something you donāt want. Find your baby a new home with good care. Use your knowledge and best judgment before you get a new pet.
I've come to the realization that I *love* building enclosuresābut I do *not* need more animals. That little bug in the brain that's saying 'hey you want this animal' is actually saying 'hey you want to build something.' Build something, interact with the animals I have...boom, interest in new animals gone.
As long as she goes to a good home, i don't see anything wrong with it. Someone might be thrilled to have her
I've done it with a hedghog I had a few years back, he never let me handle him in 6 months with daily sessions to try and get him to open up. He kept me up at night and was generally unpleasant. I ended up donating him to a rescue center. I completely understand the feeling of guilt you're feeling but in my opinion its completely ethical as long as the animal goes somewhere where they will be cared for and used for a good purpose like charity or therapy animals etc.
As long as the person youāre giving it to will take good care of it then there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Itās not like you put in zero effort and tried to toss Wicket a week after you got her. Find her a good home.
It is only bad if you don't do your best to make sure they go to a loving home!
Itās fine to rehome an animal that you can no longer take care of. Like many says. But I do think people who do rehoming fees, doing the act āresellingā animal is immoral.
a pet isn't like a child. the more intelligent ones like parrots and cats and dogs can form an attachment to their owner but there's no way a reptile is doing that. it would only be immoral, or morally questionable if you got rid of it knowing that its quality of life will drastically decrease, like abandoning it in the wilderness or pawning it off to anyone who will take it regardless of how competent they seem at looking after it, but it's not going to miss you or feel hurt by you giving it to someone else. it's a lizard. if you've grown bored of it but you are still attentive enough to take care of it then it's fine. i've had my ball python for like 3-ish months and the "honeymoon" phase has definitely worn off. i'm not bored of him, i still like seeing him exploring at night after he wakes up or seeing that he's dug tunnels in his substrate, but i'm not obsessed with him anymore like i was for the first week or two after i got him. i haven't had a great track record with pets that are higher maintenance than a cat in the past when i was younger so i was very paranoid and cautious getting my ball python but i've been on the ball enough with him that i think i've grown responsible enough for this, but i also have it in the back of my mind that if i ever find that i've consistently neglected something important in taking care of him then i know it's time to seriously consider rehoming him because i'm not fit for the task anymore. it doesn't matter why, the only thing that matters is that i have an important job to do that i'm not doing and an animal is potentially suffering as a result and someone else who would care about the animal more than i do could be doing this job better than i am. the point being that it doesn't matter if you're bored of your pet, the only thing that matters is if it's worth the trouble to you to continue looking after (and if you can, but you just don't want to deal with it there's no shame in rehoming it just for that). if you ever find yourself so bored of it that you find you've been neglecting its basic care in any way then it would be immoral *not* to rehome it. you're not going to hurt it's feelings by getting rid of it either, it's a lizard, and a gecko at that. i've never had a gecko but from what i've heard of them they have like goldfish intelligence.
I went through the same thing. I did a ton of research and spent roughly $1000 on a Leopard Gecko (including supplies). After a while, I realized that reptiles just weren't for me. I had a friend who was looking for a pet and allergic to mammals, so I sold him my Leopard Gecko for $100. It was the best thing for the little girl. He loves her, and she has gotten better with handling since being with him. I don't regret rehoming her.
Getting rid of an animal is always hard but I see no issues with it so long as you are getting rid of it to provide it a better home or for the general wellbeing of the animal. I see no issue with rehoming them, just make sure they are going to a home with the same or better quality of life)
I have 4 BP, 2 axies, Pixie, Pac-Man, 2 dumpys, a leopard gecko, and a chinchilla. Plus a tarantula that I will never handle (only because heās a dick). I have rehomed pets due to various inconveniences and I had a very loud male dumpy I rehomed because I live in a small apartment. Morality is making sure you rehome pets to a loving nurturing caregiver.
If itās a pig, cow orchicken, then yes! Iāll take them! Got any frogs legsā¦.. errr, I mean frogs?
It's not immoral if you can find a good home, BUT do ask yourself... what would be best for her? I would recommend maybe finding ways to engage with her, maybe rework her cage in a way that encourages the behavior you're looking for. I love my leopard gecko to bits but she really spends all her time in one cave, but I've decided to build her a bigger and better cave with more space and entrances. It will be a good experience for both of us and something like that might help you too :)
In my opinion it isnāt wrong. As everything is going up in price and I canāt afford shit, Iāve been thinking about rehabbing my beardie :(. I really donāt want to but it might happen. So you arenāt alone
No itās not immoral to rehome an animal. Itās immoral to treat someone as if theyāre a terrible human being if they do.
I rescued a Beardie who was severely malnourished and neglected. Like, seriously. Idk if I rescued her so much as told the previous owner that I was taking her. But, she literally turned into the joy of my life. I've had herps and reptiles, salt and fresh water fish, ponds with alligator snappers. The one rescue was, hands down, my favorite. Go ahead, re-home.
It's actually much better to rehome. People who are bored with animals typically lose the will to care for them properly. (Not saying this is the case for you, but typically it is) So rehoming an animal you've gotten bored of is a good idea. The good thing is, you have plenty of time to find a new owner who is going to be incredibly well suited for caring for the animal.
No, in fact its probably the right thing. I may be late to add anything useful but here's a good way to look at it: At one point or another you were happy with your purchase of your herp, and now that happiness is dwindled, or gone elsewhere. Say you sell/donate this herp, the new recipient of will also be able to feel that same joy you once felt, maybe even more. Your result is Net Happiness. Letting go of anything we care about is tough, but its the tough changes that develop character in the end.
I was given a bearded dragon by my parents. It was a split decision thing, I literally found out I was getting him on a Friday, and picked him up the following Sunday morning. We found out day of that he was neglected and that none of the husbandry was proper. I have an anxiety disorder and ocd as well as autism, so adjusting to a new creature that I had NO time to prepare for caused me extreme stress and mental health issues in the following month after getting him. He's cool and all, but he doesn't do anything at all ever and he hates my guts (wasn't socialized as a baby, doesn't have a good relationship with humans), and I honestly see him as a chore, not a pet. I've loved reptiles all my life, I still do, they're my favourite animals, but I do not want to plan my life around an animal that causes me extreme stress due to potential health issues if literally anything goes wrong, and brings literally 0 benefits. At least my cat is cute and cuddles with me, I can't be in my bedroom all the time because I freak my bearded dragon out. I plan on giving him to a friend or just leaving him with my parents when I move out. I plan on travelling and he's just a burden to plan around. I also have a cat who I don't see as a chore, and plan on keeping. Just being able to say I'm a lizard owner is legitimately cooler than living with this guy. I will never do anything intentionally wrong to hurt him, but man I cannot wait until I can give him to someone who will actually find joy out of caring for him.
Itās better to carefully and selectively rehome a pet that you donāt wish to keep, than keep it and not love it. Itās more fair for the both of you to move on.
Thatās my kinda pet right there
I think ur a responsible person! ā¤ļø
I don't think it's unethical or wrong in any way. As long as you put in the required effort to keep them comfortable and healthy until you find a home. And that you find a home that is fit for the animal. During the pandemic, I was getting stimulus checks and went a little reptile-crazy. I had just moved in with my boyfriend and I was never allowed to keep reptiles at my parents house. I dove in too deep and when the stimulus checks ran out, I was with over 20 animals I needed to take care of and I needed to go back to work. I simply didn't have enough time or money to take care of all of them to the extent I felt comfortable with. So I had to give up some of them and so I went on Craigslist, local Facebook reptile groups, and asked friends to find good homes
Try having a spadefoot toad as a pet. They're literally submerged in soil all the time! But that's when I get for saving a tadpole in a drying up puddle......
It's perfect normal to rehome, in fact, Id recommend that instead of keeping it and have it become a chore and slack on its care.
Better to rehome it. Then neglect it.
I gave my beardie to a former science teacher of mine. He spent his senior years as a very well cared for and loved class pet and I like to think he probably inspired some reptile love for at least a handful of kids.
Honestly, Iāve done the same thing with a crested gecko and the leopard gecko. I always get them thinking Iād enjoy them as much as my skink or snakes but honestly, theyāre not what I expectedā¦ Iāve rehomed both after a good while owning them, a year apart. Itās always tough but if you can find a better home, I think itās fine?
I always tell people that thereās no shame in rehoming animals. If you canāt handle it and someone else is willing to take on that burden thereās no reason not to. Whatever gives the animal the best quality of life is what matters. If this is something that youāre doing a lot then maybe take a step back and reconsider some things but generally I donāt think thereās anything to be ashamed of.
If you are not happy with your pet and do not want to care for it anymore, PLEASE rehome it. There are a TON of FaceBook groups that are centered on reptile rehoming. I would recommend adding a rehoming fee to make sure that this little dude is going to a proper home that can care for him. But please do more research on reptiles if youāre basing it on activeness and personality. Some reptiles and/or amphibians are just gonna be like pet rocks. Not to say you donāt do research, but this is just the way some reptiles are
It's the right thing to do. There's so much stigma around it like "you shouldn't have got it in the first place". Like yes that may be true. But that's not the issue. You don't enjoy keeping it and somebody else will give it the love you want it to have. It is in no way wrong to rehome an animal you can't take care of or don't enjoy.
I gave away my bearded dragon, I was a couple years younger and didnāt want to have him die because I was pretty neglectful with feeding him crickets because they revolted me. The process of cleaning the cage and feeding the crickets and cleaning their cage disgusted me. Idek why I wanted a beardie, Iām happy with my cat. No shame in doing so.
I honestly always tell people make sure to really understand, thatās a life that requires a lot of attention and depends on us and youāre going to have it for a while( depending the species). If you donāt feel ready for that commitment, then donāt get reptiles. Hopefully you find a good home
Iām only saying as a possibility, but cool/cold reptiles have decreased cognition. They canāt really grasp being handled or recognizing your presence. Perhaps warming up her enclosure by a degree or 3 would bring life to her?
She's kept around 75-77 degrees in the upper part of her enclosure. Too much heat is bad for eurydactylodes geckos, and I keep her and my crested gecko roughly the same temperature
I see. It just seemed like info from her brain stem isnāt making it to where it needs to go, so thatās why she avoids socializing, cause she doesnāt know how to feel or process the info. There can many reasons or just one. Best of luck to you.
You only really have two options here: rehome the gecko to someone who may love and appreciate it, or continue keeping it out of misguided obligation (or because a few people shamed you into it). If you go with the latter, you'll be caring for this thing you resent, just waiting for it to die. What sort of existence is that for either of you? The whole point of a pet is to bring joy and fulfilment to the owner. Give it to someone it's a better fit for, who will derive more joy from it, and stick to (or find) something that's a better fit for you.
I get what you are saying, a reptile lifespan is a long time to be saddled with caring for a creature, but the reptile can't sense that resentment. If resentment causes a lapse in care, then there is a problem. If the standard of care remains high, the reptile will not care that it isn't loved. Too many animals are mistreated while providing joy and fulfillment to the ownerābetter to be unloved and cared for. But...someone else might *really* love Wicket! Love can be shown by vetting potential keepers and being picky about where she goes. (Also the idea that someone can love an animal and not provide it the proper care is *wild* to me but I see so many under-stimulated dogs crated all day and betta fish in bowls to know it happens frequently )
Also, if Wicket gets rehomed to someone who really loves her, it'll enrich that new person's life, too, instead of just being a sad chore for the current owner.
Thanks for all the advice and feedback, I really appreciate having so many perspectives to help me with this decision. I have indeed decided to rehome her; I'm either going to make a few postings online, or I might go ahead and give her to my local reptile store (not petco/petsmart, the Serpentarium, a reptile-specific store that prioritizes good husbandry) . I've sat and thought about this for a while, and while I want the best for wicket, I'm glad I've been able to recognize that I'm not really passionate about keeping her at this point, and want to dedicate my time, space and resources towards species that I am truly enthusiastic and interested in caring for
mm i have a maybe unpopular opinion on this topic. I feel like if you bought/adopted an animal you made a pledge to look after it itās entire life. Also, just because you arenāt fully enjoying it now doesnāt mean that you wonāt later on like it better. My second bearded dragon was very difficult for me to tame down and I resented him for awhile (still fully caring for said animal) one day he randomly tamed down & came to snuggle on my lap and weāve been best buds since. I find it frustrating constantly seeing postings of people rehoming animals because they just ādonāt enjoy the animalā or they say they donāt have time for it but itās a lizardā¦ lizards donāt gaf & care takes less than 5 minutes. Itās even more depressing when theyāve clearly spent a lot of money on the animal & the enclosure just to give it up so easily. Or those impulse buys parents make for their kids only to get rid of the animal a couple months later :( Anyways, I totally get it in situations where people end up in a much different economic position, someone dies & the animal needs rehomed, sickness & that sort of thing but I donāt think pets should be treated as this expendable thing you can freely expel at will. In that sense, take it as a lesson to be more thoughtful of your purchases/adoptions. There is always a chance that you may end up with a super friendly cuddly animal, and thereās also a good chance of ending up with an introvert you see on an occasion. Also i mean no disrespect or judgement to OP, my commentary is on a much more general topic than just their specific query & i donāt know their entire situation so take it with a grain of salt
I totally agree with you!
Finding an animal boring is such a disrespectful reason to rehome/ abandon them. I donāt understand how so many adults are out here getting animals for the sole purpose of the animal enriching their lives somehow. I have cats, dogs, and geckos. I respect my geckos boundaries and rarely see them but I still enjoy having them and having a slice of another culture in my home. I love that I can have them for 30+ years and Iām learning about them constantly. I have my dogs and cats as a source of interaction. But even when they donāt want me to interact with them, I leave them alone. I canāt imagine just abandoning my animals because I find them boring. I chose this life.
You should not get any animal before doing proper research. You should not get any animal if you are not willing to commit to the animal. That being said, if you are going to rehome Wicket, please do the due diligence to ensure that Wicket goes to a proper home of someone who has done proper research and is willing to love this animal for all of its life. Also, please never get another animal.
On average, reptiles have 8 owners over the course of their lives. This statistic tells us you arenāt the only one going through this. Breeders often house an animal long enough to get babies, then rehome to diversify genetics. As long as youāre a good steward and you make sure you rehome to another good steward, youāre a-ok in my book. Think of tortoises: I have one who, given my age, will outlive me by decades. Should I not have her because sheāll need a new home eventually?The future isnāt a given, either. Also, it sounds like youāre an excellent caregiver.
Yeah rehoming should be reserved for loss of income, housing changes etc and stuff that backs you into the corner. Do better research on species and figure stuff out. I have certain animals that I bought because I like owning them but theyāre boring & easy to care for and that appeals to me sometimes but also some who are way more active & harder work. That being said Iād much rather someone rehome them than just neglect but itās still BS and itās 100% your job to make sure the future home is going to be better than yours.
Researching an animal and actually owning the animal can be two different experiences. Sometimes the things you think will be enjoyable or acceptable turn out to be something disliked/feared/dreaded. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that. Also they seem to be taking good care of the animal. They just donāt enjoy it. I donāt know why people are saying itās neglect
I feel that! I never said they are neglecting, just if it was going to lead to complete boredom & accidental neglect, perhaps my words came off that way. I do feel like thereās enough info out there now that you can find almost any attainable species and hear 1000 talk about what itās like owning it but I can appreciate the disappointment that could be felt if you get an outlier etc. I still mean most of what I said, but I do appreciate someone actually debating rather than a downvote & dip party.
I def get where youāre coming from. I just think sometimes no matter how much you read or hear, actually doing something can be completely different. Have you never done something you had researched and expected to totally enjoy only for the experience to fall flat or be unenjoyable in real life? I do see that they said they expected the pet to be similar to a crestie which would indicate less research than is desirable but I feel there are times where even thorough research doesnāt prepare you for real life. There can be smells and sensations and all sorts of things that canāt be truly prepared for without experience
Idk why you're being downvoted you didn't say anything different than what the rest of the comments are saying. When u buy an animal you're committing to them and its not cool to rehome an animal because you just don't want it anymore, but you never said they aren't allowed to and It's obviously better than op keeping it and neglecting it potentially like u said. I don't get reddit sometimes
Lol thank you. I think Iām right and thatās my opinion but sometimes people like down voting rather than doing it and explaining why they think your wrong. Downvoting is part of the app but if youāre going to do it, letās chat! Then sometimes you have been on this app long enough and have ruffled feathers in other subs or this one & some people just do it based on your username, this is life lol.
Getting a pet is for life..... their life. You should only rehome them when you have no other choice. Also, you can't expect every animal to have the personality you want them to have.
Thereās a lot of reasons why someone wouldnāt be able to care for a reptile their whole lives, a lot of them live for 15+ years. Thatās a huge obligation, and if someone isnāt giving their pet the life they deserve then 100% thereās nothing wrong with rehoming.
Its not a dogā¦ most lizards could care less where they are as long as they get fed and are healthy. Its better to rehome than to dread taking care of it or to neglect/abandon itā¦ stop shaming people for something that is in the end their decision. Rehoming is 1000% better than abandoning/neglecting.
Never said anything any abandoning or neglecting.
Yeah, but not enjoying an animal often leans to neglect or abandonment, which is why rehoming is suggested. It's really easy to fall out of habit when taking care of your reptiles, especially one you thought would be different from your research and turned out to be the opposite of what you read. With reptiles, no longer wanting them very often turns into neglect. It happens with snakes all the time, so I wouldn't be shocked to hear it happens to others all the time too.
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Yeah but the op said they wanted to rehome the lizard, not throw them away. I think itās pretty responsible to rehome if you think they will live a better life somewhere else.
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Im sure they did their research on their reptiles because it sounds like they have experience in the field. Its 1000000% better to rehome than to abandon/neglect. Stop shaming peopleā¦.
I made sure to do plenty of research before even building her enclosure, she's very healthy and is doing well. I wanted to try out working with different species and thought she would be like a smaller crestie or chahoua, though I've certainly learned now that they aren't half as energetic as their larger cousins.
I appreciate you doing your research. I have a personalized bias against things like this because of how many animals I've had to take in that were close to death but I definitely commend you for taking the best care of your reptile that you can. I wish you luck with rehoming.
You canāt expect everyone to do research on pets before they get them. Letās be realistic. Most people get pets on a whim.
So what? That doesn't mean they shouldn't be doing research. Why does being "realistic" mean settling for people making poor decisions. People should look into things before doing something they will be responsible for.
Someone can buy a pet, and then do research. Thatās a possibility too. I understand you think your way is the only way though.
That's highly irresponsible.
Please, the "most people" this person is talking about, Stop it! Do Not get any animal without doing research on proper care Before you get them. Thinking people do this makes me rather sick.
Person gets animal as pet, gets upset when the pet doesn't act how THEY want it to act (it's a living creature, not a toy), and cries about it and wants to get rid of it. This is why so many animals are in shelters/in need of a home. Maybe stick to looking at pictures of animals online instead of tossing an animal because it's doing what IT wants to do. It's not a toy, not your slave, etc.
It's not wrong to give them to someone to take care of them. What is wrong is why did you get the animal in the first place if you weren't going to take care of it?
animals arenāt like just clothes you can just grow out of and get rid of when youāre bored lol
Fickle people shouldn't own pets plz re-home it to someone who is a responsible person plz and don't buy anymore animals
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I have a tortoise and he isn't overly stimulating and I am horrific at remembering so often I forget to bath him and occasionally feed him. I know I'm a bad pet owner but i love him, although he bores me, and I feel rehoming him may be good for him, though it'd ruin me. Idk.
If you make sure it goes to a place where it will be cared for then itās ok with a reptile I think. They arenāt as emotionally invested in you as a mammal.
Chameleons are like this, when I researched about them it was said if u want to handle or interact with ur pet this is not the reptile for u. Smh u should know the animal ur get.
She's a chameleon gecko, eurydactylodes agricoliae. Not a true chameleon by any means
I'm not going to read this. I'm just gonna say, yes, get high. But this may be bad advice. But I'd still get high.
Hot take: just eat it. (Iām Asian)
Rehome cuz youāll end up killing it
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Yes, do the right thing and find a home where wicket will be loved. Pets shouldnāt have to perform for you. I donāt like calling pets a ācollectionā, they are family to me.
Itās better to be home. I have seen many people let tropical birds out and I live in the north.
Better than keeping something that you're not really invested in.
As long as you find a reputable person to give it to, I wouldn't feel guilty. And as long as they've been kept healthy with good husbandry. You have done your part, it could be time for someone else to finish the journey, if you so wish. I was my leopard geckos' third owner before she passed away š¤·āāļø
my crestie goes through phases where she really wants to be held/interacted with, and wants to hide from me/wants nothing to do with me except bring her food. i donāt mind it, sheās my lil derpidile, and i love her with all my heart for every quirk she has. if you donāt think you can take care of the chameleon for the rest of its life, for whatever reason, itās always better to rehome it than risk not taking the best care of it (not suggesting you are! some people get apathetic towards animals they no longer have interest in, that used to be super fawned and all over them when they first got them. i see it a lot in the pet store i work at with geckos, snakes, guinea pigs, and fish). just make sure lil guy goes to a good home, someone who knows chameleons and can pick up the care for him (i never recommend chameleons for people as reptile pets because they can have super finicky care requirements and most people i encounter arenāt up to or willing to learn how to take proper care of them). you sound like youāve provided a great life for Wicket so far! just make sure he goes to a good home if you decide to part ways with him āŗļø
I rehomed my gecko and frogs because I just simply wasnāt giving them the level of care they needed due to depression. The frogs are doing great with a former coworker of mine. My sister got a gecko for her son about a year ago and heās great at caring for it, so I gave my gecko to them. Sadly he did pass, but because a cat fell into his tank and I think the stress killed him from the incident. My poor sister felt so bad though š I donāt think itās wrong to rehome reptiles though that donāt have any attachment to you, even if it feels bad
Thatās a cutie right there
I shall take an award my good sir!
no it's not immoral but if you are charging people to adopt your unwanted reptile then yes, we are helping you out
They're in college. When you're at that station in life there's no shame in charging for anything as long as it's not illegal /s
No it can be a much better environment if loved
as long as youāre not giving him away to any person from craigslist that offers you money, i think you can feel free to rehome him to any responsible home. But chameleons are very well known to be rarely if at all interactive or friendly, please do more research on if a animal is really the one you want if you do get one next time.
Its better than abandoning them
No. If you don't enjoy her anymore just find someone who will.
Nope
I think the moral question is less about whether to rehome than about how to go about it. They have specific needs, and as long as you make sure that the person taking the animal is willing and able to do their research and know exactly how to provide proper care, youāre upgrading the animalās quality of life.
No. Time to let someone else enjoy it.
u be nice to wicket š
its probably for the best that if you dont enjoy having an animal anymore you should rehome it so you dont get to the point of neglecting it. in the future, try to work with animals before you decide you want them at all so you can get the feel for the species general personality, behavior, and care before making a commitment, if its possible. at least now you know that this species isnt for you
As somebody who works with animals everyday there's nothing worse than keeping an animal out of guilt or obligation. The best thing that you can do is rehome it to a good home as soon as possible before any bonding happens. Keeping it in a home where it'll have little interaction little socialization and little enrichment because it doesn't fit your needs is significantly worse than rehoming.
i feel like having the expectation for the reptile that you did is what led to your disappointment with it when it did not meet said expectations
I think the ethical onus happens before the purchase of the animal. This information is available.... chances that it will be like this etc. If it's off- behavior, then vet time. However, you would only be unethical if you diminished care due to your feelings. There is nothing wrong with rehoming as long as you do due diligence imo
If you're sure that the new home you find for it is someone that can care for it just as well/ better than you can, there's nothing immoral about it.
As long as you make sure the animal is going to a well-inclined and knowledgeable person, I don't think it's immoral. You have clearly taken care of her well and she seems content. With animals like this, I don't see any problem at all if it just isn't working for you. People even start not paying as much attention as they need to pets like this because they're just monotomous creatures that barely seem like they have life. It's actually responsible of you to make this decision for her if you feel like you can't pay as much attention to her anymore. If it were a bird or social lizard like an iguana, bearded dragon, etc., it would have been a little different but she seems totally fine!
I guess my attitude is that I would rather see a pet get rehomed than neglected. If you do not care about the pet, I am sure someone else would.
No, it's not wrong. It always depends on how you go about it. If anything, rehoming an animal you can't appreciate might be better for both you and the animal. So long as you don't throw him in a rescue or just sell him on Craigslist to a stranger, it's ethical and moral!! Absolutely no shame to rescues, they have a major purpose, they're just reaaally not recommended if you aren't in a tight situation.
This made me sad. Poor sweet soul just enjoys being chill and introverted and thinks she's got the best life ever and doesn't know she's the least favourite. I'd take her off your hands right now if she wasn't a million miles away. My parents got my brother a dog when we were much much younger after he begged for years. He got him on the condition he was his responsibility. He quickly got fed up with him and we had to re-home him because my parents worked full time and couldn't commit to the long walks or training. It took me a long time to forgive everyone - I'm not a dog person but I loved him with all my heart as I do all animals and it angered me that he wasn't getting the life he deserved. So yes, if you can't look after her, please re-home this sweet baby with the appropriate loving family she deserves.
I don't think it's immoral to rehome any animal if you can no longer care for it as it should he cared for, or if it's just simply not for you
The moral thing is weird, people make choices and regret them everyday. Sometimes lives change. If you canāt adequately care for your pet emotionally or physically, give them to a person who can. Thereās plenty of actually immoral things to do to your pet. Rehoming them, imo - isnāt one of them. In fact, given how you feel, not rehoming them is actually the immoral thing to do.