Adventures in Pet Sitting - Ask Aunt Deb (Week 9)
Lots of people don't have cats or dogs.
Some people relate better to their Ferrets, Sugar Gliders, Hedgehogs,
Reptiles, Spiders, Birds, Fish, and assorted other little guys!
Are 'exotics' a good idea?
Well, we finally found a topic that's basically stumped Aunt Deb. I have virtually no personal experience with 'exotics'. So, I went diving into the Web and promptly got swallowed up by the sheer volume of information. (That's partly why this week's edition is so late!) Not only did each specific type have their fans and detractors, but there are literally dozens of critters that people consider pets.
So, instead of Aunt Deb answering questions this week, she's going to ask a few:
What 'exotic' pet(s) have you owned?
How difficult or different was their care routine?
Did you have trouble finding a vet?
Please, will you post a picture and tell us their story?
Educate us on what it takes to care for your preferred critter companion! Lots of folks have mentioned they have ferrets and we had a 'feed-the-spiders' call for help recently.
Here's your chance to educate Aunt Deb so if she gets a call to sit for a hedgehog, she doesn't goof things up.
Upvote, ReSteem, 
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
I've had snakes and turtles. I raised wood roaches for my snake, so they were like pets, too, lol, because they were so interesting to watch. When my Green snake died (I fed it a cricket I caught near the foundation of our new house, but the foundation had been sprayed with a strong pesticide against termites - poor Ichabod died in minutes), I cried for days. I was inconsolable. What I learned from that is that the food for snakes and turtles may be easy to catch, but it is so much better to raise their food yourself.
I should also say that, back then, nobody thought twice about catching animals from the wild, for pets. Today, I don't do that, except for feral cats. It's a better life for those cats, for sure! For snakes and turtles, not so much.
Oh man, that must have been a horrible experience! A hard won lesson of the first order. (Cool name for a snake, tho!) Good idea on the sourcing of food and taking charge. Not always easy, but peace of mind is worth it.
I remember those days, too. I think I acquired a turtle or two that way. My cousins, who had a more rural lifestyle, had the menagerie - up to and including skunks, squirrels, and raccoons.
And nobody ever paid attention to the cats. And everyone let their dogs out at night to run around. It's amazing how times have changed -- for the better. Now I know that cats do like their fur rubbed backwards and their tales pulled, a little bit at least, lol. It's nice that life for pets is getting better!
We have 2 dogs, 3 rats, 1 hamster and 4 fish my daughter on the other hand has just bought a Tarantula
Wow! That's quite a menagerie! How do they all get along? Do the rats tolerate the dogs?
I saw that pic of the tarantula. Spiders aren't my favorite - especially hairy ones. She's a braver woman than I!
She has a zoo at her house, a snake, bearded dragon, rats, hamster, rabbit and 2 dogs. Our rats are kept in my youngest daughters Bedroom, the dogs do like to watch then mind
Oh, my! That's a lot of variety and care routines. Just the different type of foods must take some coordination to make sure everybody is fed properly. Hats off to you both for taking on some of our lesser recognized pet-friends. (I was going to say four-leggeds, but that would leave out the snake. Lol!)
They all have amazing personalities Great pets and very loyal :)
We have a routine plus add a few treats the rats love a little slice of toast and butter in the morning and a small piece of custard cream at night. They are at the cage waiting there a lot of fun :)
Awwww, sounds delightful! They're so smart. They learn the routine quick, don't they? They make sure we remember, too... ;-)
They are, they rattle the cage if I'm late. Love them to bits :)
LOL! Now THAT'S funny! I can see why you love them.
We used to have Ferrets when I was younger. They were pretty fun but man did they smell! I much more prefer dogs.
Cool! They look like fun playmates, but I imagine they're good at getting into mischief, too. I've heard that they have an odor. I've never met one so I don't know first-hand. Maybe someday...
We've also had dogs, so they're my first choice. Although, in the course of my business, I've met several cats that have a strong affection-for-people streak. I'd consider a cat if I could make sure their personality fit that mold.
This post has been ranked within the top 80 most undervalued posts in the first half of Feb 06. We estimate that this post is undervalued by $3.92 as compared to a scenario in which every voter had an equal say.
See the full rankings and details in The Daily Tribune: Feb 06 - Part I. You can also read about some of our methodology, data analysis and technical details in our initial post.
If you are the author and would prefer not to receive these comments, simply reply "Stop" to this comment.
Thank you! I appreciate the support and exposure.