I feel so sorry for this animal.. (Advice please)

[Atrox]

So I live with my parents, and for Christmas I got a Ball Python. My sister initially didn't plan to have an animal but in the excitement of me getting a new pet, she wanted one. She didn't research, she didn't plan, etc. All my parents did was take her down to the local reptile store and bought her the full setup and a wonderful 8 month old female Leopard Gecko. She is so beautiful (I will include an image of what she looks like, but it's not her.) She's a Super Hypo tangerine carrot tail. Anyway, here's why I feel sorry for her: My sister is the kind of person that when I explained initially that she'd have to put locusts in her vivarium and change her water bowl every day she said, "Sure, I can deal with that!", however, once she has the pet and she's been excited for about a week, it kind of all fades away. There's no water top ups by her (I do it out of the care for the animal) and I also have to give her locusts. I told her that fine, if she's too scared to put them in herself, I'd do it but she has to tell me. It got to the point where she went four days without food because my sister did not tell me and I had just decided to check upon her. She also rarely takes the gecko out and cares for her. Instead, I have to balance handling days between the gecko, my python and my two wonderful rats. I have been trying to drop hints to my parents and tell them straight up that she is not caring for her but they do not seem to get it. Does anyone have any ideas on how to drill it into their thick skulls that the gecko is not in good hands with my sister and at some point she'll come close to starving/dehydrating her? I would rather fit her vivarium into my room so that I can care for her..

[Rickys_Reptiles]

Give it to someone who can take care of it, then tell her that it died and you got rid of it so she wouldn't have to.

[Atrox]

The point is, I can easily care for it. But it's getting my parents to take the gecko off her.

[Daigga]

People like this don't learn. I got one of my pythons from a friend who convinced her parents that her brother wasn't taking care of it. Her brother also had a black kingsnake that he refused to believe had died, but in all the time I had seen the snake while visiting, I can assure anyone wondering that it was dead the whole time (crispy and gross and very dead). No, I do not know how any snake owner fails to realize their pet is dead. It took me two months to get that python, as he would always ask his sister to get me to pay him for it and offering to throw in the black snake as part of the deal (I am totally serious). Eventually he got annoyed that she kept asking and I brought Chase home with me and got him eating right away.

Maybe your sister and parents will realize she's a bad owner if the gecko dies, or maybe they won't. Maybe they'll notice it died because of her neglect, maybe they just won't care. Sad to say, but this kind of thing happens all the time and is incredibly hard to change once the behavior has been established.

[Miranda2]

Can you help her, by reminding her gently without sounding like your nagging.I assume she is young.
It doesnt "need" socialization, just food and water and good temps.So if you can make sure she has the basics for now that would do.

Then when she gets bored of it, trade her something nonliving, a cool stuffed animal or something you have that she really wants.
You cant just take it, thats not right.

[KMG]

I dont see the issue. Just feed and water it yourself. If you know it needs doing, do it. After some time she will completely loose interest and it will become yours. If you keep getting her to do things with it she will feel as if it is still hers and want it. Also after some time of you caring for it your parents will see it should be yours anyways.

[D1C]

How old is she? Just take it out of her room and put it in yours, If she doesn't care about it. she can walk the couple feet and visit it.

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[Atrox]

I dont see the issue. Just feed and water it yourself. If you know it needs doing, do it. After some time she will completely loose interest and it will become yours. If you keep getting her to do things with it she will feel as if it is still hers and want it. Also after some time of you caring for it your parents will see it should be yours anyways.

The point is, I shouldn't need to do it because it is her pet and she should be looking after it. I have been doing this for quite some time now.

For anyone else that has asked, she's 14.

[KMG]

If she isn't going to do it somebody has to. It doesn't sound like your parents are going to do it so you are its only hope. I just don't see the big deal if its in your room or hers. So its in her room and its really yours, so what. That just leaves you more room in your room for more animals. LOL!

Its much like how many fathers have told their kids they are the ones to take care of the puppy when they get the family a dog. Take a guess who usually ends up caring for it. This also happens often with snakes because youngsters get a snake and their parents, and many times them too, don't know how long a snake can live. The next thing they know the kid is moving off to college and the parents become responsible for the snake. Plenty of snakes can be had cheap because frustrated parents don't want to care for them any longer.

You could geckonap it, but if it were me I would just leave it where it is and care for it.

[Mr. Misha]

I dont see the issue. Just feed and water it yourself. If you know it needs doing, do it.

100% agree. You know exactly what you need to do. Why come on the forum and complain about it? There's nothing anyone can tell you that will change the situation.

Either your parents realize the truth and give you the gecko or your sister will get bored of it and you will get a new pet. Sounds like a win win to me.