A Day at Petco (Funny stories ahead!)

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Originally Posted by Daigga

Lol, why would she be mad about that? Makes them cheaper to feed, honestly. Crickets get expensive fast, particularly when you factor in how much food disappears into an adult iguana. Our growing beardie would happily eat through 20 dollars worth of crickets in a week if we let her, and the smaller of the two iguanas I had grew to easily 6 times her size if not more.

People don't need animals if they can't even be bothered to research the dietary needs.

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My family hates ours already because she likes salad so I make her some every morning. They want her to eat only pellets because supposedly their old iguana lived off only pellets

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Originally Posted by SCWood

My family hates ours already because she likes salad so I make her some every morning. They want her to eat only pellets because supposedly their old iguana lived off only pellets

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It's like living on nothing but chicken nuggets. Possible, but don't expect to live a long and healthy life if you do.

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Originally Posted by Daigga

It's like living on nothing but chicken nuggets. Possible, but don't expect to live a long and healthy life if you do.

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Lol that's a good way of putting it

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Yeah I still don't see how only selling "feeders" for food makes a difference from buying and feeding any thing else you buy for food. So it's not "labeled" as food, I'm sure the folks selling them just want to get paid and it keeps business moving for them. There really is no "higher ground" or something for "pets" sold as non-food items. It's not as if we are trying to breed an endangered species.

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Originally Posted by Daigga

Ah, can I ask you to point me to where you found this? It's gotten to where I've just been considering going to a lawyer every time I need to find out if keeping or selling certain animals is legal. The last website I found with laws by state only said it's legal to own pretty much any reptile in Texas, and the only permits it mentioned were for breeding non native deer species. Obviously I'm looking in the wrong places.

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Controlled Exotic Snake Permit (a.k.a. Nonindigenous Snake Permit)

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Originally Posted by Boomerang

Yeah I still don't see how only selling "feeders" for food makes a difference from buying and feeding any thing else you buy for food. So it's not "labeled" as food, I'm sure the folks selling them just want to get paid and it keeps business moving for them. There really is no "higher ground" or something for "pets" sold as non-food items. It's not as if we are trying to breed an endangered species.

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It has to do with how prey animals are treated until death. Some people would rather sell off dead rats that were humanely and specifically killed to be feeders as opposed to selling a live rodent intentionally as food and knowing only what sort of unholy treatment awaits it. (contrary to popular belief, there's quite a few people out there who treat feeders abusively and like utter crap because they think it doesn't matter that it feels pain because it's going to die anyway - youtube is proof enough of this) And there's quite a few people out there who are against live feeding as well - including many reptile keepers. There's some people who just hate it because they're emotional softies, while many of the aforementioned reptile/exotic pet keepers see it as just an unnecessary process full of risks and unneeded suffering, also claiming the "nature" argument is a logical fallacy lacking any weight or rational basis.
And look at it from their perspective - it must really mean something to them if they go so far as to actually deny a sale to the customer. Same could be said of people who deny the sale of something like an iguana because the potential customer planned to feed it crickets and rats. If it bothers you so much, either buy their dead rodents or go to another store.

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Originally Posted by Boomerang

Yeah I still don't see how only selling "feeders" for food makes a difference from buying and feeding any thing else you buy for food. So it's not "labeled" as food, I'm sure the folks selling them just want to get paid and it keeps business moving for them. There really is no "higher ground" or something for "pets" sold as non-food items. It's not as if we are trying to breed an endangered species.

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Let me put it this way: ever see a rat rack? Simple, dark, and cheap right? Made so a reptile owner can save money on feeders. They are kept in the absolute minimum way, ensuring that they will live until they are selected to be fed. Now, have you ever seen a pet rat cage? If cared for correctly, it will have multiple levels, food dish, hides, wood and things to chew, water bottle, even a wheel. This pet rat will be held everyday and most likely chill out on the owners shoulder most of the time. It will great the owner when he or she comes near the cage. It's a cruel difference, but this is what sets them apart. A feeder, cared for with minimal (not necessarily bad) requirements will cost you no more than $2.00 and that's for a big rat. A fancy rat/dumbo rat will cost $10.00-$20.00 and is meant to live 5-7 years and bring someone joy.


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Originally Posted by Citrus

Let me put it this way: ever see a rat rack? Simple, dark, and cheap right? Made so a reptile owner can save money on feeders. They are kept in the absolute minimum way, ensuring that they will live until they are selected to be fed. Now, have you ever seen a pet rat cage? If cared for correctly, it will have multiple levels, food dish, hides, wood and things to chew, water bottle, even a wheel. This pet rat will be held everyday and most likely chill out on the owners shoulder most of the time. It will great the owner when he or she comes near the cage. It's a cruel difference, but this is what sets them apart. A feeder, cared for with minimal (not necessarily bad) requirements will cost you no more than $2.00 and that's for a big rat. A fancy rat/dumbo rat will cost $10.00-$20.00 and is meant to live 5-7 years and bring someone joy.

Edit: though I get what you mean. My reptile shop has a few coral snakes that won't eat anything so they have to feed them baby corn snakes that aren't eating.
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Wtf?! I didn't quote my post I edited it....


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Originally Posted by Bluebonnet_Herp

It has to do with how prey animals are treated until death. Some people would rather sell off dead rats that were humanely and specifically killed to be feeders as opposed to selling a live rodent intentionally as food and knowing only what sort of unholy treatment awaits it. (contrary to popular belief, there's quite a few people out there who treat feeders abusively and like utter crap because they think it doesn't matter that it feels pain because it's going to die anyway - youtube is proof enough of this)

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TY soooo much for not posting a video. I don't see how people can treat their feeders badly.... Granted I only have 1 BP but still... I have a cage, wheel, bowls, food, burrowing and hiding stuff for when my girl decides to not eat... It makes me sad to think of people being that way to any creature... :tears:

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Originally Posted by anicatgirl

TY soooo much for not posting a video. I don't see how people can treat their feeders badly.... Granted I only have 1 BP but still... I have a cage, wheel, bowls, food, burrowing and hiding stuff for when my girl decides to not eat... It makes me sad to think of people being that way to any creature... :tears:

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Me too! I certainly don't condone cruel behavior either! When ANYTHING in our store dies, including the fish, most of us do feel for them. And we always give people the option to return them if their snake refuses to even kill them.

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But yesterday I was informed by someone that "serpents are bad" and her friend had a python, and it got out of its cage, fell through the ceiling, and ate their kid.
Had to share, because I just don't know where people get this stuff! Probably some urban myth she heard somewhere and repeated to try and shame me for keeping "serpents", lol.

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Originally Posted by Megg

But yesterday I was informed by someone that "serpents are bad" and her friend had a python, and it got out of its cage, fell through the ceiling, and ate their kid.
Had to share, because I just don't know where people get this stuff! Probably some urban myth she heard somewhere and repeated to try and shame me for keeping "serpents", lol.

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I disagree that 'serpents are bad' obviously lol. But i have seen a news article of a story along those lines...i doubt it was her friend however. Someone owned an african rock python which escaped its enclosure and soemhow made its way to the flat downstairs where it strangled two little boys in the bedroom to death. Quite sad. They are not 'bad' animals but some are potentially dangerous, especially when kept in the wrong and unexperienced hands!

My daughter's ex-boyfriend turned into a stalker for months. He walked by our home a lot and would look into our living room window from a distance. He was convinced that we were devil worshippers because there was a constant red light glowing in our living room.




Our BPs heat lamp.:rolleye2:

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Originally Posted by Monty's_Mom

My daughter's ex-boyfriend turned into a stalker for months. He walked by our home a lot and would look into our living room window from a distance. He was convinced that we were devil worshippers because there was a constant red light glowing in our living room.




Our BPs heat lamp.:rolleye2:

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Now that's funny!:D

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Originally Posted by pinkpineappleshoes

I disagree that 'serpents are bad' obviously lol. But i have seen a news article of a story along those lines...i doubt it was her friend however. Someone owned an african rock python which escaped its enclosure and soemhow made its way to the flat downstairs where it strangled two little boys in the bedroom to death. Quite sad. They are not 'bad' animals but some are potentially dangerous, especially when kept in the wrong and unexperienced hands!

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That story stank from start to finish. There's no way I'll believe a snake that big fell through the ceiling and managed to strangle two boys without waking or attempting to eat either of them. But hey, not like anyone investigating that wouldn't believe a giant snake killed a pair of boys just for S's and G's.

I keep getting pooped on by a Crested someone surrendered 😂

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Originally Posted by Daigga

That story stank from start to finish. There's no way I'll believe a snake that big fell through the ceiling and managed to strangle two boys without waking or attempting to eat either of them. But hey, not like anyone investigating that wouldn't believe a giant snake killed a pair of boys just for S's and G's.

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http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-br...-say-1.1340560

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Originally Posted by Monty's_Mom

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-br...-say-1.1340560

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The story is from 2013 and I don't think we've gotten any answers yet. How silly that people would blame the pet store for the deaths and not the owner, particularly since I recall from a different story that the snake was a kind of rescue (not purchased from a pet store) and that traditionally ownership of that species was prohibited in the area.

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Originally Posted by Daigga

The story is from 2013 and I don't think we've gotten any answers yet. How silly that people would blame the pet store for the deaths and not the owner, particularly since I recall from a different story that the snake was a kind of rescue (not purchased from a pet store) and that traditionally ownership of that species was prohibited in the area.

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This isnt the story i heard, it didnt escape from a store or 'fall through the roof' how ridiculous! I dont know if it was intended to eat the boys or not. But i have heard they can be pretty aggressive snakes and dont make the best pets especially if kept by someone under experienced.

Okay, even though this thread isn't supposed to be about a child killing python, it has been brought up.

First, the boys were up stairs on the second floor. The python did not fall down but climbed up... second the man was arrested in Montreal on February 2015 and faced charges in provincial court for negligence in April 2015.

The python was euthanized but this is standard here for any animal attack. Dogs, cats, birds, spiders, even wild moose and deer get euthanized if a person is injured or killed by said animal, domestic or wild.

As for the funny story and I am sure many people have heard this one before. Lately Petsmart has had a shortage of F/T rats. When i asked why, they called it a national shortage... right, that is why the other pet store has a freezer full. The woman went on and said that she had crickets in stock. I told her that I needed F/T for my boa and that I did not have a lizard. My boa is almost 5' long. She nodded and led me to the fish area. She grabbed a bag of crickets and asked me if that would be enough for the week. I reminded her that I do not have a lizard and she looked at me like I was dumb. She said yes, boas should be fed weekly so is this enough crickets for the week. I told her boas do not eat crickets and she looked at me puzzled and said, yeah but he is a reptile. All reptiles eat bugs. At that point I wanted to slap her. I left and went to the other pet store and picked up a few F/T rats. (Petsmart sells them cheaper then the other pet store does which is why I go there first). I called the store manager later and explained this to him. He said he would take care of it but whether he actually has I am unsure. I haven't been there since.

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Originally Posted by BCS

As for the funny story and I am sure many people have heard this one before. Lately Petsmart has had a shortage of F/T rats. When i asked why, they called it a national shortage... right, that is why the other pet store has a freezer full. The woman went on and said that she had crickets in stock. I told her that I needed F/T for my boa and that I did not have a lizard. My boa is almost 5' long. She nodded and led me to the fish area. She grabbed a bag of crickets and asked me if that would be enough for the week. I reminded her that I do not have a lizard and she looked at me like I was dumb. She said yes, boas should be fed weekly so is this enough crickets for the week. I told her boas do not eat crickets and she looked at me puzzled and said, yeah but he is a reptile. All reptiles eat bugs. At that point I wanted to slap her. I left and went to the other pet store and picked up a few F/T rats. (Petsmart sells them cheaper then the other pet store does which is why I go there first). I called the store manager later and explained this to him. He said he would take care of it but whether he actually has I am unsure. I haven't been there since.

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There's ignorance and stupid. You can't fix stupid.

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Originally Posted by SCWood

I have a friend of a friend who just moved to a new area and setup her 10ft boas tank on the ba k Florida room just like ours. Well, word got around that she had a snake so the neighborhood kids would peek through the screen to check him out. Then one day she came home and the locks on his cage were cut...someone forced entry onto her porch and stole him! There was an immediate investigation under way but mean while the cops told her to post REWARD posters that said she lost it because 'if you say they stole it they will release it'. Now she's getting a lot of hate and people are telling her that she's the reason the Everglades are overrun by non native snakes, etc, etc. It's mass hysteria. People are calling the cops top escort them to their vehicles because they say the monster snake will eat them and their children. Anyway, the police narrowed down suspects and got a warrant but the kids already had a heads up and RELEASED THE SNAKE. So now, she says if they get a call about a large snake they call her to see if it's him...and she's very distraught because they refuse to grab him for her even though he's been in captivity with her for 17 YEARS and has never bitten her...

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I can't believe you his happened to her.. I would be so heart broken.. I actually am heart broken for her already.. It's sad...on one hand you want to share your animals with others for the sake of education and experience.but then you have A holes that go and do something like this.... It's situations like this you kinda wish that it was true that snakes are evil monsters and would bite and choke the heck out of the kids who stole her...

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Originally Posted by chaples84

I can't believe you his happened to her.. I would be so heart broken.. I actually am heart broken for her already.. It's sad...on one hand you want to share your animals with others for the sake of education and experience.but then you have A holes that go and do something like this.... It's situations like this you kinda wish that it was true that snakes are evil monsters and would bite and choke the heck out of the kids who stole her...

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It pains me every time :/

I'm brand new to the world of herp and ball pythons, but I was in Petco a few days ago and again today, and while peering into the ball python cages (two normal babies and an albino next door) I saw crickets. Crickets all over the cage, crawling over the balls, just chilling out. It didn't hit me until later (today I went back to confirm) that balls don't eat crickets, to my limited scope of knowledge.

I'm wondering why they would feed these babies crickets. They're not very big, but I know they're big enough to take f/t or live prey. I might need to stop going to Petco, because it's stressing me out.

I already knew I'd be getting my first ball from a breeder/show, but this just cements my wariness of pet stores. The funniest part of this was watching a cricket crawl over a bp's head and it just chilling, like the cricket wasn't even there.

(I could be totally out in left field, or just crazy. Maybe Petco didn't have any f/t mice. Idk. I know nothing, other than the fact that it's been bothering me)

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Originally Posted by roodles

I'm brand new to the world of herp and ball pythons, but I was in Petco a few days ago and again today, and while peering into the ball python cages (two normal babies and an albino next door) I saw crickets. Crickets all over the cage, crawling over the balls, just chilling out. It didn't hit me until later (today I went back to confirm) that balls don't eat crickets, to my limited scope of knowledge.

I'm wondering why they would feed these babies crickets. They're not very big, but I know they're big enough to take f/t or live prey. I might need to stop going to Petco, because it's stressing me out.

I already knew I'd be getting my first ball from a breeder/show, but this just cements my wariness of pet stores. The funniest part of this was watching a cricket crawl over a bp's head and it just chilling, like the cricket wasn't even there.

(I could be totally out in left field, or just crazy. Maybe Petco didn't have any f/t mice. Idk. I know nothing, other than the fact that it's been bothering me)

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Sounds like our common issue. The dividers become weak and when we dispense crickets into tanks that need them they weasel into EVERY TANK.

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Originally Posted by SCWood

Sounds like our common issue. The dividers become weak and when we dispense crickets into tanks that need them they weasel into EVERY TANK.

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That makes sense. Vile, nefarious crickets! I'm glad that it's the crickets, and not benign neglect or something @_@

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Originally Posted by roodles

That makes sense. Vile, nefarious crickets! I'm glad that it's the crickets, and not benign neglect or something @_@

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Nope! It's caught pretty quickly because each district has a care animal district manager that keeps tabs on everything ^^

I was visiting Petco today, and the store lady struck up a conversation about BPs with me. They had a lemon blast and an albino, and I had asked about their age because they looked really small. Apparently they're new hatchlings, so no worries. The lady pointed to the tank with normals in it and said, "These are ball pythons." when I asked about the "albino and the lemon blast ball pythons". I said, "Yes. I was asking about these two down here." She looked a little confused, but went with it. Later, she was talking about how much she wanted to take the red tail boa home (man he was gorgeous, looked like a hypo or something), but didn't want to because she expected him to reach eight to ten feet. That doesn't sound right to me for a male BCI, but I'm no boa expert. At the checkout, the lady was saying that they "don't mark prices up that much" and then went on to talk about a piebald ball python that she really wanted and was put out on the floor for two thousand dollars. I kind of bit my lip at that and started thinking about the six hundred dollar albino (that was a sale price) and five hundred dollar lemon blast. The lady was very nice, though.

I will say that the care for their animals seemed better than most chain pet stores. Yes, they had ball pythons cohabiting, but the cages were larger than normal and not too crowded, there were minimal amounts of random crickets and the snakes looked healthy (no retained shed, most at a decent weight, no external injuries, no mites in the water dish, etc.) I was glad to see an iguana housed by itself. The little corn snake was alone as well. Probably the best care I've seen for any chain store in the area. Could be better, but it's a step in the right direction. The other animals were nicely cared for too, and their birds were in excellent condition with no plucked feathers or anything. I might actually go back to that store. It's not as depressing as some chain stores.

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Originally Posted by Penultimate

I was visiting Petco today, and the store lady struck up a conversation about BPs with me. They had a lemon blast and an albino, and I had asked about their age because they looked really small. Apparently they're new hatchlings, so no worries. The lady pointed to the tank with normals in it and said, "These are ball pythons." when I asked about the "albino and the lemon blast ball pythons". I said, "Yes. I was asking about these two down here." She looked a little confused, but went with it. Later, she was talking about how much she wanted to take the red tail boa home (man he was gorgeous, looked like a hypo or something), but didn't want to because she expected him to reach eight to ten feet. That doesn't sound right to me for a male BCI, but I'm no boa expert. At the checkout, the lady was saying that they "don't mark prices up that much" and then went on to talk about a piebald ball python that she really wanted and was put out on the floor for two thousand dollars. I kind of bit my lip at that and started thinking about the six hundred dollar albino (that was a sale price) and five hundred dollar lemon blast. The lady was very nice, though.

I will say that the care for their animals seemed better than most chain pet stores. Yes, they had ball pythons cohabiting, but the cages were larger than normal and not too crowded, there were minimal amounts of random crickets and the snakes looked healthy (no retained shed, most at a decent weight, no external injuries, no mites in the water dish, etc.) I was glad to see an iguana housed by itself. The little corn snake was alone as well. Probably the best care I've seen for any chain store in the area. Could be better, but it's a step in the right direction. The other animals were nicely cared for too, and their birds were in excellent condition with no plucked feathers or anything. I might actually go back to that store. It's not as depressing as some chain stores.

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They've really stepped up their game. They're working really hard for the customers and the animals and it makes me proud to be part of it ^^

As of recent, I have been told my snake duties are being handed over to a new girl 😧 as depressing as it is, I have been told I need to focus on Aquatics. The kiddos have been doing very well and the past few feedings have gone great with everyone eating and being happy!

Oh my God I want to strangle this man. He bought a BP when I wasn't available and it was sold to him by an older associate with no knowledge on them at all. This particular baby is a tentative feeder. He keeps coming in to tell me his snake won't eat. Get this: he lets the snake have free reign of the BACK PORCH. Told me it takes hours to find him sometimes. Several of us have URGED him to buy am enclosure or even just a tub and every time he returns it's the same old story. Finally, he came in yesterday and I told him that I could not help him because his snake was not eating due to improper housing. I told him he needs to get an enclosure or tub to secure the snake so that he wasn't so intimidated by his environment. He walked away looking lost. Apparently he had mentioned this to an associate before purchasing...if it had been me, I would have refused sale. He said he doesn't believe in 'cages'. I have no idea what to do but it's been a month since that poor thing ate and it was already so finicky and small :(

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Originally Posted by SCWood

Oh my God I want to strangle this man. He bought a BP when I wasn't available and it was sold to him by an older associate with no knowledge on them at all. This particular baby is a tentative feeder. He keeps coming in to tell me his snake won't eat. Get this: he lets the snake have free reign of the BACK PORCH. Told me it takes hours to find him sometimes. Several of us have URGED him to buy am enclosure or even just a tub and every time he returns it's the same old story. Finally, he came in yesterday and I told him that I could not help him because his snake was not eating due to improper housing. I told him he needs to get an enclosure or tub to secure the snake so that he wasn't so intimidated by his environment. He walked away looking lost. Apparently he had mentioned this to an associate before purchasing...if it had been me, I would have refused sale. He said he doesn't believe in 'cages'. I have no idea what to do but it's been a month since that poor thing ate and it was already so finicky and small :(

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Any of those handy books that are so massively outdated but still describe at least having some kind of cage that you could show him? Maybe give him pics of your own setup or some on here? Stress how dangerous it is for the snake to be hiding out on some porch where he could step on it or drop things on it.

Perhaps see if you could offer him a discount on some bundle to setup a basic cage. Probably one of those cheap people who don't care to spend money on their pets.

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Originally Posted by Foxton

Any of those handy books that are so massively outdated but still describe at least having some kind of cage that you could show him? Maybe give him pics of your own setup or some on here? Stress how dangerous it is for the snake to be hiding out on some porch where he could step on it or drop things on it.

Perhaps see if you could offer him a discount on some bundle to setup a basic cage. Probably one of those cheap people who don't care to spend money on their pets.

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I thought the same thing. He SAID he would go buy a tub for him to set up so hopefully I hear back 😕

One time I went into our local petco and started looking at all the cute baby corns. Then the most puzzled look took over my face as I saw a baby milksnake just nuzzled in the corn pile like he thought he was a corn. An employee walks by and I tell him, and he's not the least bit surprised. Apparently this milksnake escapes into the corn cage all the time because there's gaps in the side walling of the cages. What's more concerning to me is that in the cage on the opposite side of the corns, there was a kingsnake bigger than all of them!

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Originally Posted by FluppleWott

One time I went into our local petco and started looking at all the cute baby corns. Then the most puzzled look took over my face as I saw a baby milksnake just nuzzled in the corn pile like he thought he was a corn. An employee walks by and I tell him, and he's not the least bit surprised. Apparently this milksnake escapes into the corn cage all the time because there's gaps in the side walling of the cages. What's more concerning to me is that in the cage on the opposite side of the corns, there was a kingsnake bigger than all of them!

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YIKES! I would report that immediately. We will actually relocate our animals to secure cages if our dividers fail on us until it's fixed. We don't need to learn the hard way.