Pet Philosohy - Ever have to just bite your tongue?

[MasonC2K]

I took my snake to the vet yesterday for the first time. She hasn'r eaten in a few months and I wanted to have her checked out. Everything is fine in that regard but something happened that bothered me a little. As I was checking out, the lady hadling my paper work asked if she could see Chloe (I had her in a pillow case). So I took her out and she thought it was a was great. She tried to get one of her coworkers to touch her. She wanted nothing to do with it but that wasn't what bothered me.

The coworker said "Any animal that has to be kept in a cage shouldn't be a pet."

It took all I had to not rebuke her for such a comment. And on top of that, why would you say that in front of a customer that obviously disagrees?

[littleindiangirl]

LOL, blond moment eh? Some people just don't think before they speak.

[frankykeno]

Ummmm...what? An employee at your vet clinic told a customer that any caged animal should not be kept as a pet????

Well I guess there goes all the nice birds people keep as pets and the hamsters and rabbits and dogs that are kennelled like mine at night and so on.

Personally I'd be on the phone with the vet having a strong word with him/her about their employees keeping their PETA opinions to themselves!

[Freakie_frog]

The coworker said "Any animal that has to be kept in a cage shouldn't be a pet."

Welcome to reptile keeping you will find people that think if it doesn't shed on the couch and greet you at the door it not a pet. I just tell those people I can enjoy my animals with out having reinforcement from them.

People have no problem seeing fish as pets but reptile..No thats not a Pet..

LOL

[cassandra]

Personally I'd be on the phone with the vet having a strong word with him/her about their employees keeping their PETA opinions to themselves!

I agree like 645%...I would have said something right there tho.

"Then I guess you should look for another job out of the PET INDUSTRY since I'm taking my pet need business elsewhere."

...and I'll write the local paper and I'll tell all my friends not to do business here...grrr...

[NickP]

Haha, she's so dumb. She potentially drove you [their customer] away from the clinic.

Welcome to reptile keeping you will find people that think if it doesn't shed on the couch and greet you at the door it not a pet. I just tell those people I can enjoy my animals with out having reinforcement from them.

People have no problem seeing fish as pets but reptile..No thats not a Pet..

LOL

Fish don't bite and coil around your finger! lol

[kneepoles]

hmmm, does your snake fit the definition of a pet? let's see...here read the #1 definition:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pet
You know, my family thinks I'm nuts for wanting to have a snake as a pet. they all say things like "what can you do with it? you can't play with it in the floor like a dog or cat!".

[frankykeno]

I'd still speak with the vet or vets that own that clinic. They may be completely unaware that they have an employee who could be driving their business away. I mean this is a vet that does exotics or you wouldn't have a snake there in the first place, right? What did the twit expect you to do...build it a dog house and a run outside? I'd let your vet know.

[Argentra]

I agree with Joanna, let the vet(s) know ASAP! That may have been an unthought comment, but it was stupid, uneducated, and rude...especially in front of a 'small animal/exotic' owner. They need to know about that employee.

On a similar note, I've heard very similar comments when I worked at Petsmart, as well as when I would be shopping or talking about my snakes and rodents. Tons of people out there have that 'PETA' attitude that if it can't run around 'free' and do something for the owner then it's a captive and not a pet. SIGH There's just no hope for people like that...

[SatanicIntention]

Most times I don't or can't bite my tongue.. When people buy crappy dog food, my brain screams at them, and most times I go up to them and make a suggestion. Poor husbandry, I have to speak up.. Fat dogs kill me and it's just necessary that I gripe at people for doing that to an animal that doesn't know any better. I have to bite my tongue with my grandmother because she doesn't listen anyway.. Her blue heeler, with a HEAD AND NECK OSTECTOMY OF THE FEMUR is around 55-60lbs. A BLUE HEELER!!! Her other dog, who should weigh around 35lbs, is also 65lbs or more.. But does she care? Nope.. It's sad and all I can do is shake my head and watch those dogs die slowly.