Pets chit chat thread

[Heka]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I JUST GOT A TURTLE!!!!!!!!!

And that better not have the caps edited out, because it needs CAPS!

[Shahaku]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Woo! Awesomeness Heka. What kind is it?

[Heka]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Woo! Awesomeness Heka. What kind is it?

A Murray Short-Neck He doesn't have any pretty colours, or any awesome markings, he is just a boss as turtle I started a thread, there are pictures... haha

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Ok using my tablet for this so no quotes 'cos my tablet hates quotes lol

The worming question... puppies get worms before they are even born. They are passed through the placenta into the unborn puppy and also through the breast milk. Intestinal worming is population control, not prevention, so all we're doing is killing them off then letting them build up then killing them off again. Hence the gross puppy deworm thing lol

Heka... AWESOME. I love chelonians. Let me know if you have any vet questions 'cos we do a little bit of reptile/chelonian work and I personally wrote our protocols for their care.

[Heka]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Heka... AWESOME. I love chelonians. Let me know if you have any vet questions 'cos we do a little bit of reptile/chelonian work and I personally wrote our protocols for their care.

Thanks Rae'ya! I've found a great site called Australian Freshwater Turtles that has a fully functioning forum and while I'm quite stressed out about how I've started things, I'm hoping they can help. If I do have any vet related anything I will turn to you first though of course Not to mention you're closer than a lot of other vets! haha

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

The forum folk will keep you sorted lol. Just pretty much don't listen to the pet shop people and you'll be good. You can upgrade your basic stuff as you go... it sounds like you're already doing better than some new turtle owners lol

[Heka]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

The forum folk will keep you sorted lol. Just pretty much don't listen to the pet shop people and you'll be good. You can upgrade your basic stuff as you go... it sounds like you're already doing better than some new turtle owners lol

Pet shop people are the worst. I only have one option anywhere near here, and I got my gear there, and it's shit. I hate it all, and it's stressing me. It only cost me 350 though incl turtle so I don't feel so bad about tossing some of it pretty soon!


Still can't decide on the name either.. SO FRUSTRATING! Currently he is Mr H... But it's just not enough.

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Henry. lol.

Get your stuff online. It'll cost you in postage but at least it'll be good quality. Or save up a wishlist and take a weekend trip down here. Just let me know so I can put the kettle on lol

[Heka]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Nope, it's either Hagan or Hammond..... Cannot narrow it down less than that...

And I will, though the trip to yours sounds like a good plan! Only found one Reptile One stockist though on their website. I'm sure there is better, but so far Reptile One has a very handy catalogue.

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I'm so proud of Buddy (African Grey Parrot) - yesterday he went for his wing & nail clip and he grumbled but didn't really fight, so it went very quickly. Didn't sulk afterwards, either. It only took 23 years to get to this point LOL

[Lilium of the Valley]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

sooo...my cat has an obsession with licking bean bags...for hours...on end... >_> not sure what that says about him...

[alternatingSelves]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

my kitten seems to know that a bunch of us are going out of town this week. we're all university students and it's our fall reading week. he's spent all of today being in a really bad mood and not letting us pet or hold him, when he's usually the cuddliest cat ever. HE KNOWS O.o

[nbdy]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

my kitten seems to know that a bunch of us are going out of town this week. we're all university students and it's our fall reading week. he's spent all of today being in a really bad mood and not letting us pet or hold him, when he's usually the cuddliest cat ever. HE KNOWS O.o

They always know. I don't know how, but they always do. I have even waited to throw a few things into a bag at the last minute so they wouldn't know, but the night before --- they knew anyway. Maybe our scent changes when we are anticipating travel?

As for the beanbag licking ... Is it maybe a catnip toy with beans in it , too?

[Heka]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I'm so stressed about my turtle. Trust there to be a bloody cold snap NOW! Just when I get the turtle! His water is dropping to like 15 degrees C at night. I'm taking him out, and putting kettles full of boiling water in there to raise the temperature, but it doesn't last long. It's just so cold. I mean it's fucking mid-October. Why in balls was it 2 degrees last night? I mean seriously what the fuck? I've ordered a water heater (and all the other gear), but it will only get here next week. Do I really have to stress that long?! I don't know what else to do. I'm actually seriously considering firing up my electric blanket to sleep tonight. How is my turtle going to survive? He didn't eat much today, even though I gave him about 20 min of outside time, and go the water temp up to about 24 degrees. He needs to eat, he's just a baby, but then he shouldn't eat if he's not metabolising, and he can't metabolise well at all under about 18 degrees. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I'm so stressed about my turtle. Trust there to be a bloody cold snap NOW! Just when I get the turtle! His water is dropping to like 15 degrees C at night. I'm taking him out, and putting kettles full of boiling water in there to raise the temperature, but it doesn't last long. It's just so cold. I mean it's fucking mid-October. Why in balls was it 2 degrees last night? I mean seriously what the fuck? I've ordered a water heater (and all the other gear), but it will only get here next week. Do I really have to stress that long?! I don't know what else to do. I'm actually seriously considering firing up my electric blanket to sleep tonight. How is my turtle going to survive? He didn't eat much today, even though I gave him about 20 min of outside time, and go the water temp up to about 24 degrees. He needs to eat, he's just a baby, but then he shouldn't eat if he's not metabolising, and he can't metabolise well at all under about 18 degrees. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I second you on the weather at the moment. WTF.

Unfortunately there's no way around this one, Heka. You gotta keep him warm. Does the local pet store have at least a cheap aquarium heater? If you can keep it at least 22C consistently then he'll probably get by, but consistency is also important... the constant up down, up down of adding hot water is not great for them either. Otherwise I don't know... insulate the tank maybe? Move it to an area where there's more environmental warmth, like near the heater?

Either way, drop the water content a bit so that it's easier to keep warm in the short term. As long as he's got twice the depth of his body of water he'll be okay in the short term and frankly warmth is more important at this point.

A shallower water depth will also mean that a light above his tank will add some warmth. Even a desk lamp can make a difference, though it has to be safe to leave on over a period of time, and not so great to leave on overnight as that will mess with his day/night cycles, and you have to monitor the temperature closely to avoid overheating because desk lamps just get hotter and hotter and hotter until the plastic covers melt.

Hubby and I keep waiting for spring to show up... it arrives for about a day then disappears again. It's still raining off and on down here. In October.