I just finished writing out Figment's care instructions for the petsitter; we're going away in two weeks, and the 12 year old daughter of a coworker is going to be coming in daily to feed Figment and my cat and fish. She has a beardie of her own and is a mature, responsible kid, so I'm not as concerned about her age as I might be; also, her mom will be with her (she needs to be; the kid can't drive!). In fact, I feel more comfortable having her in charge than I would a teenager with no beardie experience.
This is the first time we've left Figment for more than a weekend. I have left the name and phone number of his vet (and will be leaving my credit card on file with the vet in case of an emergency), and detailed instructions for daily tank cleaning and feeding. I know the family has a beardie, too, but I would rather sound like an overprotective beardie mom than forget something I should mention!
What would you make sure to leave as instructions for a sitter for your dragon?
My cell # !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Plenty of food and where to find it --- how much to feed--- dragons are all different so they all have their quirks!! Are they turning lights on and off or are they on a timer? Do you have extra bulbs in case the basking bulb blows?? That always seems to be an issue I am hearing from people who have gone away only to find out the person taking care of the dragon didnt know what to do and the dragon was left for days w/ no basking light! Watch the temps in the tank in case there is real hot day and tank gets too warm -- always a possibility ---- the cat --- is he locked out or how is he w/ the dragon?
Karrie
My cell # !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Plenty of food and where to find it --- how much to feed--- dragons are all different so they all have their quirks!! Are they turning lights on and off or are they on a timer? Do you have extra bulbs in case the basking bulb blows?? That always seems to be an issue I am hearing from people who have gone away only to find out the person taking care of the dragon didnt know what to do and the dragon was left for days w/ no basking light! Watch the temps in the tank in case there is real hot day and tank gets too warm -- always a possibility ---- the cat --- is he locked out or how is he w/ the dragon?
Karrie
Excellent suggestions!!! I did have my cell number down, and the lights are on a timer. The cat pretty much ignores Figment and his tank, but I’ll be keeping the door closed and I’ll monitor the temps for the next few days as a dry run; it doesn’t usually get much hotter than it already is up here (we’ve had a run of 90+ days lately). Spare bulbs are on the shelf, but I’ll make sure to note that. Thanks for the ideas!