Burnt out

[sweetiepie9]

Beardies aren't human but they do have basic emotions. My girl Sweetie was very attached to my hubby and when he passed away last summer, she actually was depressed. I couldn't believe it until I took her to my vet & she said the same thing. Sweetie was carrying infertile eggs that she wouldn't lay & we figure it was because Roger was her "helpmate" when she laid eggs. She almost got eggbound & had to stay at the vet for a couple of days, so she could be induced & lay the eggs she was carrying. It took her a couple of months to be Sweetie again, but she did keep looking for Roger all the time. It was hard to get her back to her regular routine. She finally got very sick & passed away last December.

I also have 4 males, and they also have emotions, just not the same as humans, as they're not humans. They were all affected by Roger's death, as he was primary care giver, he was retired & stayed home & I was still working full-time. So when it came time to get back to work, I had to work hard to get them onto a new routine. I was lucky, that they were ok with the change. They all cling a bit more to me than they used to, which I like, as I'm just a mom to them all. So their emotions are more basic & not as complicated as human emotions, but they do have feelings.
Deb

 

[BigD16]

I've been doing alot of thinking lately. I still havent decided what I want to do. I love my beardies but it is all really starting to come crashing down. I feel overwhelmed and im ready to give up. Like I said, I still havent decided on a final decision of what to do. But, Rehoming my beardies is becoming a serious and realistic possibility.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Have you talked to your mom about her beardie? I certainly understand how overwhelming it can be to have multiple beardies to take care of. and how easy it can be to be burned out. If rehoming them is how you feel you can cope, then that's what you need to do. I know you're thinking of this very seriously and I appreciate how honest you're being. Multiple beardies aren't the easiest to take care of, so you'll have to decide yourself what you can or cannot do.
Good luck
Deb

 

[BigD16]

Im going to talk to her about her beardie. If she isnt willing to take care of it, Then I'll start searching for a home for him. Once he's gone, I'll see how I do with just 2, and if it comes down to it, I'll get rid of one of mine and see how I do with 1.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Whatever you decide is your decision, how you feel is up to you, too. I'm hoping that with your mom's beardie re-homed, you'll still be able to manage your 2. Beardies are alot of work, I can attest to that. They're not simple lizards, they need love, too. I wish you well whatever your decision is.
Deb

 

[BigD16]

I've been mentally torn on what to do with the beardies. Im going to talk to my mom about her beardie and if she isnt willing to help out/take care of him, Then I'm putting him up for sale. As for my other 2, I think im going to start taking inventory on everything I have with them along with all the tanks and supplies I have and chances are they will go up for sale as well. I hate to see them go, but im getting to the point where I cant even stand looking at them. In all honesty, Im sick of the hobby. Im tired of waking up to a room full of dragons everyday and im sick of cleaning the cages and feeding them. Maybe I'll get back into the hobby down the road, Or maybe I wont. I just know right now, I need to seriously start thinking about getting rid of my beardies and moving on for now and when I get things figured out and im settled with school and work and the stress of everyday life, I"ll look into getting back into beardies and maybe get 1.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Good luck, I hope everything falls into place for you. You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of anything or anyone else.
Deb

 

[BigD16]

Thank you. I'll keep you and everybody else following the topic updated as any changes occur.

 

[BigD16]

I know I've probably come off as really hot and cold with what I want to do with my beardies... Honestly, Im burnt out and I need a break. I start college on the 29th and will be going twice a week (tuesdays and thursdays), Unless I have a clinical day that week, Then I'll be going Tuesday and Thursday evenings 7pm-9pm and if I happen to have a clinical that particular week, I will also be going to the hospital for training from 9am to 12pm. I am going to have a fairly large workload during class and im sure I will have a bunch of emt training workbook pages to do. I hate to see my beardies go... That's honestly why im taking so long to decide on what to do and why im so torn on what to do. It seems like all I do is clean poop and listen to them glass dance (my oldest who has started doing it alot recently, somethin tells me he's getting spring fever.), I try taking them out when theyre like that, but they mainly just sit on my bed and stare at me. They get down and run around sometimes, but I have to be cautious and pretty much stand over them so they dont get into any trouble or zoom upstairs... I hate to see them go but im to the point where I dont take them out nearly as much anymore, and all i do is take care of them and clean their cages... I have no passion or enthusiasm to hold them or take them out at ngiht, which is why they've been sleeping in their cages for the past several weeks with little to no play time. I just cant do it anymore... Im tired of them. Honestly, Looking at them is really starting to anger me and upset me, and it seems like they glass dance and cause all kinds of commotion because they can see that it gets to me.

 

[ShannyBeard]

Sounds like you have answered your question over and over again - it is time for them to have new homes. This is not a crime, and you shouldn't feel badly about it. You are not the first person to get rid of a pet for these types of reasons, and once you start school it won't get any better. :silent:

 

[BigD16]

Yeah I think I have my decision. I think im going to slim down slowly, Starting with getting rid of 1, see how I do with 2, if its still bad, Another one will go, and I'll see how I do with 1. But ultimately, I think I'll probably only end up keeping one or just getting rid of them all as much as it hurts to say it.

 

[ShannyBeard]

I can totally relate. I had to sell my horses as a teenager because I had become burnt out from caring for them. It takes a lot of time, work and money to properly keep a horse, let alone 3 horses. Felt bad giving them up, but I was relieved and I got over it.

 

[sweetiepie9]

I kow how hard this decision has been for you, but you have to take care of you first, and as Shannon said it won't get any easier with college starting. If you're looking for a good home, try the For Free section for someone in your area. Scaling down 1 by 1 is probably a good idea, too. Dragons take alot of work (I know, I have 4) and attention, and if you don't have the energy, it's not worth it. Don't feel bad either, even though I know you do, as you're going to have a heavy load just doing all your college courses, etc. I wish you the very best!
Deb

 

[BigD16]

Thank you to the both of you.

It has been tough on me, But I think it is the best thing right now. I will keep everybody updated with future updates and will let everyone know when I start getting rid of them.

 

[dragonlover3]

Hi,
It sounds like you are making the right decision for you and your beardies.
You obviously care about them even though you are feeling so burnt out or
you wouldn't be so torn. I think you are acting very responsible realizing you
are burnt out and are going to be so busy with school, yet wanting the best
for them. Sometimes the right decisions are the hardest to make!
Try to stop feeling so guilty!
HUGS
Amanda