How can I convince my parents to let me buy a beardie?

[CooperDragon]

That's actually quite a nice idea. I'm not sure if my local Petco does that. I haven't seen it at least.

 

[JessPets]

That's actually quite a nice idea. I'm not sure if my local Petco does that. I haven't seen it at least.

They might not do it over there. I know all Petcos here do though

 

[Lemonizer]

I think it was just for the grand opening though.

I had finally raised enough money for everything! Yay!
My mum thinks the beardies are funny. Well I wonder why.

Also, we went to PetSmart on Sunday and there were beardies also. I was actually legit surprised at the conditions there. They had two beardies per tank that looked absolutely healthy, had crickets for breakfast (there was a leg or two around), and overall seemed okay. One was a lazy butt basking under the lights, and the other one was pretty interested in me.
That's probably the only guy I'd say yes to if he asked me out lol

They weren't anything special, really, but I really liked how they had reptile carpet instead of that hated sand and crickets instead of mealworms.

I guess it depends on the owner/manager/whoever runs the thing how the animals are treated.

There was also this funny thing at Petsmart.
So basically, that active beardie was just basking when my father and I walked over to them (correction: my father walked over, Lemon was flying at the speed of light), and my father started talking about how they do absolutely nothing. He got bored and left to see what my mum was doing with the guinea pigs, and as soon as he turned away the little pooper started going mental) he jumped into the water, splashed it everywhere, and was a big show off. I called my father, he came over again, and what would you think? The pooper stops like a statue and gives him the stink eye! I was laughing SO hard!

My grandma was like - well, it's going to be your pet, not your father's. I lkve my grandma. She's great.

 

[CooperDragon]

Sounds like the little ones personality is already showing a bit :lol: I'm glad to hear the store has good conditions for them. I hope to see more of that going forward.

 

[Adriana0918]

Sounds like things are going well and your parents seem to be opening up to the idea I'm 16 and got my first beardie a little over a year ago and he's honestly the best animal I've ever owned (although he owns me more than I do him :lol: ) We've been through some ups and downs concerning his health but we're doing great over here! Hope to see a post from you about a new beardie soon! Good Luck with everything

 

[Lemonizer]

Thank you Adriana! Your beardie is beautiful!

Craigslist has some cute beardies, but absolutely no shame. They ask for over $200 for some of them.
I was also thinking of adopting an axolotl, but a beardie is obviously a priority.
I think I might get my parents to make an impulse kind of buy, especially my mum. Gotta take her to Petco soon haha!
Meanwhile, my father is torturing me - he sent my sister to announce that he got a dog, but turns out it's a toy. Like legit. Really.

I think I will wait until I have a beardie, so that I don't scare them with my plans of a reptile rescue/adoption thing lol! Might actually start that when I'm a bit older (maybe 15 or 16, which would be in a year).

Also, I turned 14 a week and a day ago! I got 80 bucks, too. At first I was like - let me save blabla percent for this, blabla percent for that... and now I'm like - SCREW IT, I'M SPENDING IT ALL ON HERPS :mrgreen:

 

[Adriana0918]

$200?! Wow! I got my little Hemingway from a breeder for $75 I think, plus $50 in shipping. Also I wouldn't buy from chain pet stores, I would check online breeders first. But of course do your research on them. Chain pet stores get their animals from disgusting places and I always recommend not supporting them. But if you can't find one from anywhere else I guess you'd have to get one from a chain store.

I got Hemingway from here by the way: http://www.draggintails.net

 

[Lemonizer]

$200?! Wow! I got my little Hemingway from a breeder for $75 I think, plus $50 in shipping. Also I wouldn't buy from chain pet stores, I would check online breeders first. But of course do your research on them. Chain pet stores get their animals from disgusting places and I always recommend not supporting them. But if you can't find one from anywhere else I guess you'd have to get one from a chain store.

I got Hemingway from here by the way: http://www.draggintails.net

Imo, if the animals are kept in good conditions and are healthy, then why not buy them from a store?
Most of the animals on CS are either old, crazy expensive, or both.
Like legit, there was this baby beardie for $100, I was like wat

I still don't know how to start the conversation with my parents though. I'm afraid of my father laughing at me. He says that since I "have" horses, I shouldn't want a lizard. In his opinion, lizards are inferior to horses. I mean, I want a beardie for me, myself, and I, and the viv is going to be in my room on my drawer, and I can find somewhere to keep the worms. My mum just doesn't want crickets taking over the house (and the world, eventually), and my father isn't a supporter of herps.
Yesterday I had my more rebellious self announce to my chiller self that I'm going to try to get a reptile secretly and just shove it in my folks' faces. My chiller self facepalmed and whacked my other self with a frying pan. Now the rebel is thinking of dragging mum to pet store, making Shrek Cat eyes, and buying the dragon with my own money.
I have $160 right now, in both money and gift cards, and I took on a job of pet sitting that would bring me $122.50, which would give me extra "just in case" money. I also found some herp vets around.

I wouldn't want to have my father yell at me and possibly return my beardie since I did something without his consent (he's the only one who can do that, apparently), but I don't know what to do.

 

[Adriana0918]

Well since it is a chain store, if you support one (as good as it is) you support the bad ones that treat their animals horribly. If you get one from PetSmart you're likely to get one that is sick or will get sick. This is just a fact because of where they get them from. A breeder is your best bet. If not a breeder then I'd go with Craigslist, but I would never ever buy from a chain pet store and I don't recommend you do either. I also recommend you don't get a baby too. That's just my opinion, you do as you please.

 

[Lemonizer]

Well since it is a chain store, if you support one (as good as it is) you support the bad ones that treat their animals horribly. If you get one from PetSmart you're likely to get one that is sick or will get sick. This is just a fact because of where they get them from. A breeder is your best bet. If not a breeder then I'd go with Craigslist, but I would never ever buy from a chain pet store and I don't recommend you do either. I also recommend you don't get a baby too. That's just my opinion, you do as you please.

As stated in "This is y petco shouldnt be selling animals", someone is going to buy them anyway. Besides, my parents trust pet stores more and I can't find any breeders near us.

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

To go a little more in depth with my point, hundreds of people visit chain stores daily, and bearded dragons sell very fast (in most cases) to people that have no idea what they're doing. They follow pet store advice and end up with a sick or dead beardie. Yes it encourages their sales, but consider it more of a rescue. Someone else will buy that dragon, likely horribly uneducated with their care. If you can give that dragon a good home, do it. In most cases, at least by me, they don't even have beardies more than a month they go so fast, and lord knows none of those new owners are on this board. Rather than someone else taking it home to die, I can take it home to be loved and raised properly

 

[Adriana0918]

While I completely see your point, I feel that the more you buy, the more they will stock. While, yes you will provide a great home, you provide an open spot for another beardie to be sold to some person who doesn't know what they're doing.

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

Whether you buy it or someone else buys it, they'll restock that spot. My point being that dragon is being sold regardless. By no means do I think chain stores are where you should get dragons, I'm just saying not buying them isn't going to stop anything because someone else will, so that shouldn't be what stops you. What stops you should be the health of the animal

 

[Gormagon]

To go a little more in depth with my point, hundreds of people visit chain stores daily, and bearded dragons sell very fast (in most cases) to people that have no idea what they're doing. They follow pet store advice and end up with a sick or dead beardie. Yes it encourages their sales, but consider it more of a rescue. Someone else will buy that dragon, likely horribly uneducated with their care. If you can give that dragon a good home, do it. In most cases, at least by me, they don't even have beardies more than a month they go so fast, and lord knows none of those new owners are on this board. Rather than someone else taking it home to die, I can take it home to be loved and raised properly

Well said my friend!!! At least a dragon bought by someone who has educated themselves in the needs and proper care (of that dragon) can provide a good life for the one he/she buys. Advising against it and, leaving them to die a miserable death at the hands of the uneducated,( just because its a big chain store), makes us equally guilty. Those dragons deserve a chance at a good life as well as to be loved too!!! Of course this is just my opinion!

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

To go a little more in depth with my point, hundreds of people visit chain stores daily, and bearded dragons sell very fast (in most cases) to people that have no idea what they're doing. They follow pet store advice and end up with a sick or dead beardie. Yes it encourages their sales, but consider it more of a rescue. Someone else will buy that dragon, likely horribly uneducated with their care. If you can give that dragon a good home, do it. In most cases, at least by me, they don't even have beardies more than a month they go so fast, and lord knows none of those new owners are on this board. Rather than someone else taking it home to die, I can take it home to be loved and raised properly

Well said my friend!!! At least a dragon bought by someone who has educated themselves in the needs and proper care (of that dragon) can provide a good life for the one he/she buys. Advising against it and, leaving them to die a miserable death at the hands of the uneducated,( just because its a big chain store), makes us equally guilty. Those dragons deserve a chance at a good life as well as to be loved too!!! Of course this is just my opinion!

Thanks All three of my dragons came from Petsmart, and while I do feel some guilt supporting them, those dragons are already born and there. Not buying them isn't going to teach Petsmart a lesson. If someone personally does not want to support the stores by shopping there, that is totally cool and fine and I fully understand, but my mentality is someone else will be taking them home anyway. Why not give them a good home?

When I bought Alucard from Petsmart after Simon's passing, the employees there all know me since I'm always in with Richter, and the employee's comment was "I'm glad to know she's going to a good home" while filling out the adoption paperwork. She confirmed the dragon I took home had been there just under a month and that normally they're only there for a few weeks, which I can confirm since I always check on the beardies when I'm in, and I'm in about once a week.

I know every location is different and I live in a relatively big city (Go Packers!) so the turnover rate of dragons may be higher than other more rural locations.