Might Have to Rehome Loki

[reddragon087]

Unfortunate as it is and I honestly don't want to do this, I might have to rehome Loki. I just learned
yesterday that my boyfriend lost his job and now rent and all the bills fall on me and with my checks
I can barely afford rent. I don't want Loki going without food and without the things that he needs
because I can't provide for him now. It breaks my heart to have to do this but if anyone out there
would like to give him a new home, as long as I know he would be going to a loving home I would not
charge. I don't know how to ship though and am not certified through fedex or what not. I live in
Missouri. I just bought him roaches and he still has crickets, plus before he just told me today, I had
already bought 1,000 count reptiworms that should ship Monday. He has his vitamin sprays as well, plus
all the accessories that go to his habitat. I really don't want to get rid of him but I don't know how long
we will be under a money crunch and I don't want my animals suffering because of it.

 

[AHBD]

I'm sorry to hear this. Things are tough for so many people, as well as their pets. I have a couple of suggestions that might make keeping him affordable. Reptiworms are non essential and expensive, leave those out of his diet for now,you can get by on crickets and roaches . If he's big enough, superworms. My dragons eat medium supers from the time they are 13 -14" , not the main staple, but it fills them up as part of their diet, and you can feed less of them. I'll give mine 3-5 at a time, and crix later in the day. If your roaches breed, you can have a constant supply of food. And some cricket suppliers are cheaper than others...look for the least expensive. Once a dragon is 13 - 14 ", it's easier to feed them they eat less because the insects can be a little bigger than the space between the eyes rule, so they get filled up on less. I hope things work out for you all, no matter what decision you make.

 

[reddragon087]

Crickets and roaches are whats killing me right now. Just november alone I spent 160 on roaches and another 200+ on crickets.
Loki is only about 8 months old so he is still growing, very fast might I add, and is a super eating machine. If I could keep the
animals I would. Just the rent alone is $845 a month and I barely bring in $1,000 a month so my dilemma has been brought on
kind of fiercly and hit me in the face.

 

[AHBD]

Wow, your insect bill was $360 ? Do you order from a company or buy at the pet store ? That's a super high amount of money...you can usually get crix shipped from about $15 - $20 per 1,000, which should last you at least 2-3 weeks. Unless you feed very small crix and he eats 2-3 times as many to make up for it. He should be able to eat the 3/4 " crix if not the large, and they should last a few weeks. If he's 15+ inches, superworms can last a month or two very easily.

 

[reddragon087]

I've been ordering the roaches from someone on here and I've had to order every week and I've had to keep buying crickets
from a local Petsmart because the person I'm buying roaches from, I order them and usually end up waiting a week to get
them. Plus, the last time I ordered crickets online, I ended up getting a half dead order filled with a bunch of regular house
roaches and I'm still trying to take care of that problem. So, in the end I'm paying 22.00 every couple of days when I run out
of roaches to keep in stock of crickets from petsmart since it is the only animal place around me. Also, eventually he gets
tired of crickets after a few days and then refuses to eat and I've tried the tough love act and it doesn't work, he just refuses
to eat period.

 

[reddragon087]

Wow, your insect bill was $360 ? Do you order from a company or buy at the pet store ? That's a super high amount of money...you can usually get crix shipped from about $15 - $20 per 1,000, which should last you at least 2-3 weeks. Unless you feed very small crix and he eats 2-3 times as many to make up for it. He should be able to eat the 3/4 " crix if not the large, and they should last a few weeks. If he's 15+ inches, superworms can last a month or two very easily.

He's nowhere near 15+ inches yet

 

[AHBD]

You can try Ghann's crix, they are very reasonable, and I've ordered tens of 1,000's and there are no pesky bugs hitch-hiking along. You can get next day delivery which is what I get, or 2 day very reasonably. There are other companies as well...don't give up because of high price. Also, Loki may refuse the crix occassionally if he holds out for Reptiworms. He can get used to eating all crix with just salad. But again, you do what you think you need to do, but I know you can get enough feeders for about $35 a month.

 

[reddragon087]

My thing is though my rent is $845 a month and I only bring in $1,000. I also have other bills
because the rent doesn't include anything at all, I still pay electric and gas, taxes on the house,
sewer,water and trash, phone, cable, and internet, and food in the house for me, my boyfriend
and his three kids. It came down to me to figure everything out and right now I'm just kind of in
freak out mode and trying to figure out whats best for everything.

 

[AHBD]

I'm sorry, I know it's an emotional strain. Give yourself time to think, but by no means should you feel guilty about your decision concerning Loki. Sometimes you can sit down with a list of what is a necessity, and what is not. Include things like food [ human] eating out, beer, cable, etc [ List things you can eliminate because you don't need them ] and think it through.You'll get through this.

 

[reddragon087]

I'm just freaking out because it seems as though we can never get ahead and
I try so hard to keep everything together and I'm the only one who does and the
things make me happy I have to get rid of because I can't afford to properly take
care of them. I'm not only giving up Loki, I'm giving up school as well, I cannot work
two jobs and go to school at the same time, it is going to have to wait.

 

[AHBD]

Do whatever you can to cut bills. I don't know if you live in a warm or cold state, but many states have heating assistance programs that are a big help to people who struggle to pay bills. There are usually food banks, too if things get really tough. Just throwing some things out ther....I hope the best for you.

 

[reddragon087]

I live in Missouri, we've tried getting assistance with our power/electric bill before
and got turned down..so much for the needy getting help. I'm just hoping something
will happen soon.

 

[SuzukiRider]

Did you boyfriend get fired or layed off? If layed off, then he should be able to collect employment insurance. If not, he needs to get out there and find work at McDonalds if he has to. Just my opinion.

 

[reddragon087]

He got fired from the location he was at, he is security too, but not from the company
so he was told to wait for a call to be reassigned.

 

[SuzukiRider]

I hope he finds something soon. Is the unemployment rate high there? I live in Canada and it's getting better here thank gawd.