[Caluabdum]

Saturday I went to Petsmart to buy dog food, cat food, a new bulb for my tortoise sun lamp, and a new toy and a new perch for my African Grey. I decided to take Owen and Rita with me because my daughter came with me to help and last trip I took Ike, so it was their turn to go. Not to mention, Owen needed a nail trim and he hates when I do it, but is ok with groomers doing it on their tables.

The store wasn't busy and the staff was all over petting and loving on the Dippy Duo.

Of course, I was got into talking food and allergies with one staff member who also has an allergy dog that I forgot the bulb and bird supplies.

Sunday afternoon I decided to take Renee with me and go back for the bulb, perch, and toy. She got mugged! Repeatedly. There were a lot of people at the store, most of them old folks, and at least 10 of them had to run over, tell me what a cute Pit Bull I have, and pet her within an inch of her life. She was thrilled! The staff member from the night before came over to meet her and brought 2 other staff with her so they could also meet her and hear the story of Rita and her allergies/fur loss and how sweet she was last night when I brought her in.

Along with the petting came quite a few stories of the Pit Bulls these old folks had in years past and how they were the best dog they ever owned. Most of the people who came to pet and chat also had to tell me about the Pit Bull their daughter/son/sister/niece etc. owns.

Just to add to my great day, a few other Pit Bulls came in. One a very sweet old gal and one a very calm adult male. They came over to chat and pet Renee and were quite understanding and polite when I explained that Renee gets on well with my other dogs at home, but is very selective with strange dogs. They'd just tighten up on their leashes and move a few feet back so we could keep chatting without having to worry about the dogs reaching each other.

An older gentleman with 2 JRT's even had the sense to ask first when his JRT wanted to come see Renee and just smiled, said "She's a beauty!" and moved a few more feet away when I explained she isn't strange dog friendly.

And Renee behaved! She was very excited and required a few corrections when she tried to pull me over to see people and when we went in the dog bone aisle, but that was it.

The only disappointment I had was that a couple came in with...get this...their 2 St Bernards, Great Dane, and English Mastiff. They were GORGEOUS dogs and very friendly with the crowd they attracted, but I couldn't go over and pet them because Renee would have responded badly judging by her body language when she spotted them from a distance. Duncan was with me, though, and he went over to ask if he could pet them. I thought the boy was going to faint from joy. He was on his knees at one point just getting cuddled, loved, and slobbered on. I'm surprised he didn't ask the owners to take him home with them!

[mymnarorump]

Wow! 2 st. Bernards, Great Dane AND an English Mastiff? That's quite a crew to handle!

Sound like you had a couple of nice days out. Its usually so crowded at Petsmart on the weekends where I live, and then again, I only have 1 dog who I would take in with me to visit, the rest of my group are heathens.

[Zjohkrbi]

ooo you have any pics of your tortoise? My momma has 2 red sliders, I LOOOOOVE THEM. But of course, they are all the time needing their water changed, and I know I couldnt keep up with that. LOL!

[fotodemujerahldesnugdo]

sounds wonderful! I wish Goren would not react so horrid when confronting other dogs (he has leash reactivity, either cowers or acts aggressive most the time) so he really can't go into petsmart anymore. Logan still can but we have not been since his classes ended. How does your African Gray look? my dad had one when I was born that he had to give to the zoo (back then when they accepted pets, its now used for research at a zoo I forget which one it ended up at but its only about 30) because it started pulling its feathers out even though my dad worked at home, it was in the room with him and always had interaction with him. I love Tortises too, but the long term commitment to them is a bit extreme for me, I just got a leopard gecko, I think 10-20 years is going to be great but I just fear a 50 year commitment with an animal, I fear I would start slacking on care and such >.<

[Caluabdum]

Here's my Grey, Cheney. She's 9 months old. She also has a bunch of greens on her face in the pic because she was eating when I took it Diet is very important with parrots. So is having new things to play with and tear up. If diet is offr or they get bored, they will pluck. Some birds even pluck when being fed properly and even though they have plenty of mental stimulation. If she matures and plucks, I'll still keep her.


---------- Post added at 07:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:04 PM ----------

Here's Mr Chang. He's an Eastern Box Turtle. Its kind of an old pic, but he still looks the exact same,lol. I got him from a pet store about 8 years ago for Christmas. He was estimated by the vet to be about 19 years old then, so he's around 27 now. Easiest pet to take care of ever! He eats the same fruits and veggies that my Grey does, so I make up their food at the same time. Then all he needs is fresh bedding every few months, water changes in his dish and pool daily and his heat and UV bulbs.


---------- Post added at 07:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:08 PM ----------

Wow! 2 st. Bernards, Great Dane AND an English Mastiff? That's quite a crew to handle!

Sound like you had a couple of nice days out. Its usually so crowded at Petsmart on the weekends where I live, and then again, I only have 1 dog who I would take in with me to visit, the rest of my group are heathens.

I know! I used them as proof that I am not the craziest dog lady to my husband. I said at least I don't have 4 horse-dogs! I was about green with envy and dying to pet them, but Psycho Terrier did not look happy, so I controlled myself.

She is becoming more and more dog selective when we go out in public or friends houses. She's great with the house dogs, great with puppies and great with small dogs, but anything other than that and she is real picky. She started to get reactive when some random Lab mix wandered by and gave her the stink eye. Started "turkey calling" and crying to get to him. I got her attention and said "For God's sake, shut up. You're a Pit Bull. Have some dignity. Pit Bulls don't cry." She stopped and looked at me and a few people near us laughed.

I'm hoping if I keep taking her to the crowded pet stores on the weekends she will keep being decently behaved.

[CathBraun]

How nice to have had such good reception at the pet store. Nice to see your grey. I love parrots. I used to have a Senegal parrot, always wanted a grey. Still do, maybe some day...

[fotodemujerahldesnugdo]

aww they are beautiful! My dad got rid of his because he just wanted to make sure it had the best chance you know, he didn't know if it was anything he was doing or if it was just that way and since they said they would take it he was all for it going to the zoo since he knew they would take good care of him.

I love box turtles, I wish it wasn't against the law to grab one outa the wild, I have saved about 4 in my lifetime and would have loved to been able to take one home, the last one I saved was huge for a box turtle too >.<

[Caluabdum]

[quote]aww they are beautiful! My dad got rid of his because he just wanted to make sure it had the best chance you know, he didn't know if it was anything he was doing or if it was just that way and since they said they would take it he was all for it going to the zoo since he knew they would take good care of him.

I love box turtles, I wish it wasn't against the law to grab one outa the wild, I have saved about 4 in my lifetime and would have loved to been able to take one home, the last one I saved was huge for a box turtle too >.

[fotodemujerahldesnugdo]

yea tell me about it, people post on my craigslist add all the time here too about birds, I found out when I had parakeets for oh about a week...that I was allergic I donno how I can be allergic to birds but I am, so I just really can't have them, it has to be a dog or a reptile lol.

yea they are pretty endangered in the wild but seem to be doing ok down in IN, I have seen them north of Indianapolis a few times, and a few down here, a friend saved 2 from the roadway just this past fall so as long as the cars don't kill them all I think they are coming back. I just think maybe they don't like to be that far north as much, like your at the edge of there range maybe. I would do a lot of research and maybe breed them if you had a good release site for the new babies, I mean if you know that the box turtle you have is native and get another native one then why not release them as hatchlings

[Caluabdum]

Birds have dander like other pets do. It's not that uncommon of an allergy. Especially among asthmatics. Some brave souls with allergies sprinkle their homes with air filters, frequently change their furnace filters, and spray their birds daily with water to cut down the dander, but they could be crazy, lol.

I have no idea where Mr Chang originated. Could be captive bred, could be wild caught. The pet store I got him from got him from someone who got him from someone. He had about 19 years of adventures before they, and then I, met him. It's illegal to release captive bred here, so if I dd breed him it would be to sell or give away the babies as pets. Which is part 2 of my problem breeding him. It's not dogs, of course, but I'd still wonder what happened to the babies and if they were taken care of or repeatedly rehomed, illegally released, tortured by some kid, etc etc.

Besides, I'm such a newb I don't even allow him to hibernate winters. I keep his enclosure temperature regulated and his UV light on 12 hours a day 365 days a year to fool him into thinking he lives somewhere with endless summer. Hibernation is tricky. Gotta be outside to get the right temperature and the proper burrowing material and depth and they have to be fed up to survive it. So many things could go wrong I decided not to try it. I've belonged to a turtle talk forum and you'd be surprised how many people lose their turtles to hibernation gone wrong or to stupid shit like trying to hibernate them in the freezer and being all shocked when the turtle dies.

[Zjohkrbi]

ah, man.. they are SO CUTE! Love Mr. Changs name.. LOL!! I love turtles. They're just neat! My moms 2 do this funnie fluttering thing with their 'fingers' it cracks me up every time they do it! Even when she just had the 1, he still did it by himself. They start out abou the size of a quarter, and now he is HUUUUUGE! Think she feeds em 'Rosies' or some shit.

You should def show them off more.. they are very pretty for pictures!

[Caluabdum]

The small pet store that handles exotics nearest me have this huge, multi-leveled, cement pond with Red Eared Sliders varying from teeny-tiny to huge. I keep trying to talk the hubby into letting me have a couple, but he said NO! The store feeds them a combination of feeder gold fish and pellets.

I think they're cute, too, but I may be a bit biased! Thanks

[fotodemujerahldesnugdo]

yea I always forget about the release of native species might being illegal, I never have released any animals so just never looked into it.

yea the water turtles are more of an upkeep because of having to deal with the water filtration. I think gold fish are really bad for them though I know they are for feeding fish, so I am sure they are for turtles too. But petstores have to feed what they can so they can make profit