The Misadventures of a Loli and Her Bucket

I originally wrote this post at the tail end of last year. I got so much written, then I decided to put it on hold since I was burned out and didn’t want to end it on such an abrupt note. I really like how this post came out, so I’m gonna post it anyways, months later, with something of a conclusion added today.

Although I no longer work in the line of retail, it still fascinates me to observe interactions between company/customers and company/employees. Having worked quite a variety of jobs, I’m starting to really see what makes some enterprises more successful than others. Today, though, I find myself fascinated by a public forum discussion about a company through the eyes of a jilted customer.

This forum allows for customers to proffer praise or vent frustrations on their experiences with various companies in the reptile trade. It allows for consumers to assess the reputation of a company through customer opinion. The post that caught my attention was one by an upset individual who was denouncing a particular company through his experience. The majority of the tales on this forum are convincing from the start, with feedback from other members of the community and even companies themselves shining a light on the entire story.

The tale begins with several intense emotions: frustration at being deceived by the actual size of a purchased reptile; rage that the purchased reptile killed a resident reptile; sadness with the loss of the resident reptile because of the purchased reptile; and disgust with the lack of care from the establishment that sent the purchased reptile. Logistically speaking, the range of emotions are understandable; however, as someone somewhat experienced in reptile husbandry, the post set off several warning flags in my mind.

First, if you purchased a reptile from a company and are not satisfied with what you received, you need to immediately take this up with the company. Even before that, I would think you would try to have an extensive amount of communication with the company before you bring an exotic animal into your home. While not all companies are forthcoming, there are many companies and breeders willing to satisfy all your questions and requests for information. Especially when it comes to reptiles, I find it the utmost importance that an owner educates themselves as extensively as possible about any pet or companion they have or plan to obtain. If asking about the particular animal, I do recommend finding out more information about its behavior or feeding habits. As for the animal, you should manage your own research, too. If you are not comfortable with the information (or lack thereof) you receive, you can always approach another seller/breeder/company. As a customer, you have the right to take your business to a place that satisfies your needs. As far as this disgruntled customer goes, it doesn’t seem like he takes issue with the company until serious problems come into play.

The first big warning bell started when he mentioned he only had one cage with other female reptiles in it. Pretty much any reputable reptile source will tell you that when you receive a new reptile, you should quarantine it. Why? You don’t know the overall health of the animal you receive. You don’t know if it may have diseases or parasites that are not visible to the naked eye. By bringing in an unknown quantity and housing it with your other pets, you are putting your entire collection at risk. Where was this new reptile supposed to go besides in the cage with the two other established females? Bad news.

While some reptiles can exist harmoniously with others, more often than not, you have to house them separately. Yes, even if you’re planning on breeding. Even if they’re the same type and gender. A Google search can tell you this right off the bat. Having the females in the same cage is uncomfortable enough, but then introducing a new male to the same cage? Really bad news.

Of course, I’m not surprised when tragedy strikes. The customer starts lamenting about having to get a new cage for the male, and, for whatever reason, he decides to house the male with the females until he can get said cage. The new male gets aggressive and ends up killing one of the females. By this point, I’m already seeing red for all the aforementioned ways he could have avoided this problem.

The angry customer then grows upset when he tells the company about what happens, and he doesn’t get the response that he wants. He begins to throw a tantrum, stating that the company he purchased the male from is in the wrong because they offered him a refund if he shipped the animal back. That it’s their fault he had to buy a whole new enclosure for this reptile that was bigger than advertised. So he advises others to avoid purchasing from this company because they’re liars and their customer service is abysmal.

The stage is set; other players proceed to enter the floor.

With the desire to avoid coming off aggressive or harsh, other forum members offer their sympathies but mention that the purchase of a new reptile requires quarantine for this very reason. They also mention that this particular species of reptile should really be housed individually, as these issues are known to arise. The other forum goers are curious for more information while providing advice for future situations.

At this point, I would like to note that I find it fascinating when people who were searching for sympathy for an error of their own doing turn defensive and lash out at people trying to help. The once (somewhat, in this case) credible story starts falling apart as his defensive statements turn contradictory and even more poor animal husbandry behaviors come to light.

As you probably have already assumed, that reaction is exactly what happened. In order to condense the story, I will dissect the general statements.

1. “It’s not their fault that the purchased reptile killed a resident reptile, but they still lied about the size.” 
   1. You had the opportunity to return it after you received it and it wasn’t as advertised.
   2. You should have had a separate enclosure for the reptile before or at the time of your purchase.
   3. A smaller reptile would not have guaranteed the avoidance of this tragedy.
2. “I DIDN’T PUT THEM IN THE SAME TANK. I PUT THEM ON THE FLOOR SO THEY COULD MEET. THAT’S QUARANTINE.”
   1. No, that is not quarantine.
   2. Way to further stress out an already-stressed-from-shipping reptile.
3. “When I sell reptiles, if something like this happened, I would give them a full refund and something in compensation for the issues.”
   1. With your current husbandry practices, I hope you don’t breed reptiles in the future.
   2. If you run a business, you can dictate how you run it (within reason). Do not expect another company to uphold practices that YOU want.
4. “I wanted a young reptile because I don’t know how to care for adult reptiles yet!”
   1. I don’t even have words for this one.

The further I go in the thread, the less I want to say because it just gets more and more ridiculous. He says quarantine is stupid since “reptile STDs” are bullshit (I don’t even… no one said anything about STDs. If you don’t know reptiles can get sick, why do you even have them?). Anyone that doesn’t support his side ends up being talked down to, called stupid, or told they just don’t understand the situation.

Sigh.

This kind of situation always prickles my skin, especially with all the restrictions happening in the exotic reptile trade. The majority of negative situations that have happened with larger snakes are often due to poor husbandry practices and the general lack of knowledge when it comes to exotic animals. We were all new to the hobby at one point or another. The digital age has definitely helped when it comes to information accessibility.

At the end of the day, all I can say is that when it comes to exotic reptiles (and exotic animals in general), there is always going to be a higher level of care involved. Vet bills aren’t cheap. You won’t have as wide availability of information as you would with cats or dogs. Some exotic animals require very specific habitats (humidity, quarantine, heat, etc.). There is a lot of learning and expense that comes from owning exotic animals, and if you put the time and effort in to get it right, you WILL have a unique companion for years to come.

As far as it goes when it comes to retail, we have to remember that there is a limited level of liability when it comes to animals. Know what you’re getting into before purchasing something. Do your research. Understand what limitations you have if you end up with a sick, dying, or dead animal. Understand what is expected of you when bringing an animal home. Understand what policies companies/breeders have in place beforehand, and try to understand why they would have these policies in place.

I would often say “just use your brain,” but apparently a lot of people are incapable of doing that much.