k1tt3n

Thanks everyone for the support. No news of him unfortuantly. Starting to really brace myself for the worst. Will keep looking though, can't give up on my baby yet

Thanks very much for all the support. We are down Tremaine Avenue, Roslyn end just opposite Bunnings. Though I don't know how far he may have got after this long, especially if someone has picked him up.

Please could anyone in the Palmerston North area do me a huge favour and keep an eye out for my missing kitten. He is a silver kitten with black spots, 9 month old boy, neutered and microchipped. There is a chance that he has found his way into a garage or shed and got stuck so if you could have a quick look it would be eternally appreciated. He was last seen on the morning of Sunday the 4th of January and is completely out of character for him to be gone more than a few hours. I am aware there is a chance he has been stolen for resale so please if you see what you think may be him let me know ASAP. He is likely the only one of his type in Palmy so it is likely to be him. I need my baby back so badly, a reward will be considered for his safe return to me. Thank you for your time and understanding. If anyone can tell me how to post a picture of him on here that would be helpful too. Cheers

Regarding the compact UVB bulbs: I had read somewhere else that they were not so appropriate for use on lizards other than the tiny guys. From memory something about too concentrated UVR so didn't get the right UVB. I have been trying to find out more about it but noone seems to know anything about it. What was your reasonings Varanophile? Very interesting to hear something come up against them again.

LOL no this is not for them to eat. From what I have read it is for them to lay their eggs in. If you have other suggestions as to what can be used for egg laying material for crickets I wouls happily hear it.

been told I need it as a laying substrate to breed crickets. All I was told was peat moss hence trying to find out more about it

HELP!!! Where do you get peat moss from? And what is it exactly?

No chance of that happening I'm afraid. Instructions come from above store level for each store to have one. I know the people at this level who organise it do genuinely care about our reptiles as much as any cat or dog. They let me spend a fortune on trying to get Diego better at the vets but she sadly died of cancer. My frustration is more at the the lack of information available to store level. I had work out most things myself when I got mine and could then apply that knowledge to the ones kept in store. The staff turnover is so high that noone is there long enough to have the needs of these reptiles consistently addressed.

I work in a pet store that has a beardie. There are staff members that refuse to touch it because it scares them which is kinda sad as when I have it out even little old ladies are fascinated by it. I find being a retail store it becomes one of the lesser priorities in the store which makes it a real uphill battle to get the proper time and resources for this little dude.

on the food issue I guess it is easy to get stuck on the idea that a particular thing is bad for them, but if using a lot of variety and everything in moderation it should all balance itself out shouldn't it

From changing over from sand to the outdoor carpet we have actually found that it smells alot less.

thanks heaps for that input. that is much deeper insight into that subject than I had previously received which helps a great deal. Sorry if my previous writings were not completely accurate due to my sources.

yes i was using the river sand too, just ingesting too much of it for me to risk it. It of course is all just personal opinions and the individual experiences we each encounter at the end of the day.

Ah extra protein, no biggy. Well they do say we end up giving so much of ourselves to our pets LOL

LOL Go your super speed grating skills! :lol:

apparently (just what I have been told) carrot and corn turns to sugar too fast to be much good, same as it does with us humans. ok in moderation. Also want to watch veges that have a high oxalate count so carrots, broccoli and cauli, as they bind some of the calcium so the lizard doesn't get as much. Ok in small amounts, but use lots of variety. Ooooo, another interesting piece of trivia I was privey to from some new research showed that carrot had no nutritional value unless it had been warmed slightly. The chemical bonds need heat to change the chain so the body can absorb the particles.

nice little collections going on there. It's funny how once you start you just can't stop. I have run outta room in our house to get anything else LOL

important things you will need to control will be diet, heat gradient and lighting. Diet: lots of variety. no iceberg lettuce. majority of their diet will end up being vege. remember your supplements. Heat: make sure there is a cool side and a warm side. A thermostat is really helpful to have running so you can be confident it is always in the right range. Lighting: Need reptile, UVB bulbs. Don't have bulbs placed more than 30-40 cm away from where lizard is. Replace once every 6-12months

yes i know people that have had them on sand for years and have not had known issues with it. but after seeing the evidence for myself, that it could potentially be a disaster I decided with prevention as the way to go.

if you can find specific reptile carpet in nz then go for that. So far I have not seen it. I found some soft outdoor carpet at para rubber. it is a short weave so they can't munch it. not too expensive when you only need like a metre of it. actually probably cheaper than trying to fill up a tank with some of that special reptile sand.

oh and I would not go with a heat pad either as it can lead to thermal burns on their bellies. heat bulbs are great, and maybe some wood underneath the bulb so they can warm themselves up on that. Infrared bulbs are good for lizards as the rays penetrate deep beneath the scales.

please don't use sand for your substrate. They ingest too much of it and run the risk of becoming impacted. I have recently changed mine off the sand after testing fecal sample, came back with a high sand content. Also a mate who has a bluey nearly lost hers the other day due to the same problem. I originally used newspaper until he was 6 months old and that was practical enough. They have now been upgraded to nice outdoor carpet that looks very cool

so what does everyone have?

gees, sounds nasty. Yeah it was my beardie that had the worms. Did the vets say what kind of parasites the water dragons suffer from?

cant remember she just handed me the syringe to take home. She is the reptile vet at Massey. I will find out and get back to ya