18 exotics..and 1 cat. *pic heavy*

[myia09]

Hi! My name is Myia, and I am a volunteer with Brambley Hedge Rabbit Rescue! I have a literal zoo..18 exotics. The number was 20 but I have recently loss to babies-1 syrian hamster to old, ripe age, and a leopard gecko due to illness. All of them are rescues. Right now I have a "bunny room" one of my pairs, as well as my fosters, live in an entire room virtually free roam. My other pair get free roam of the living room/dining/kitchen.

I currently have 2 bonded pairs of rabbits.
The first is Chewy (brown, female) and Anakin (white, male)


Then I have Kinobe (Lop, male) and Savannah (rex, female)
Savannah has a disabled/deformed leg. Her previous owner did not take her to the vet at all when her leg broke-it painfully healed and fused into a abnormal position. She is a doll though!


her leg:


I then have 2 long term fosters, one has a head tilt. Hopi and Pima:


More clear photo of the tilt:


My two chinchillas, Valentine and Casanova




I then have 3 mice living in a 75 gallon tank (Crouton, Basil, Olive)



My dwarf hamster, Hiccup


Two African Fat Tail Geckos:


My 1 leopard gecko to the right (Clypso) the one on the left passed away yesterday to a chornic illness

Then my 3 snakes, my corn, has a deformed body.




THEN FINALLY, my cat Wyatt Rooster Cogburn

*phew*

 

[mbjerkness]

you weren't kidding you have a zoo. Welcome

 

[myia09]

Haha nope! When you do rescue it's hard not to say no!

 

[kailie]

What a whole bunch of cuteness!!

We kinda have a zoo too with the 10 cats, 2 rats, 2 lovebirds and 2 fish, not to mention 2 rooms where we foster cats as well.

Your babies are all beautiful!

 

[myia09]

Thanks Kailie! Most of them are adopted from AHS or other organizations, with a few I personally rescued.

Chewy, my lionhead female, was "rescued" from a store she was living in bad conditions (I don't reconmend doing this-it only perpetuates the problem!) she had a head tilt from infection and now suffers from some constant small bouts of G.I statis and needs a watchful eye.
Her mate, Anakin, was being sold on cragslist at 3 weeks (five weeks too early to leave mom) and had health problems. I actually said no; my boyfriend said yes! Besides thep roblems of being weaned too early, he has no problems.

Kinobe was dropped off to me and he has severe behavioral problems, although now he is much calmer. He has put me in stiches in the past-now we are very bonded and he has become an amazing boy

Savannah, as I posted, never recieved vet attention for her broken leg.

Hopi and Pima where from a hoarder situation but have spent their entire six year lives at the shelter...then Hopi devleoped a head tilt. They will be long term fosters-even possible personal pets in teh future.

Casanova (chinchilla) was a retired show chin who had a broken tail and was about to be thrown in the "Breeder" cage w/o treatment.

All 3 mice where suppossed to be fosters when a local hospital had a owner surrender..they just never left, lol .Two have chronic eye problems.

Hiccup the hamster was a pickup by me from a owner through friends that was being treated very abusivly and housed in appaling conditions. She was missing the fur on her back and nose, was underweight. Now she is thriving.

My corn snake needs to be on a special diet and under a watchful eye as his body is deformed.

I specialize in "special needs" animals, if you couldn't tell

I was also goign to ask if anyone wanted me to post my diets for my exotics?

 

[white cat lover]

Oh.....I see a white kitty!!!

 

[my4llma]

They are all so cute

 

[EnzoLeya]

Awesome collection!!!

 

[babywukong]

Amazing group you have there! how did you learn how to take care of such a wide range of exotics? And yes, I'd like to know what you feed them? I see crickets in the gecko tank. But I don't know much about caring for reptiles like your corns. Do share!

 

[myia09]

Originally Posted by BabyWukong

Amazing group you have there! how did you learn how to take care of such a wide range of exotics? And yes, I'd like to know what you feed them? I see crickets in the gecko tank. But I don't know much about caring for reptiles like your corns. Do share!

I didn't see your reply! Sorry for the delay!

Well, I started out doing a "internship" when I was 8 with the Phoenix Zoo. Unfortunatly, the program was cancelled (funds) but I got to experiance a wide variety of zoo animals (bats, reptiles, ect) and started researching extensivly. I started out with reptiles/fish, and slowly did more and more. I am not an expect on every animal, but my knowledge just comes from time. Plus, care (esp in reptiles) is always changing because new information is always being found.

For my rabbits a feed:
1/2 a cup of Oxbow Organic pellets per PAIR or 1/8 cup for a single bunny a day
2 cups of fresh greens (red/green leaf, romaine, cilantro/parsley) per bunny
1/2 cup of dried flowers (rose, dandilion, hibiscus)
Unlimited timothy hay
Orchard and Oat has a treat hay (small handful a day)

Treats include dried fruit, oats, crackers

Chinchillas:
Unlimited Oxbow pellets
Unlimited Timothy hay
Orchard and Oat hay as a treat
1/2 cup of dried flowers

Hamsters:
1 oxbow hamster handful per hamster a day
1 tablespoon of organic seed mix I prepare myself a day
2-3 times a week some fresh greens, usually green leaf lettace
2 times a week protien source (mealworm, dog biscut, cooked egg)

Mice:
1 oxbow hamster handful per mouse
1 oxbow regal rat per mouse
1/2 tablespoon of organic seed mix per mouse
2-3 times a week fresh greens
3 times a week protein source

Leopard geckos/Fat tail geckos:
At least 1 dozen crickets per gecko a week
Unlimited access to mealworms. They probably eat 1-2 a day
Once a month a dubia roach
Every 2 months a pinkie mouse
Once and a great while some wax worms

Snakes:
As they are babies they get 2 frozen pinkies a week. When they get older you can lessen it to once a week.

 

[myia09]

Okay, I have some updates.

First, I have bad news. Both of my kingsnakes have passed away. They died because of bad feeders-the frozen mouse was either sick when it was killed, or was frozen unproperly. My corn didn't eat that day, and he is still alive, and the conclusion my vet and I have come up with is the feeders where bad. A fecal test was given to the corn and it came back negative for any problems. I did get the feeders from a new store too. I contacted the store, and they said they would check their stock and offerd me some store credit; but it just isn't the same obviously. It really is sad that someone could be so reckless when they have lives at stake-but often that is how it goes in reptiles.

Then, I have adopted 4 hamsters. Yes, 4. Story is, I adopted the first, Noodle, a Robo hamster, from the Humane Society on a Saturday. They have been overwhelmed with animals, and had been calling me. So I said yes.

Here is noodle:


Then THE VERY next day, a vet clinic called and told me they had 3 diabetic brothers who nobody (rescue organization or otherwise) would take in, and they would have to be put down. Well, I couldn't say no. So here is Sugar, Maple, and Syrup

Hamsters can still live a long time with diabetes. It just takes a special diet, and weekly testing of the urine. Just a little time and effort, which unfortunatly, not many people want to give.

Then I have a short term foster for my rabbit rescue, Ariel. She got spayed and developed a hernia which was fixed two weeks ago. Then she got a jaw abcess and has stopped eating.

So I am taking her in for the next two weeks for some TLC. She is on metcam, proviable, and critical care syringe feeding. She has lost weight, but she ate pellets last night which is a good sign. This is the photo from the resuce, tomorrow I will have to post personal pictures

So now I am at 3 fosters, 1 cat, and 18 exotics!

 

[amberthe bobcat]

It's great to see another exotic animal owner out here

As you can see with my pics, I share my home with exotic (wild) cats and love it

 

[myia09]

Your cats are very beautiful

However, as a exotic rescuer, I believe many exotic pets SHOULD NOT be kept as pets or kept without a license, so our views may (and probably don't) match up.

No offense

 

[amberthe bobcat]

Originally Posted by Myia09

Your cats are very beautiful

However, as a exotic rescuer, I believe many exotic pets SHOULD NOT be kept as pets or kept without a license, so our views may (and probably don't) match up.

No offense

No offense taken, but you are right, our views do not match up. I fully support the responsible private ownership of wild/exotic animals. However, the key word here is responsible, but the same holds true for domestics. So many domestic animals are in shelters too. A few of my bobcats are rescues. However, this had nothing to do with a bad owner. It was a bad stupid ban law and the owner had to give up their cat. I do not believe I should have to have a license, unless I breed or am going to exhibit my animals to the public, which I do not. After all, a license means and does nothing. Just look at how many stupid drivers are out there lol. However, I support fair regulations. Regulations that help support responsible ownership. As a responsible wild/exotic animal owner and rescuer, I educate people on responsible ownership. Education is the key, not bans or telling people they should not or can not do it but I can, mentality. Carol Baskin comes to mind from BCR.

 

[myia09]

Originally Posted by AmberThe Bobcat

No offense taken, but you are right, our views do not match up. I fully support the responsible private ownership of wild/exotic animals. However, the key word here is responsible, but the same holds true for domestics. So many domestic animals are in shelters too. A few of my bobcats are rescues. However, this had nothing to do with a bad owner. It was a bad stupid ban law and the owner had to give up their cat. I do not believe I should have to have a license, unless I breed or am going to exhibit my animals to the public, which I do not. After all, a license means and does nothing. Just look at how many stupid drivers are out there lol. However, I support fair regulations. Regulations that help support responsible ownership. As a responsible wild/exotic animal owner and rescuer, I educate people on responsible ownership. Education is the key, not bans or telling people they should not or can not do it but I can, mentality. Carol Baskin comes to mind from BCR.

Well, I don't have any experiance with wild cats, but with reptiles, licences can help. If people where to step in and regulate how large reptiles where kept and who could own them (Not people in apartments, ect) then it would make a huge difference. They are already seeing good results of this in florida. But it takes checking up on the animals, ect ect. I get a lot of flank about wanting to restrict some reptiles..a lot of species die just from transportation. Then a 12ft boa gets into the hands of some horrible owner and bad things happen. But while I respect your lifestyle, allowing anyone to own a bobcat or a python/boa isn't responsible. And let's both be honest. We both knwo the education is scarce. I am not saying to ban them, I am saying to follow certian criteria. Yeah, some good owners might not fit the criteria, but it has to be understood that its for the best interest of the animals and that is all that matters. And I don't even mean this for all exotics; I have certian ones in mind that I feel need a license and those who don't.

But out of a 100 people, maybe 10-20 properly take care of their mainly wild exotics. Be it food, housing, or proper handling. While those people may not feel regulation is fair, they need to think about the numerous animals in teh other 90-80 homes before taking it personally.

 

[cat person]

I agree with Amberthebobcat, it is great to have another exotic pet owner. I am sorry about the loss of your King Snakes. Welcome to the forum and I hope you enjoy your stay.

 

[amberthe bobcat]

Originally Posted by Myia09

But out of a 100 people, maybe 10-20 properly take care of their mainly wild exotics. Be it food, housing, or proper handling. While those people may not feel regulation is fair, they need to think about the numerous animals in teh other 90-80 homes before taking it personally.

I do not agree with this at all. If you are talking about reptiles, this may be true, since they are so readily available. You can walk into almost any pet store or pet supply store and find reptiles, snakes etc for sale. But with exotic/wild cats, this is not true. The MAJORITY of owners properly care for their animals. It is a very small minority who don't or can't and that makes all owner's look bad. As for training, again with wildcats, there is training available. One organization of which I am a member, FCF Feline Conservation Federation, has an excellent husbandry course. I do agree with fair regulations, but having a license means nothing. Case in point. I require a license to own my bobcats in my state (not my cougar), but there really are no husbandry/housing regulations. So, just because I have the license means nothing, it is just a permit that allows me to own. However, I follow USDA and FCF regulations and guidlines and exceed those requirements. So that is my point about a license. It means nothing, but fair regulations do. If I exhibited or decided to breed, I would get a USDA license, because it is required. But I do not breed or exhibit my cats. The only thing good about the USDA license, is NOT having the license itself, but the USDA does random inspections every year. They do not announce when they are coming out, so everything has to be in order at all times and your animals properly cared for at all times. Yes, Florida does have good regs for wildcats. I would like to see some fair regs here. Again regs that fully support private ownership, but help people properly care for their animals, especially whith housing and food. I cringe when I see someone with an exotc/wild cat on leash out in public. I fully support ANYONE'S desire to own an exotic, but you must be able to do so responsibly. Fair regulations help promote and support responsible ownership.

 

[myia09]

Well that is all fine but I think your missing the point that the licences I wish to see would actually do something. That is the difference.
And I'm not talking about leopard geckos or most pet store reptiles, either.

But honestly, it will be differences in opinons becaue I've sene most large exotics (cats included) be mistreatd than provided for. So if your in a good community where you think everyone does take care of their cats, good for you and your state. Here, its a different story. I don't believe it is a small minority, especailly when it comes to large reptiles.

But while I don't know much about wild cat ownership (It's all illegal here in AZ anyways) I don't think you quite understand that all I am asking for is what you just stated: Expections, quaility control, and classes that should probably be mandadted when owning the exotic.

I think the hang up is licencing vs regulation..but how can you regluate someone if they don't have registered exotics?

 

[ava456]

Beautiful animals!

How does Wyatt get along with them all?
- Ava

 

[anita1216]

Unfortunately it has also not been my experience that exotic owners take care of their animals, big or small =(

Your "zoo" is quite lovely and the big cats are absolutely stunning Amber.

I have spent 10 years living with and loving rats! In that time I have seen some horrible things done to these poor animals. They have no protection under any laws because they are considered "feed". From where Im standing, thats just wrong.

Responsible ownership means quality care no matter what, even animals being raised as food should be treated kindly and kept in decent conditions.

It really is refreshing to see other exotic owners that are passionate about the animals they share thier lives with.