Hi guys,
Sorry for the long post, but I really need advice. For those of you who know Fulton's story (found in a tree this summer, adopted to guy in NJ), I have bad news: after barely three months, the new owner contacted me to say that he's bored with Fulton, and doesn't want him anymore. I talked to him for a long time, trying to make suggestions and clear up problems, I offered to come up and try to work things out in terms of handling and routines and the enclosure. He turned down all my suggestions. Finally, he admitted that there was nothing I could say or do to convince him to keep Fulton. He's just bored with the routine, and Fulton's not "fun" enough for him.
He'll continue to care for him up in NJ while I find a new home for him- Fulton is now back up on GIS's board and Scales and Tails- but it's just really disappointing. I thought I could judge character better than that. But I guess not.
So my question is, what are the questions you ask when you are adopting out your rescues? What do you look for in a person? What do you see as warning signs? Have you ever had an iguana returned to you, and why? I used the questions from the GIS page, which I think are helpful, but I want your opinions. How do you tell if someone will be a good owner? I thought this guy would be, and he isn't.
Here's some background info:
There were some warning signs, such as his admission that he used to have a breeding pair of Columbian boas, but after breeding them a few times and finding that their heritage was not what their breeder claimed, he had to "get rid of them". I asked him what he meant by that, and he assured me that he had found homes for all the offspring and the snakes, he just couldn't sell them because they weren't genetically as valuable. So I thought, okay, I guess I can understand that, if you're trying to start a business. He also told me that he didn't want Fulton for breeding purposes.
He seemed really gung ho, very excited, and a really nice guy. When I drove up to set up the cage and give him Fulton, there were a few things that were a little off, though. First of all, he said that he was confused by the diet and lighting section of "Iguanas for Dummies". So we stayed really late, setting up all of the lights and timers and explaining it, and then even demonstrating how to make iguana salad. This seemed to clear things up, and I was happy to leave Fulton with such a caring person. I mean, hey, we're not all Einstein, right? Better to ask questions if you don't understand, I thought... and I don't think your reading comprehension is an accurate predictor of how good a pet owner you will be.
But maybe it is, in the case of iguanas, because of their special needs and new discoveries about their care. Well, I'll be really glad for advice you can give me- I'm hoping to find him a forever home soon.
