PALLADIUM-ITEM (Richmond, Indiana) 12 February 05 Gator has the blues - Owner blames pet's illness on basement flooding (Janet Ahn)
Jeremy Ramsey is upset that his 2-year-old pet alligator is sick, blaming sewage after his basement flooded for the fourth time in several years.
Ramsey, 21, lives with his mother and younger brother in the Richmond home they rent on the 400 block of South West Fourth Street.
For two years, he's kept a North American Alligator he calls "Gator" in his basement.
Alligators, which can reach up to 18 feet in length, are legal in Indiana homes until they're 5 feet long. Gator is less than 1˝ feet. Ramsey is not certain but thinks Gator is a girl.
Unlike most people who opt for pet dogs and cats, Ramsey said he's always wanted an alligator.
"My friend had a pet alligator when I was little, and I like animals," said Ramsey, laughing. "So I just decided to get one."
He bought Gator in Eaton, Ohio, when she was a few months old, and since then, Ramsey has gotten used to her behavior. As he tries to pick her up, Gator wriggles from Ramsey's hands. But as soon as he starts rubbing Gator's stomach, he knows she will stop, as if in a trance.
Only three people in the state have alligator permits, said Linnea Petercheff, Indiana's operations specialist with the division of fish and wildlife.
"Most people possess them only until they get to a certain size," said Petercheff, adding there are no reports of maulings or injuries caused by alligators in Indiana.
Ramsey had hoped to build a 250-gallon pond in the corner of his basement before it flooded on Jan. 3.
The flooding was caused by the melting snow and the additional rain in early January. Many other homeowners on the street also complained of flooding.
Ramsey's basement, which he had turned into his room, is now full of damaged and unusable furniture.
"It's disappointing," he said. "Once the water subsided and I got down here, I was ready to cry."
A soiled coffee table sits in the middle of the basement, a measure of how far the sewage water actually rose. His four aquariums, which indicate his love of animals, now hold dead plants and fish.
Ramsey said he believes the bacteria in the air killed his fish and probably caused the alligator to become sluggish and grow a white fungus on her skin.
He is worried about Gator's health and agitated because his insurance won't help with Gator's bills.
Ramsey said he needs to receive some money in order to take Gator to the vet. For now, he's following tips from various pet stores and animal hospitals.
"It's alive, and life means a whole lot more than anything else," Ramsey said. "An animal's life is worth every bit as much as ours, as far as I'm concerned."
Dr. Steve Thompson, a veterinarian and professor at Purdue University, said there are risks to having an alligator as a pet.
"They get huge and require a large amount of space, and they need very high humidity," Thompson said.
He also said contact with sewage water doesn't necessarily mean that an animal will get sick.
"Humans can touch sewage water, but doesn't necessarily mean we'll get sick," he said. "It's the same with animals."
Fifteen-inch Gator doesn't seem to pose too much of a danger to Ramsey at this time.
"They can be dangerous and sometimes bite, but it doesn't try to hurt you," he said. "They just want to be left alone most of the time."
Ramsey said most people don't mind the alligator as long as he keeps it away.
"On Halloween, I held it in my arms the whole time I was passing out candy," Ramsey said. "The kids were fine, but the adults were the ones scared of it."
Since the flooding, Gator lives in an aquarium in Ramsey's makeshift room. He plans to get a permit after Gator reaches 5 feet in length.
"As long as I feel comfortable around it, I'll probably apply for a permit," he said. "I would like to find another place and actually build her a really awesome habitat -- as cool as I can get it, and as big as I can get it."
Owner blames pet's illness on basement flooding