We currently have 10 of them here.....

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Posted by Mr. D on July 25, 2001 at 02:12:04:

In Reply to: Do iguanas make good pets posted by Shaun on July 24, 2001 at 13:43:35:

8 of which were either given to us by owners that couldn't/didn't want to care for them any more or came to us through animal control from two cities. One recently arrived kept in a "dirty" enclosure made from an old chicken coop. Not having anything else to keep Geo in at the time my home still smells like a barn. Not to mention the fact that it appeared that he had mold growing on him when we first saw him.
One of them, we were only supposed to be caring for her medically (once the owner surfaced) but we haven't heard from him in over 3 weeks now so we are unfortunately considering Janeane here to stay....
Personally, I don't think that they should be considered "pets". The time/money/effort that goes into keeping even one doesn't balance out what you get out of the relationship for most people. We've ballparked a potential figure of between $1500 & $2000 a year (retail) for the first 2-3 years for things like food, enclosures, supplies, heat, electricity and I honestly can't remember right now if we even tried to figure in vet bills. They are most definitely not for everyone and it is most certainly not a mutually beneficial relationship. Dogs and cats have been domesticated for centuries. Iguanas, well, they should be left in the tropical climates that are their natural environments.....
If you DO decide to get one, please give serious consideration to a "used" iguana as opposed to taking one off of the showroom floor. In many cases you can find them for free and if you're lucky enough you can find one that is healthy. But for both your personal education and for the lizard that you may potentially bring home PLEASE do the necessary research before you makeyour decision.

The Iguana Spot

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: 8 of which were either given to us by owners that couldn't/didn't want to care for them any more or came to us through animal control from two cities. One recently arrived kept in a "dirty" enclosure made from an old chicken coop. Not having anything else to keep Geo in at the time my home still smells like a barn. Not to mention the fact that it appeared that he had mold growing on him when we first saw him. : One of them, we were only supposed to be caring for her medically (once the owner surfaced) but we haven't heard from him in over 3 weeks now so we are unfortunately considering Janeane here to stay.... : Personally, I don't think that they should be considered "pets". The time/money/effort that goes into keeping even one doesn't balance out what you get out of the relationship for most people. We've ballparked a potential figure of between $1500 & $2000 a year (retail) for the first 2-3 years for things like food, enclosures, supplies, heat, electricity and I honestly can't remember right now if we even tried to figure in vet bills. They are most definitely not for everyone and it is most certainly not a mutually beneficial relationship. Dogs and cats have been domesticated for centuries. Iguanas, well, they should be left in the tropical climates that are their natural environments..... : If you DO decide to get one, please give serious consideration to a "used" iguana as opposed to taking one off of the showroom floor. In many cases you can find them for free and if you're lucky enough you can find one that is healthy. But for both your personal education and for the lizard that you may potentially bring home PLEASE do the necessary research before you makeyour decision.

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