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Posted by iZ's mom on May 06, 2001 at 11:36:17:
In Reply to: Long list of questions from soon to come owner posted by Fred The Lizard on May 05, 2001 at 17:45:23:
welcome!
one thing about igs + their care needs that's really frustrating, especially to new people, is that there just IS alot of conflicting info and opinions about alot of points ... basically, there just isn't the years of research, etc. about them the way there is for our furry friends ~ dogs, cats, etc. ... that's why it's SO important to keep reading everything you can find, keep asking tons of questions, here + where ever else you can find ~ you HAVE to keep researching + then you have to decide for yourself ... so chances are, we may not be able to totally clear things up for you! *grin* ... but we certainly can share our points of view + give you more info to help YOU decide ...
there are NO silly or stupid questions ~ EVER! everyone of us was a beginner at some point + most likely wondered the exact same things as you're wondering now!
that said, here's my thoughts ...
free roaming:
prob with this is that it's extremely difficult to control their environmental needs ... living in florida WILL make that more possible for you than it is for me + iZ here in Iowa tho!
besides access to basking lights for warmth + UV, igs need to be warm + humid enough when they're NOT sitting under the lights as well ... having a warm spot in a room or house that's 70 degrees for the most part, isn't very good for them ...
another prob with free roaming is that it is EXTREMELY difficult if not down right impossible to ig-proof a large area! (i lean towards thinking impossible, tho i know there are MANY people who's igs DO roam, so i know it CAN be done! *grin*)
keep these things in mind:
igs have a "toddler mentality" ~ if they can reach it, they lick it, if it fits in their mouth, they eat it! they do NOT "instinctively know" that the light bulb is hot + will burn their tongue or that the earring humommy dropped is NOT nummy to eat + will get stuck in their tummy ~ igs lick/taste EVERYTHING! that's how THEY learn ...
sit on the floor and THINK like a 2yo kid ~ (have discovered this works VERY well for both grandkids AND igs!!! LOL)
continuing with that line of thinking ...
igs are toddlers that can CLIMB! ACK!
any + ALL curtains and/or window blinds are considered to be jungle gyms + an open invitation to climb! so consider if these are strong enough to withstand it ... both the curtains/blinds themselves AND if they are attached strong enough to not fall when the ig is clinging to them!
igs climb EVERYTHING! iZ's fav place in the summer months is on top of the dresser in my room ... any + every thing that is on a horizontal surface, is subject to being knocked to the floor! careful that it's not a prized possession of yours that could break AND that it's not something that could break + then be "tasted" + eaten by the ig ...
(personally, i think setting up an entire free-roaming house is impossible! it's hard enough to keep *2* rooms safe for iZ! in the summer months, he gets to roam his room + mine)
but there ARE people here who's igs DO free roam quite happily + safely, so it CAN be done ... i don't think i'd do it with a "new" ig tho ...
litter boxes + "scratching"
i think it's more THEM training YOU, rather than the other way around ...
when iZ was smaller + in an enclosure, he would most definitely let me know that he needed to get to the tub sooner than the scheduled time! he'd come down off his branch or shelf and scratch furiously at the bottom of the door to the enclosure cuz he would NOT poop in there (can't blame him!) ...
so yes, they can signal their needs/wants, but it really is more US learning what they mean + what THEY want ...
how fast?
FAST!!!!! consider that they are prey for just about everything in the wild and being fast is the 1st line of defense ...
if you COULD actually be fast enough to CATCH an ig, it's gonna be so wound up that it's gonna be the in "defense mode" and react to you catching it as an enemy attack + FIGHT back ...
personally? i'd never chase an ig down if i had ANY other choice ... and they'd prob'ly head up the 1st available tree ... (ACK! i have nitemares similar to this!)
consider a nice outdoor enclosure to safely sun in ... *grin*
salad
the proper diet is one thing that there is still some disagreement about ...
i use Jen Swofford's guidelines (which pretty much follows MK's)
what should remain constant is a variety of leafy greens ~ collards, dandelion, mustard, escarole, endive, to name a few ... greens should make up the majority of the salad ... fruit should be kept to a minimum ... veggie's like squash, sliced very thin, are good additions for both vitamin content AND variety to keep the ig's interest up ... igs get bored with the same old salad everyday + variety keeps them interested + eating well ...
calcium
again, everyone's not in agreement on this ...
personally, i think that if your ig is getting a well balanced + healthy diet, they do not need ANY supplements, period ...
however, my calcium supplement of choice is TUMS ... supplements that are formulated for human consumption are far more likely to actually contain what they claim to ...
keep in mind the weight difference between a human and an ig when using human supplements for igs!!!!
when in doubt ~ a simple blood test at the vet's will tell you what your ig's serum calcium:phosphorus levels are and you can go from there ... at one point in iZ's life, he was actually getting "too much" calcium from diet alone + i had to cut back on his collards! i seem to have one strange ig ... *grin*
good luck!
Bon. + iZ
