I Feel bad for my sister’s pet slink

[eap1995]

Hello, my sister has a blue tongued skink named Spyro he is friendly well behaved and loves people but my sister has little to nothing to do with him I know some reptiles prefer to be left alone but he loves getting attention and being held. despite that my sister does the bare minimum for him, the only thing she has to do with him is cleaning his cage and feeds him which sometimes she puts off for a few weeks because she’s too lazy to clean it me and my family visited her last month and I’m staying with her for a few weeks and noticed his enclosure still has not been cleaned :/ she also has this sheet that she always puts over his cage and keeps him covered up 24/7 which I feel bad that he can’t see out because he is a very curious fella.

She also laughed when she said she went a few weeks without feeding him.

in the past she bought him a playpen so he could roam around outside of his enclosure but has stopped doing that when my mom asked why she said it’s too much work and it annoys her that she has to keep a eye on him. everytime she opens his enclosure to mist if he gets excited and comes right to the door thinking he’s going to be taken out but he’s not.

I feel so bad for him because of how loving and chill he is he deserves to have a better owner but my sister is the type of person who will keep a pet even though she doesn’t want to deal with it, she has had a bad habit of getting a pet being obsessed with it for a little bit then goes from that to ignoring it. she doesn’t think I can handle holding him or supervising him in his play pen which sucks because he could finally come out of his enclosure for a little which I know he loves and be acknowledged by somebody since his owner pretty much wants nothing to do with him.

she told me pet skinks can live for quite a few years knowing that it breaks my heart he’ll spend the rest of his life being ignored and cooped up. I want to do something to cheer him up and make his life better or convince my sister to finally spend time with him but every time me and my mom suggest that she says no I don’t want to give up though he is such a precious boy who deserves nothing but the best.

she also has the audacity to get another pet she will be buying a jumping spider soon and that irritates me so much that she’s going to invest in something else when she has a already has a pet that is so nice and can be interacted with.

I’m at a loss since she refuses to give up Spyro and is choosing not to make an effort with him despite him being well behaved and a people person. I don’t want to give up because I want him to have a good life but at the same time trying to convince her to spend time with him isn’t working does anybody have any advice? I feel so bad for him.

[splashy07]

For the most part, people don't change. Seems like you care more about him than she does, perhaps you could take over some of his care and needs? If she will not give him up I can't see any other solution.

[Janella]

This is just awful and no way for a pet to live. I would get your parents involved and see if there is a way to convince her to give him up to you. Are you willing to keep it as a pet? If not, then either try to sell him or give him to someone who will give it the care it deserves.

[eap1995]

unfortunately my parents have asked her multiple times but she keeps saying no which sucks because I would be more than willing to take care of him and so would my mom she absolutely adores him and for some reason spyro loves her voice he’ll be hiding but as soon as he hears her he comes right up to the front of his enclosure she as well has asked to hold him or supervise him in his playpen so he could stretch his legs and get out for while but my sister always rejects that idea. I even offered to pay her a couple of hundred dollars for him and his enclosure since those things were expensive.

she also refuses to rehome him it reminds me of my neighbor they have a outside dog that they completely ignore it whines and paws at the door wanting inside and attention but they just close the blinds on it. they leave it outside when it’s super hot and when it rains never let it inside or take it on walks it’s clear they want nothing to do with it yet they refuse to give it away. I feel like the only reason why they keep it is because they want a guard dog I peaked over the fence and found out it’s a Doberman with a shock collar on it.

As an animal lover idk what to do it frustrates me so much that she won’t give him away when she obviously doesn’t care about Spyro at all.. I don’t want him to keep living everyday in isolation where he’s always ignored and probably feeling very depressed he’s such a good boy who deserves so much better.

[eap1995]

I’m staying with her for a couple of weeks and wish I could spend time with him while she’s at work but I no better then to take him out without her permission part of me wants to but I know she would get really mad, the other day ago I took the sheet off she uses to cover his enclosure and he from hiding to coming to the front of the window as soon as I took it off. I talk to him to try and keep him company but I know more than anything he wishes to come out. there was a time she was misting things and he jumped out but luckily she was able to catch in just in time but still it shows how desperate he is

[Janella]

This is very sad and very unfortunate. I would say you just need to either have your mom take him and say what she is doing is animal abuse. If she won't allow it to be given to you or sold to you, then tough love may need to come into play. Explain to her about what his basic needs are; food, water, clean enclosure, and be loved. What she is doing is considered abuse and she could be reported/turned into animal control. If that happens they would take him away from her. I am not trying to be mean here, but we need to do what is best for the lizard, not her.

[eap1995]

Thank you for the advice! and I definitely agree a pet’s well being should be top priority I will keep everybody updated to what happens if that’s okay

[Janella]

please do. I appreciate you trying to help this poor baby

[eap1995]

Ipdate :/ I’m currently still visiting her and she still refuses to home him I asked her what made her specifically get a skink and her answer was she wanted a pet that required little maintenance and said that he could go the rest of his life not getting any attention and be happy which I highly disagree with as I’ve stated before he’s a people person when she goes up to his enclosure he never come out but if it’s me or my mom he comes right up to the window and she gets a little jealous about that but maybe if she acknowledged him he would approach her. she also said the reason she doesn’t put him in his playpen to get a break from his enclosure is because it annoys her that she has to watch him 24/7 because if she looks away he’ll try to get into something, but I told her he’s not trying to be purposely bad he’s still at a young age like a toddler where they are curious and want to explore.

so I offered to keep a eye on him because I had a pet mouse who was the exact same way very curious and mischievous in his playpen and wanted to find a way out despite me putting in multiple things he could climb, go through, and interactive with I even hid treats for him to find. but despite that she doesn’t think I’m capable of keeping a eye on Spyro.

I’m beyond disgusted with her that she think it’s okay to completely ignore a pet and keep its enclosure covered with a blanket 24/7 and still has yet to clean his droppings. She’s always had this bad habit of getting a pet getting obsessed with it for a little bit then goes from that to completely ignoring it and only doing what she had to with it like feeding and cleaning out the cage she did that with her rabbit, dog and now Spyro.. luckily I’m a big animal lover so I took over all 3 of them and I’m hesitant about my Siblings giving pets away to just anybody because I do not know they will be treated with me at least I know they would be in good hands and have somebody patient like me to care for them.

I understand pet reptiles are more of the type who like to be left alone and don’t require a lot of maintenance and will not always want to have time out of a enclosure but after seeing how much Spyro loves attention and enjoys people I’m sure he would appreciate being held or be able to roam around in a place that’s safe for him. He is so well behaved the only time that he’s hissed at my sister is when she first got him and then when she used to take him out of his enclosure he huffed twice but then once he settled into her arms he was chill as can be.


Since she still won’t accept the money I’ve offered to buy him and there’s literally no convincing her to spend time with him and do more than the bare minimum I’ve emailed a sanctuary called crazy plants crazy critters not to far from where she lives. they
Rehabilitate rescue and take in reptiles who's owners either had to give them up or they just didn’t want to take care of them anymore, I’m really hoping they’ll be able to convince her to give him up since she won’t listen to me or my mom as I’ve said before he is such a sweetheart with a long life span he deserves to have a owner who actually cares about him and will give him attention. While the sanctuary sounds like a good place to go I wish more than anything I could be the one to take him it would make me feel better knowing he would be in really good hands and very well cared for he is too adorable and gentle to just be given to some stranger. though that’s the other thing my sister doesn’t think I’m capable of taking care of a pet skink because they require specific care which I’m aware of but with some guidance from her and doing through research I know I could get the hang of it

and another plus is I work from home so if the power went out we have a generator that I could use for his enclosure she said the longest most pet lizards would be able to survive without a heat lamp is one night if her electricity was to go it for a few hours or days he would be screwed even worse dead. especially with her work schedule she works 3 days a week from 7pm to 7am and once home sleeps until 5pm then leaves for work at 6 since it’s a hour away.

I uncover his enclosure and talk to him everyday I wish I could take him out but I know she would be beyond angry if that were to happen

AUntil I get a response back I’ve ordered Spyro a new play pen the one he currently has is too small in my opinion he barely has enough room to roam/ turn around I also read up and some sites say skinks like playing with balls so I ordered him wiffle balls to see how he likes interacting with them a plush tunnel he can go through that also has a bed attached and a stack of puppy pee pads since my sister got new carpet so if uses the bathroom it won’t be a big deal since the pads will be in place, his stuff is set to come tomorrow I hope he enjoys them, but most importantly I’m hoping that I’ll finally be able to give him a good life whether that be him living at the reptile sanctuary or with me though I know with how stubborn she is that won’t happen.

[eap1995]

Looking more at the sanctuary I think that’s the exact one she gave her chameleon to she tried working with him but he would not stop being aggressive and trying to attack her so she gave him up