Tuesday 22nd February 2011- New Reptile Shops

Today was so cool! For years now I've wanted to get my own lizards. Still have a favourite, as you may remember me saying a few weeks ago I've been looking around for gecko's. For most of the day me and dad were out driving around to lots of different pet shops to see what options are out there. If I'm deadly serious about getting my own pets I need to look around to see which would be the best, mainly the most healthy animals. The best set up, and, although I know quite a bit about the species, the place that would give the best advice; that is beneficial to the animal, not their profit! Talking of profits Lost World Reptiles got broken into a few months ago, around 40,000 pounds worth of reptiles got stolen! I wonder where they all went! I really hope they are ok.
We set off around 9, the first stop was a reptile shop in Teynham, Sittingbourne called Lost World Reptiles. It was brilliant! They had so many bearded dragons it was unbelievable! I don't think I'd ever seen so many in the same place! They were in lots of different vivariums all around the room as I got in the entrance. They had some cute tortoises. A few massive iguana's, even some toads too, and another animal I'd never even seen before. Sure dad could tell us what it was!
As we got there early it was the lizards feeding time, and the guy in there was so nice! You could tell he genuinely cared about the animals. He told them to wait their turn as he was feeding others, which I thought was dead sweet!
As we got to look around he was very good and talking to us about the animals we were looking at, telling us some facts about them and the particular animals condition. We told him the reason for our visit and he was more than happy to show me some leopard geckos, and even let me hold a few! I was so in love with a couple I saw then. I could easily have walked away with one there and then! But I need to consider it a tiny bit more. Gotta figure out how my boys would feel about a reptile in the family!
When we were nearly done looking the guy showed us about his set ups and how they would work it for us. He basically said then that in most places one would go to purchase such animals, they would give you all the bits and let you figure it out for yourself, where as he will assemble the light and heat sources for you make sure it all works correctly, and give you food and sand so you're all ready to go. Most places, I know from past research, don't give you anything else other than the box, light set up and the animal! So I do think he is doing it right! Before you know it with other places you would have spent well over the odds on something that was supposed to be a better deal. At least if I do get my pet gecko from there I will know it has been well looked after, I think I may get three!
As we left (I was really excited about what we'd seen) dad told me that this shop may have been the highlight of the day! I wasn't that shocked really, I didn't think we would find a much better place. It was so cool!
From there we went to a place called Ark pet and reptile centre. Which was quite rubbish actually. There was a funny few minutes where the sat nav said we were there when we actually near the middle of a field. But we weren't far away so it was ok. There was the usual stuff you would find in a pet shop. Rabbit and cat food. We manged to find a new bottle for my boys as they managed to pull the metal bit off the end of theirs yesterday. I fixed it temporarily but I thought it would be safer for them to have two bottles should anything happen to their old one. Luckily I was in when they did it so they didn't go very long without their bottle. It did make a mess though! Love em! Anyway, there was a few cool parrots, just like my parents house guest, but they weren't any where near as noisy as she is!
After realising how crappy this place was we set off to our next destination, Pelagic aquatics in Tonbridge, I meant to find out what that means. It was cool in there too, the guy also seemed to know his stuff, telling me about several different types of geckos. He told me of a few smaller ones in one tank being of the same family group as larger ones in a different tank. Which I thought was quite cool. He said that they prefer to take babies on from customers who have bred them as they know they are well looked after. I know mine will be! On the point of returning to purchase one from them it was a bit out of the way.
The next stop was world of water to get dads bits for his pond, where I got my toe under a sliding door, that hurt! Not a lot to report there really.
On the way home we stopped at Swallow aquatics, which I can't really remember much about. Then home past the Snake shed in High Halden, which was closed. As usual.
Once back me and dad had a lovely KFC that I walked up to get and the plan was to watch Guest House Paradiso. Peeeb, hello! But the DVD was being gay so we watched Monty Python instead. Which was a lot wierder than I recalled.
Before I knew it mi man was home from work and we'd had dinner, whilst the boys watched crystal maze and Catchphrase,(crap and crapper) I sat trying to think of the oddest answers to the pictures to stop myself going mad. Later, with their house full, I thought I'd run up to see an old friend. I helped to bath the dog. Bearing in mind the last dog I bathed was a Yorkie. This Bull mastiff cross American bulldog was a bit more difficult! Totally soaked I headed back to mums to meet mi man and head home to bed. Bloody good day.

1 comment: