Me and How I Came Here

I suppose I should start by introducing myself and how I came to be a person that I truly view as an animal advocate. I have been through a lot of things in my life. I struggle with mental illness everyday, there were times in my life where I honestly wouldn't be here in this world if I hadn't of have had my animals. The weird thing is, is I don't honestly expect anything from my animals in return. Half my animals aren't able to show love in the way a dog or cat might. Most of my animals are reptiles or some type of insect. Yet I have such an undying love for my wards that taking care of them is all I need, it's all the thanks I need to see them thriving, to see them enjoy a special treat, or be enjoying a bath or shower. Every single one of my animals is an amazing creature brought into my life to be loved and cared for, many of them because they weren't cared for at all in their older homes. Some of them end up going to new homes once rehabilitated and healed correctly, however some of my rescues have made such an impression on my heart that I can not let them go. The fact that my animals have been neglected or maybe even abused in some way a lot of the time it takes months (talking about possibly six months) to even a year, to get them healthy let alone even close to trusting me. I can't worry about gaining the trust of a sick animal, because it usually never happens. Usually with a sick animal you are doing things with medication and such to make them better that they don't necessarily like and so they don't like you because of it. This definitely doesn't mean gaining their trust down the road won't happen however it will take a while, and as their human caretaker you must be as consistent as possible to provide them with security and safety, and therefore make them feel like it is safe to trust you. I have dealt with distrustful animals in everything such as hamsters, dogs, cats, horses, birds, and reptiles. It is beautiful, absolutely gorgeous when that hamster you have been working with for 6 months every day, finally decides not to bite you that day and instead takes that treat from fingers.... then that first step of trust is built from there and everything is so much easier after that one simple building block.

Now I don't just rescue by myself, working with a couple animals everyday would not be near enough to make a difference in this world. I am on several different forums of all types, quite a few of which you can find in links at the bottom of my page. On these forums I not only learn but try to pass on the wisdom that I have learned about each animal I have taken care of. I research each new species I take care of, and not only from one source, but many sources, a few of which are scientific and a few of which are not. I combine these together, and try different things that work for me, I also change things to what work for me and what works for each individual animal. I have learned over the time I have kept rescues and animals in general, that you can't make a difference by saving these animals by yourself, you have to try and spread the word of correct care and what you and other people have learned in their experiences.

I strongly recommend not taking my word as fact, this blog is about what works for me and the animals I have cared for. I recommend taking what I say and then researching about 5 different ways of care. Then taking what you like, whether it is from one type of care or multiple things from different types of care, and doing whats best for you. Though I don't enjoy saying this, animal care is as much of an art as it is a science. If you are new to an animal species you sadly need to experiment, with what works for you and the animal. But you also need to realize each animal is an individual, what may work for one animal may cause another animal extreme stress. You need to learn each animal's personality and try the basics if that doesn't work, think outside the box. Even if everyone, every single "expert" tells you that isn't the way to do it, if you know the basic signs of stress in your animals and your individual animal, honestly don't listen to them. There is no true one way to do everything, there is no one way to take care of every single animal. Every creature is an individual and it may just be you got that one rat who can't deal with other rats or social contact at all. You may have that chameleon who, while chameleons are labeled anti social with humans, your chameleon might like to be held and taken out.

I have dealt with all sorts of animals, probably some type of animal from every class. Yet what I have realized, even just through their dietary needs is that animals from the same species, can be extremely different.

This blog will not only include my current experiences with animals. But my dietary choices I have decided over the years I have been taking care of them. My cage choices. My supplementing choices, and in general the new information that is coming out all of the time. I will of course strongly outline the difference in each animal I have helped and owned, in both the forums and in my rescue/own care.

~Amber