Message:

Subject: be nice to beginners!
Posted by ducky9 a.k.a buba on September 12, 1998 at 13:03:07:

I posted a message a few days ago called, "sugar gliders vs.
ferrets". I found that by just leaving out a few things I should
have put but just didn't bother to instantly made people stereotype
me as if I was some 10 year old making an impulse purchase. I agree
with that message posted by annoyed, though the information was valid
the audited was inappropriate and some of the information was wrong!

For example I said I have access to live food, I know live food
isn't for ferrets, I meant for a sugar glider which is a species that would
benefit from it!

I did know sugar gliders defecate on their owners I meant to
what extent, but I guess because I didn't tell my life story all
readers who already were arrogant 'experts' because they owned
gliders instantly stereo typed me as being stupid and not researching
a purchase.

Then because I was stereotyped as an amateur someone started telling
me that I probably wasn't ready for the commitment. Did they stop to
think that I might not be some dumb kid and that I really am an exotic
animal breeder? No, they didn't.

I own a company and a over 30 animals, I know what commitment is, and I
understand the relevance of explaining it to me just in case I didn't know,
but not being so arrogant about it.

You must understand to work with your audience. When a person walks in a pet
store with no idea what they are doing and wants to buy an iguana there are 3 things
I could do. 1. take the course of action of many people here and be arrogant an
say, 'you have no idea what you are doing you stupid person!' even though after being so
rude I would probably be ignored 2. do nothing at all 3. Explain to them how to keep an
iguana an tell them honestly that they grow to be 6 feet long and have complicated care
plus can be very aggressive (e.i. reptiles mag reports a woman needing $15,000 worth of
plastic sugary as a result of an ig attack) and let them decide for themselves, while keeping a
nice helpful and understanding aditued which won't be ignored.

Also, ferrets do not lock their jaws and bite hard on their owners! They just playfully nip!

Follow Ups:

• rule # 3 BE HONEST Bourbon 01:48:52 9/13/98 (0)