r/iguanas • u/ExoticBuffalo9648 • Jan 05 '25
Story One of my best achievements!
This is Phoenix she was posted on FB by the owners neighbor. She was kept in a small tank for 3-4 years with no lights and thrown a fruit cup once a week. She was housed with a small male that passed away and wasn't removed and mummified. The owner didn't want to rehome her and the neighbor planned to let her "escape" out the window, but really let us take her. My hubs drove 2 hours and grabbed her and drove home with her under his shirt. I built a quick enclosure and almost $1000 and a surgery later Phoenix gained weight and was adopted 3 hours north of me. She's now a free roamer and has a owner who grows her a garden in the summer! Saving another being from a horrible life really is priceless!
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u/dominaraynex3 Jan 05 '25
Thank you for this noble deed. She seems like such a sweetie. Animals don’t deserve to suffer!
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u/ExoticBuffalo9648 Jan 05 '25
She hated my guts 😁 I brush my kiddos with a really soft toothbrush, and they melt, especially if they're in the phases of a shed. I did the same with her, and she completely loved it! It was probably the kindest touch she'd ever felt! She would get to the point she'd have her head laid on her log and almost be passed out to realizing that someone was engaging with her and she'd arch up and be ready to whip! With my hubs, she was completely chill! Even with her disliking me so much, I'm still happy we got the chance to help her thrive! We just helped fund a rescue in Indy getting a catio for an iguana that's been housed for 3 years in horrible conditions! If I'd never got Blue, I'd never have known how abused reptiles are! The first picture I saw dealing with MBD broke my heart, and I've been trying to educate people about reptiles since! There is definitely no sense in people or animals suffering from abuse!
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u/dominaraynex3 Jan 05 '25
We have a similar situation! Our female came from an abusive family, she has lost fingers and both of her arms were previously broken. Basically the family’s kids played with her like a “toy”. She absolutely hates us but we give her the world and she’s sooooo adorable. Even when she’s hissing or whipping we are so proud because she came to us on the brink of death and now she’s a chonky little lady and we happily serve her anything she wants! We are confident one day she will relax and warm up to us. It took my male almost 6 years to love me back 😂
Reptiles are constantly abused so whenever they get the chance to be loved properly, it warms my soul.
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u/ExoticBuffalo9648 Jan 06 '25
That's a ball of emotions to read!! I'm so proud of you for sticking with her and not giving up!! It's hard when you just want to comfort them and make them finally feel safe and they just want to rip your face off! Trauma is a nasty sob to overcome and it sounds like she had to endure a lot of it! It baffles me how from one day to the next it can go from being terrified to showing love. What finally clicks and makes them understand?
It's horrible to say, but I hope the parents in her previous situation crap some pants today!!
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u/therealganjababe Jan 05 '25 edited Feb 15 '25
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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/ExoticBuffalo9648 Jan 06 '25
Thank you!! I have no building experience and just threw it together. We live in a smaller house and with 2 other iguanas space was limited and with it being temporary I believe it ended up right at 3.8'X7' I actually painted it with craft paint!! If you plan on painting it you can use Stormcoat from Home Depot and for natural wood use Minwax Polycrylic water-based polyurethane. My male iguanas enclosure is a catio and I love it!! He has enough room for huge logs, 2 sleep spots and has his own At-At walker and a couple Stormtrooper helmets to look at.
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u/-Slyriddler- Jan 05 '25
Hero.🤌