How do deal with the guilty, icky feeling after someone refuses to listen to your advice?
I had a customer today who came in asking about nighttime bulbs for her leopard geckos.
Yes, plural. I asked some more questions, and she has them both in a 50-gallon, exoterra large, tall enclosure. (For reference, this is the minimum size of tank for ONE of them, and what my own leopard gecko is currently in)
She doesn't know the genders at all, so she could potentially have one lay fertilized eggs.
Her enclosure is too cold. She said it sits around 80⁰F (26.66⁰C) I tried recommending a higher wattage bulb, but she doesn't want to buy a new dome as well, which she would have to do.
The geckos are on a sand substrate. She claims this is fine because they both are pooping normally. I recommended a 70/30 mixture of organic topsoil and washed playsand. She asked if it was expensive and if we sold it. She seemed interested when I said it was cheaper, but then seemed to lose that interest when I told her we didn't, but Canadian Tire did. (Canadian Tire was literally right next door)
Eventually, she got a little frustrated and told me how stupid it was that reptile care changed so much and so often. I told her that the care for any animal is constantly changing as it's being researched and improved. Then she just kind of left.
I was actually fairly upset about this interaction because I know that there's nothing I can do to help these geckos. I have to live knowing thar some people just don't want to view their pets as living, sentient beings, but as decorations and toys to keep their kids entertained.
I've been in the pet business for 4 years now, and it honestly doesn't get any easier.