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What “The Real Factors” are all about...
There is no such thing as a pet which is perfect for everyone. Children tend to like pets that will tolerate being handled. Parents tend to appreciate animals that don’t require excessive care. History shows that when children are young it’s often the parents who are the true caretakers, at least that's what my Mother would tell you. The sad reality is that too often potential pet owners don’t have the information that really matters when they invest in their new pet. Worse yet, most pet stores don’t even have the necessary information. “The Real Factors” are TCFexotic’s attempt to ensure that every prospective new pet owner has all the information they need to make an informed decision. This page not only describes in detail what “The Real Factors” are, but also explains how and why the animals receive their respective ratings. Enjoy!
NOTE: “The Real Factors” is based solely on the experience we have at TCFexotics working on a personal level with the animals. All ratings are subject to change as our experience continues to grow.
1. Bite Factor Most of the animals we breed at TCFexotics are still relatively new in the pet market and don’t have the decades of domestication that most pet store animals have. Although we breed our pets for the best possible temperament, most of them are still wild animals and may still instinctively bite under certain conditions. Most often it’s because they feel threatened or insecure but it can also be a mother protecting her young. Listed below are the “Bite Factors” and what exactly they mean. § Doesn’t – Very few animals get this rating because almost all will bite in certain situations. We use this rating to describe an animal that has never bitten or even made an attempt to bite us. This rating is also used to describe an animal such as a pygmy mouse which is so small that even if it tried to bite you would be unable to break the skin. § Very Rarely – Sometimes we keep animals for years without an incident except for once every few years. We normally just write this off to the animal waking up on the wrong side of the bed. It happens to the best of us and we at TCFexotics don’t hold it against them. Regardless, once an animal even attempts to bite it will never again fit into the “Doesn’t” category. These are also animals with no known biting pattern. § Rarely – Some exotics have what we call biting patterns. It other words, we know for a fact that an animal has biting tendencies in a certain situation(s). For example, Degus don’t normally bite but when Momma Degu has kids in the nest she will protect them for the first few days. As long as you learn and respect your pet’s biting pattern there shouldn’t be a fear of getting bitten. If an animal is rated “Rarely”, its info page will also explain why. § Sometimes – Certain animals tend to bite regardless of how they’re raised. At this time TCFexotics does not breed any animals that fall in this category. We do rescue exotics, though, and unfortunately many of those have been previously neglected. We do our best to rehabilitate them to reverse the effects of the neglect but there’s no guarantee that it will work. Animals of this nature will only be adopted out to experienced care-takers.
2. Clean Factor From the start, TCFexotics has specialized in exotic desert animals. Desert animals are renowned for their cleanliness and lack of odor which makes cleaning their cages easier and less frequent. We also have other animals, though, which require more frequent cleanings. It’s important to understand that besides having a time commitment to the pet itself you also have a responsibility to house it in a clean, well kept, environment. This list will give you a rough idea of how often an animal’s cage needs to be cleaned. The overriding rule of thumb, though, is that if the cage looks dirty, change it immediately regardless of how long it’s been since the last change. § Daily – This means that we encourage you to clean the animal’s cage daily. Most of the time this will be for animals which use a litter box or for animals that just tend to produce a lot of waste. § Weekly – Most of your normal pet store rodents fall under this category. They produce a normal amount of urine and waste and when housed properly should be changed at least once per week. § Bi-Monthly – Nearly all of our desert animals fall into this category. Coming from the arid plains these animals produce very little urine and their waste is dry and odorless. Their cages should be cleaned at least twice per month, or about every two weeks.
3. Cuddle Factor At TCFexotics we get email asking about our animals all the time. One of the most commonly asked questions is “Can I cuddle it or will it just try to escape?” Some animals enjoy being handled, some tolerate it, and some just don’t like it. A lot depends on how well you socialize the pet when it’s young. That being said, we believe our ratings best represent the norm for each animal we sell. § Not – Most animals can be handled if necessary even if they don’t like it. However it’s just not safe, for example, to handle pygmy mice which are just too fragile and break way too easily. Animals that fall in this category are never to be handled. If it’s necessary to move them your goal should be to herd them into a tube and then cup the ends. § Low – Some animals prefer to be left alone. They are fun to watch but just don’t enjoy the cuddling. These are animals that can be handled safely if necessary, they just don’t enjoy it. We don’t currently breed any animals that fall in this category. § Medium – Nearly all of our animals fall in this category. Most animals don’t make the “High” Cuddle Factor rating either because they are too skittish or just not interested in hanging around. Some animals on this list may score a “High” Cuddle Factor if you spend enough time working with them. § High – The animal that reaches this level is among the elite of the pet world. This animal is one that is naturally calm and which won’t bite you when it’s held. One that has no desire to run away or to leave your hand. These are oftentimes the most sought after animals that we carry.
4. Size Factor Whichever pet you decide on, size always plays a major role in the decision. The problem is that it’s really hard to visualize an animal's size based on numbers alone, especially when acquiring unfamiliar animals. Our goal with the Size Factor is to enable you to visualize an accurate representation of the size of your new pet based on comparisons to the things you know. For this we’ve chosen fruit. Each animal will be compared to a fruit which accurately represents it’s body weight as close as possible. Listed here are the fruits which we’ve chosen to use and their respective weights. §
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The lemon
weighs about 90g