This has kept me up nights. Advice needed!

[Emily]

So, my husband is planning a vacation for us, in which we'll be gone a week. Were wondering what to do about Diddy, and who will be able to care for him. I have a few people in mind who are reptile savvy...
What I want to know is, do beardies get stressed easily if they don't recognize the caregiver? Can they tell the difference? Or do they just don't care as long as food/water is given and the lights are on/off at the right time?
Also, keep in mind, I would NEVER consider this, but I have to ask: Can beardies fend for themselves if I left enough food/water in the cage and a light going at a certain constant temperature? ..... It sounds awful and cruel, and I don't want to do it. But are they tough enough?

 

[jessica domke]

well, i wud definately not leave ur beardie alone 4 a week 2 fend 4 himself. the food wud be gone b4 the week wuz over, it wudnt stay good that long & yes beardies do kno who their 'parents' r. i went on vacation 4 a week & had my neighbor watch my beardie 4 me, this wuz when he wuz younger & he wuznt as friendly 2 my neighbor as he is me. so i wud say either have a friend take care of him while ur gone, just write out a list of everything ur friend wud need 2 do(this is wut i did w/my neighbor)or c if there's ne places that wud watch him 4 a week...might be expensive tho. best bet is 2 find a friend that doesn't mind reptiles & make sure they kno exactly how 2 care 4 ur beardie. also invest in a timer 4 the lights if u haven't already.

 

[Germ]

So, my husband is planning a vacation for us, in which we'll be gone a week. Were wondering what to do about Diddy, and who will be able to care for him. I have a few people in mind who are reptile savvy...

What I want to know is, do beardies get stressed easily if they don't recognize the caregiver? Can they tell the difference? Or do they just don't care as long as food/water is given and the lights are on/off at the right time? Providing they are given their regular diet on schedule, by a trustworthy Caregiver, they will do just fine. Have the lights on an electronic timer.
Also, keep in mind, I would NEVER consider this, but I have to ask: Can beardies fend for themselves if I left enough food/water in the cage and a light going at a certain constant temperature (Electronic timer) ? ..... It sounds awful and cruel, and I don't want to do it. But are they tough enough? It would be difficult to keep a weeks supply of food fresh & edible. Live prey may nibble on him while he sleeps, dry pellets are not recommended as they exhaust a BD's moisture stores & can lead to dehydration quite quickly. I'm unsure if Diddy is one of the rare BDs that will drink from a water bowl or not, as most won't. Would it be 'Tough' enough to survive? Yes, very likely ... but is definitely not recommended. The above Caregiver scenario should be the choice.

He's lookin' Fiiiiiine!

Good Luck

Edit: I was responding when Jessica responded , So you got some info x2

 

[Emily]

Thanks for the advice guys...I'll plan out a list of what to do and have his meal plans all laid out, and have someone watch him for us. My husband isn't comfortable with having someone come into our house when we're gone, and he wanted to just bring the cage to whoever would be watching him, so I have to make sure their up to having an extra responsibility for a week.
I had pellets to give him, but he doesn't like them. (They smell like stale cereal..I wouldn't eat them either.) He does drink from a bowl, but he prefers to be misted a couple times a day. I thought of an electronic timer, so maybe it would make the caregiver's job easier. Our vacation is still a good 5-6 months away, so I still have time to plan it out. He means a lot to me, but not to everyone else because he's "just a lizard", so I have to fight to get him proper care.
Awful, isn't it? It's like having a kid that's misbehaved and no one wants to babysit. I love him so much, I'm not sure why. He just makes me laugh and makes me feel like a better person by bettering his life.