How do you deal with ignorant people?

[chinnychinchinchilla]

wow kristy, i dont know if i would have been that nice. i honestly would have called the number for animal abuse after she told me how she raised her kits.

 

[starleomach]

I don't have her address and she has been turned in on mutiple ocasions. Pretty much all an animal legally gets is food, shelter and water if you provide that then you are in the clear

 

[tkc1038]

I am constantly approached at out local chain pet store because the staff know I know what and where to say, STOP being stupid. They cant fire me and they want my business so I say it like it is. I kindly tell them that they wont get $175.00 per Chinny that they breed because in this area it is hard to even get $50.00 for a BYB baby, then I get into gory detail and watch the green face emerge, heheheh a little evil here. I have advised against Ferret breeding(cant breed in NY without a licence), Sugar Glider breeding, Chinny, and the list goes on and on. I cant stand Stupid and I really dont care if I offend.

 

[arf2184]

You can't force people to listen. You just do what you can and try not to let it get to you.

I prefer communicating through email...my mind doesn't work fast enough to come up with what I should say on the spot, especially when dealing with ignorant people (or just plain idiots). I'm careful not to offend people (no matter how much I want to) because most people will stop listening if you do offend them and no matter how dumb they are, I want them to come back to me if they have a problem so I can do my best to help the animal(s) involved (even when in my mind I'm thinking "I TOLD YOU SO!").

In person though, its harder. You can see if they are listening and taking in what you say. When they aren't you just want to scream at them. When trying to convince a stranger, I try to remind myself that they have no idea who I am or what my 'credentials'/experience level is. I say what I have to say as politely as I can and then I give them my email and tell them to feel free to email me if they have any questions or would like to learn more. Sometimes I do hear from them again.

With most people, you have to start small with change and gradually shape them into a good chinnie parent (or help them realize a chin is not the right pet for them).

I do think many people on the forum baby their chins way more than necessary and chins aren't quite so fragile as many people here believe, BUT there is no harm in that belief and the chins are well taken care of where it counts and then some. We just have to remember when dealing with other people we need to focus on the most important issues (like not breeding, diet, and a clean environment) and (if possible) work up to the things that outsiders think us crazy for (using the best dust, providing plenty of chew toys, fleece hammocks, playtime, etc.). Don't throw it all at them at once. We are more likely to actually get through to people that way.

 

[CJR]

I do think many people on the forum baby their chins way more than necessary and chins aren't quite so fragile as many people here believe, BUT there is no harm in that belief and the chins are well taken care of where it counts and then some. We just have to remember when dealing with other people we need to focus on the most important issues (like not breeding, diet, and a clean environment) and (if possible) work up to the things that outsiders think us crazy for (using the best dust, providing plenty of chew toys, fleece hammocks, playtime, etc.). Don't throw it all at them at once. We are more likely to actually get through to people that way.

(Emphasis added by me)

Out of all the helpful things that have been posted here, I think this is the best idea for me. Personally, it is so easy to become overwhelmed with the amount of things to talk about. Cutting out the "minor" details would really enable us as a whole to educate others on a simpler, more basic level. The important things for a chin - the primary things - really are diet, clean environment, and the lack of breeding in all cases with an uneducated owner.

True story, when my friend Montrell (he works at the pet store this happened at) first saw my chinchillas, went down like this... He saw Tia first, and was like, "Yeah, she looks like our animals"... then I showed him Bessie.

"Is that a chinchilla?" - quote straight from his mouth.

Bessie isn't even good quality, BUT she is enormous (relatively) and blocky, with decent veiling and clarity, a great white belly (I love her belly), and denser fur than any petstore animal. She is leagues away from the wedges with dirty bellies and no density/clarity/veiling to speak of.

It's funny, a lot of people have had that reaction upon seeing Bessie (especially if they had chinchillas at any point) now that I think about it. Maybe we could use properly bred animals as an educating tool also?

Anyway, long story short... I think some of us do get a little carried away in explaining the needs of chinny-chin-chins.

 

[ruoc]

Just remember, people make their choices. Say what needs to be said, even if they make your brain boil, and do not waste any of your valuable time arguing with stupidity.

 

[mychinchillas]

I agree with pet of the day. Anger won't get you anywhere. Although it can make you feel better. haha.

Just remember that some good breeders today started with petstore chinchillas before they realised what they were doing and then they got good. We all learn through trial and error.

Grace doesn't hurt.