We have three kittens (around 16 weeks old) and a bearded dragon in our household. The kittens are well fed and looked after because I look after all three of them. I have no qualms with that at all. They're little dudes.
The problem lies with the fact I have no clue how to look after a bearded dragon nor' do I have experience doing so. So I tend not to get involved too often.
I see regularly that the water is dirty or that there aren't many locusts in the tank (at this moment, there is only one). The housemate in question (I shall call him Bob for simplicity) only seems to get the water changed either when I remind him that the water is running low (maybe twice a week or when his dad visits maybe once a month). He also said he'd get locusts for the tank last week because I was asking questions about the bearded dragon purposely to hopefully trigger it, such as:
So, how often to bearded dragons eat? are they like snakes where they don't have to eat too often?
He replied:
I'll have to pick some up tomorrow
but tomorrow was six days ago. I'm worried because I'll be leaving this house soon to move to a new city and taking two of the kittens with me (which I own). Which means there will be one kitten and the bearded dragon left here (which he and his girlfriend Alice own). I couldn't live with myself if I left them without saying anything. Bob has an easy ride because he knows I'll feed them on schedule every day, I just don't want the other kitten to lose that routine or either of them to suffer when I go. I can also imagine because Bob used to live with his parents, they more than likely helped out with it too, this will be (from my own assumption) the first time he's looking after pets on his own.
What can I say or do to remind him to ensure that he keeps a sharp eye on his pets?
Additional information:
- We also live with his girlfriend Alice, who'll be staying here and she loves the kittens to bits but is scared of the bearded dragon (so she's in the same boat as me in regards to having no clue what it needs)
- I have no qualms being direct and upfront with him as I'll be leaving, but I don't want to burn any bridges with either of them, as I would like to check up on the kitten every now and then (I've grown to love him).
- I would like to enforce that he doesn't mistreat the animals at all, he's great with the kittens and the bearded dragon, they are very much in a loving home. He's just a bit lazy when it comes to his responsibilities and needs a push in the right direction sometimes.
- Bob had already owned the bearded dragon when he moved in and then we got the three kittens together (two mine and one his and his girlfriends)