I’m thinking about getting an iguana, but I have other pets …?
April 5th, 2010 | 
Author: I also have indoor cats and dogs (cats are not declawed and I have two Golden Retrievers). Is this a good idea or am I inviting trouble? Anyone with experience with this, please advise.
Posted in Uncategorized
well i think its ok i have 2 dogs and a iguana they seem to be good mates
admire them from afar…that’s too much confusion…they grow bigger than you might imagine and can have quite the nasty little temper…my niece had cats, dogs, kids, husband and an iguana…guess who got sent away first…yup, the iguana
you might want to watch the cats dog no problem
well your iguana should be kept in an aqaurium or cage anyways when it is a baby, so it should be safe there, if you go out and buy an adult and let it roam the house if it feels threatened it will defend itself which consists of hissing, biting, and tail whipping, but when I had my iguana I never had any problems that were serious between it and my other animals, so really its up to how violent your dog and cat are and how you plan on keeping the iguana.
If you keep your iguana in a room where the other pets don’t go, it should be okay, but if there is ANY chance the cats and dogs can get to the iguana, you are asking for a world of trouble.
Aside from the fact that your dogs and cats will want to eat the iguana and the iguana will want to harm the other animals, reptiles carry a lot of diseases, so even if you are able to keep Iggy separate from the other pets, make certain you wash your hands very thoroughly after handling him. He can give you a whole host of different diseases, and he can also pass them to your furry friends.
Before you decide on getting an iguana for sure, please visit these websites:
http://www.anapsid.org
http://www.greenigsociety.org
http://www.iguanaden.org
Iguanas take a lot of time, money and space. They require lighting, heating and diet. If you do decide to get one, please consider adoption..so many people buy these reptiles and then decide they no longer want them..the shelters are over filled with iguanas needing forever homes. For adoption information please see:
http://www.scalesandtails.org
If you are still considering getting an iguana, I can’t stress enough to please, please make sure you know how to set up their aquarium, it is so so important, they have to have enough light and a lot of warm places for them to lay on, please do research on this, it is so very important, I do know from experience. As for the other pets keep an eye out on the iguana,they can take off in a heart beat. They are very nervous when you first get them, they have to have someone who is very patient, and loves them. Again, I ask you to do research on the care and handling and feeding first before you even purchase one. I do know what I am talking about, I do have the know how and experience of a green iguana.