Care Sheets for Pet Stores

[chadk]

If it is about the torts, and not somebodies little tortie business.... Then a simple one page caresheet with major care highlights and links to additional resources sounds about right. No need to give credit to anyone. Not that credit is a bad thing, just not 100% necessary. But if you start branding the caresheets with this site or that author etc, others may not be crazy about making copies and distributing around - as they may feel they need to ask permission first.

So this brings me to another point. What makes a good caresheet? Clearly the info needs to be accurate. But what about other factors like effect communication, layout, how much info is the right amount, what areas of focus, target audience, etc? For example, in some stores, they have postcard size, professional, glossy, simple carsheet cards in a rack in the pet section. Now the content is so high level and often wrong - but effective in delivery (while lacking in quality). Others use a tri-fold approach with a little more detail and less glossy attention grabbing pics. So what is the ideal caresheet to you?

 

[Redfoot NERD]

THANKS - jblayza

( I understand completely, if it aint broke, don't try to fix it. )

Maybe you should explain it?

Sometimes I keep it too simple.. or too complex.. soooo - it's misunderstood or taken personal.

Isn't a picture worth a thousand words?

Terry K

Wait a minute.. I got it -

Do this: [ yadda yadda ] .. get this [ see pic! ] Author unknown

HUH?

 

[Stephanie Logan]

So what is the ideal caresheet to you?

Just the (basic) facts, ma'am.

I think it could seriously impact tortoise care for the better.

I will say again, I so wish we had gotten a care sheet for Taco! Fred just assumed she was like the California desert tortoise that had lived in his yard as a kid, and, like Shelly said, these are a species that require little if any specialized care; but most tortoises have very specific and extensive needs so they can grow up healthy and happy!

 

[Madkins007]

If it is about the torts, and not somebodies little tortie business.... Then a simple one page caresheet with major care highlights and links to additional resources sounds about right. No need to give credit to anyone. Not that credit is a bad thing, just not 100% necessary. But if you start branding the caresheets with this site or that author etc, others may not be crazy about making copies and distributing around - as they may feel they need to ask permission first.

So this brings me to another point. What makes a good caresheet? Clearly the info needs to be accurate. But what about other factors like effect communication, layout, how much info is the right amount, what areas of focus, target audience, etc? For example, in some stores, they have postcard size, professional, glossy, simple carsheet cards in a rack in the pet section. Now the content is so high level and often wrong - but effective in delivery (while lacking in quality). Others use a tri-fold approach with a little more detail and less glossy attention grabbing pics. So what is the ideal caresheet to you?

Of course, it needs to be accurate and helpful, and the store may have a set format to follow, but my ideal sheet would be...

One page, front and back, to offer the most writing space; tri-fold so it fits on a rack better; a decent photo or graphic to make it eye-catching; simple, clear illustrations- such as housing, sample meal, etc.; a short list of 'follow-up' options.

Dense chunks of text tend to be uninteresting, so it should be 'lightened up' with things like checklists or short bullet points, like foods or shopping lists so the eye can move over it easier.

The trick to me is to avoid overly general or vague information and to make the data helpful to the widest range of customers. If this was for a national chain, for example, then the data would have to be useful in all states.

 

[webskipper]

Good.

I was thinking max 2 pages. Front contains the shopping list for basic housing and care. On the back could be just foods.

Simple is best, because people wishing to be adopted by Tortoises should be encouraged to "buy the book" like the Testudo book our EJ wrote (available at fine pet stores).

 

[jblayza]

pic of ideal habitat, lighting, temps, diet/hydration, link to forum. Oh and maybe info on origin?

 

[Madkins007]

I doubt that any pet store would bother for tortoises, but I notice that some of them offer handouts for things like fish that cover care topics other than care sheets- filtration, water quality, choosing a tank, etc.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could do something like that for reptiles? Housing, heating, lighting, humidity, substrate, tortoise diets, snake diets, etc.- articles that allow a subject to be explored in more depth so the species care sheets could mention a basic need and refer to a more in-depth article for more.

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Mark, I think that if you do put this project together, you should copyright your work, because if pet stores find it useful and/or popular with their customers, maybe eventually they'd even pay for your care sheets since people would buy suggested products as a result...you could use generic terms so as not to "push" a specific company's version of that product.

Not that you began this discussion with personal profit in mind, but if profit becomes the natural outcome for guiding tortoise keepers to better care techniques, more power to you for a positive return on investment.

 

[DoctorCosmonaut]

Or anything you give out could get put in someones book, etc

 

[Madkins007]

Actually, I have a ton of articles and partial articles that I would love to see published, whether for profit or just to be helpful.

 

[Yvonne G]

Mark:

I wouldn't post your "temporary" care sheet on an open forum like this for proofing or advice on a re-write because anyone doing a web search might come across it and take it for the gospel. Then you would have someone saying, "Well, I read it on the forum so it must be right and good." I know you would hate for your prelim to be taken as a final.

 

[jackrat]

Guys,I've been going by Terry's caresheets with great results.True,I may have a lot less experiance with torts than most of you.But I have also bred a lot of fish species considered " unbreedable in captivity" with success.What this has in common with Terry's philosophy,if I may,Terry, is to create the conditions in which the species has thrived for eons and your animals will thrive also.I find the caresheets easy and straightforward.Just my opinion,nothing else.

Jeff Scott

 

[Madkins007]

Guys,I've been going by Terry's caresheets with great results.True,I may have a lot less experiance with torts than most of you.But I have also bred a lot of fish species considered " unbreedable in captivity" with success.What this has in common with Terry's philosophy,if I may,Terry, is to create the conditions in which the species has thrived for eons and your animals will thrive also.I find the caresheets easy and straightforward.Just my opinion,nothing else.

Jeff Scott

The thing is... Terry's website is not a caresheet, and is notoriously hard for new keepers to stumble upon.

---

Mark:

I wouldn't post your "temporary" care sheet on an open forum like this for proofing or advice on a re-write because anyone doing a web search might come across it and take it for the gospel. Then you would have someone saying, "Well, I read it on the forum so it must be right and good." I know you would hate for your prelim to be taken as a final.

Hence the earlier question- is there a place or way we can do this so they CAN be peer reviewed?

I think that creating a 'review and discuss' thread would be adequate with a note in the header that everything in this thread is being refined and should not be taken as gospel.

 

[jackrat]

Maybe I wasn't clear earlier.I wasn't referring to Terry's website.I was referring to the caresheets found on the website.They wouldn't be hard for newbies to find if the pet shops handed them out.I don't think a shop would ever hand them out because they're not lists of recommended supplies and equipment that they sell.I haven't been to a pet shop since I started keeping redfoots and don't have any plans to go to one.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Well what's this?.. http://www.turtletary.com/redfootcare.htm

Does that say redfootcare? Or RF Caresheet?

Or "Redfoot Tortoise" CARESHEET ?

Terry K

 

[Madkins007]

As it sits, Terry's 'sheet' is not formated to be printed out neatly on a single page or two- as we would expect a care sheet being handed out in a store to be. Labeling it a 'care sheet' does not automatically mean it is ready for that sort of use.

Jackrat's comment about not going to pet shops anymore is typical of folk like us who sort of grow past the need of pet stores, but this thread was started for pet store caresheets, and many beginners still start there- so a wel-done, beginner-level care sheet that can be offered at willing pet shops is a good idea.

Of course, no one is stopping Terry from formating his as a care sheet or printable guide that can be handed out easily- perhaps as a PDF file he can put his site and phone number on prominently.

Heck, I'd even be happy to help as best I could. We spar and disagree, but I still like him.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

As it sits, Terry's 'sheet' is not formated to be printed out neatly on a single page or two- as we would expect a care sheet being handed out in a store to be. Labeling it a 'care sheet' does not automatically mean it is ready for that sort of use.

Jackrat's comment about not going to pet shops anymore is typical of folk like us who sort of grow past the need of pet stores, but this thread was started for pet store caresheets, and many beginners still start there- so a wel-done, beginner-level care sheet that can be offered at willing pet shops is a good idea.

Of course, no one is stopping Terry from formating his as a care sheet or printable guide that can be handed out easily- perhaps as a PDF file he can put his site and phone number on prominently.

Heck, I'd even be happy to help as best I could. We spar and disagree, but I still like him.

What does all that "formatting and PDF" stuff mean? That's what I meant earlier about... 'You computer guys go first.....'!

I'm not sparring with Mark.. and don't disagree with him or anyone else. I simply post what I've observed and experienced personally and/or what others' have shared with me in person/email or on the phone.. a handful of which are South American natives.

Lead on geeks...

Terry K