Is your LEO happy to see you?

[veronzi]

In another thread I posted (OVERATING?) I made a comment that I thought maybe? "even though it probably was impossible" that my leo BubbleGum was happy to see me when I returned from a recent vacation.
I received a comment that reptiles are reptiles, not cats or dogs.
My opinoin is that maybe it is just Pavlovs response (conditioned response to daily routines) but I do believe BubbleGum knew I was home and was HAPPY to be back in routine...
So what do you all think?
I'd like to hear some personal experiences, this should be fun :lol:

 

[ColdBlooded]

This can often be a touchy subject due to peoples' bonds (or wanting bonds) with their pets. You have to consider what is known about the reptilian brain. Reptiles lack the parts of the brain that make it possible to have deep emotions such as love. I do believe that reptiles can bond (I use the term lightly) with people to a certain extent. They do not love you like a mammal will because they are not able to. But they can learn to not fear you and that you = food time, warmth, etc.

 

[rglove]

This can often be a touchy subject due to peoples' bonds (or wanting bonds) with their pets. You have to consider what is known about the reptilian brain. Reptiles lack the parts of the brain that make it possible to have deep emotions such as love. I do believe that reptiles can bond (I use the term lightly) with people to a certain extent. They do not love you like a mammal will because they are not able to. But they can learn to not fear you and that you = food time, warmth, etc.

I agree. We can't say that it's love. It's only because you feed him and stay much time with him. Many people think that a reptile is like a cat, thats not right because they can't "think".

 

[veronzi]

This can often be a touchy subject due to peoples' bonds (or wanting bonds) with their pets. You have to consider what is known about the reptilian brain. Reptiles lack the parts of the brain that make it possible to have deep emotions such as love. I do believe that reptiles can bond (I use the term lightly) with people to a certain extent. They do not love you like a mammal will because they are not able to. But they can learn to not fear you and that you = food time, warmth, etc.

I guess I wasn't really thinking before I posted, I guess this can be a very touchy subject, so hopefully no feelings will be hurt in this thread....
I wasn't really thinking that my Gecko actually LOVED me. Just pretty much what you said , that he knows that I am food, warmth, caregiver, ect.
I just felt he responded to me and I called that response HAPPY.
I was hoping maybe for a funny story or two about perhaps someone elses Leo doing something that seemed responsive, or what I called happy.
I think most of us know that the term Coldblooded that we use to describe humans lacking emotion comes from the fact that coldblooded reptiles have no emotions.
Oh well, I am sure someone out there has felt at some time or another that their Leo was "happy" to see them ;-)

 

[ColdBlooded]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I've felt like it before. I have a particularly good relationship with one of my females. When I walk in the room to check on them or do whatever she climbs as high as she can and STARES at me until I put my hand down to her level (which she instantly hops into). I can't explain why she does this but I think it's very cute. I love them and that's really all that matters..

Oh, and just because it's scientific fact doesn't automatically mean it's true. Not that many years ago was it 'scientific fact' that animals didn't ever feel pain, they just acted like it. Some people still believe and debate this (right now it's really being debated with invertebrates).

Well, enough of my prattle. Just the philosopher coming out in me.

 

[hyposhawn]

I think my Leos are happy to see me. When I walk into my room they see me and come nd look at me very curious. Then they come out of whatever their hiding in and I then usually hold them. I don't hold them on the days they don't come out, though. It was not always like that though. When I first got them they were scared of me and hissed. Now they are fine with me holding them every day and it works out great. I guess some morphs like Blizzards tend to be more agressive and should not be held as long. Some people just plain don't handle there Leo often because they say ' reptiles don't like to be handled' but with me that's not the case.

 

[Holly12]

LOL I think my girls are happy to see me and pearl everytime I come by that cage she comes out and looks at me and then I will open the cage and go and hold her for a while and then put her back in the cage and then I walk away I come back she comes runing out and its not only feeding time that she does this so yeah I would like to say my leos are happy see me and they know who Iam so its all good.

 

[veronzi]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I've felt like it before. I have a particularly good relationship with one of my females. When I walk in the room to check on them or do whatever she climbs as high as she can and STARES at me until I put my hand down to her level (which she instantly hops into). I can't explain why she does this but I think it's very cute. I love them and that's really all that matters..

Oh, and just because it's scientific fact doesn't automatically mean it's true. Not that many years ago was it 'scientific fact' that animals didn't ever feel pain, they just acted like it. Some people still believe and debate this (right now it's really being debated with invertebrates).

Well, enough of my prattle. Just the philosopher coming out in me.

I like that.. I guess many years ago it was also a scientific "fact" that the earth was square lol! And yes.. our love for them is all that really matters at the end of the day. :biggrin:

 

[veronzi]

I think my Leos are happy to see me. When I walk into my room they see me and come nd look at me very curious. Then they come out of whatever their hiding in and I then usually hold them. I don't hold them on the days they don't come out, though. It was not always like that though. When I first got them they were scared of me and hissed. Now they are fine with me holding them every day and it works out great. I guess some morphs like Blizzards tend to be more agressive and should not be held as long. Some people just plain don't handle there Leo often because they say ' reptiles don't like to be handled' but with me that's not the case.[/QUOTE]

Who are THEY anyway? haha
Some of us really love HUGS and some of us just aren't as comfortable with close contact. I think maybe reptiles can be the same, and I also think alot of it has to do with the handler. I have had some lizards hiss and snap at me but moments later jump into my sons hands willing. He just has this "thing" about him that animals love.
I think sometimes when we approach our reptiles with fear they sense it and become defensive... or maybe I am thinking of horses? lol!

 

[rglove]

Reptiles don't like and like to be handle. Handle stress a little but have species, like the leos that you can handle. I handle mine 1 time per day.

 

[jmhherpetology]

All I've got to say on the subject is that my first leopard gecko used to come out EVERYtime I came in the room and pace back and forth in her cage watching me as I would go by. She would follow me. I learned why she did it the very first time she latched onto my thumb when I was feeding her. She realized that J = mealworms. Nothing more.

 

[MARQUIS]

This seems to be a hot topic so I figured that I would come and add my thoughts if thats cool. I think that my female leo is happy to see me. My mom is currently out of work so when I'm at work for the most part she's home and she likes to venture into my room to check out my reptiles alot, and she always comments to me how she sits and waits for my leo to come out but she only sticks her head out of peak a borrow that I bought to sees who's in the room and when she realizes it's my mom she goes back in like "it's just you" lol but when I get home I watch and she pokes her little head out and notices that it's me and she's like party time and see spends minutes at a time just watching me or even when I'm home on the weekend and I take a nap she sleeps on top of her hide nearest my bed which never happens when i'm not home. But maybe all this could just be coincidence lol who really knows. Reps Rule we all know this.