Among the things I still had left even after major dumping and donation were assorted pet supplies. I was a passionate scorpion owner and breeder – one of few in the world who had a privilege of having a lady scorpion give birth in captivity. Very little is known about scorpions because few scientists study these majestic animals. As such, all you learn about raising scorpions in captivity is from other scorpion owners and after years of success nurtured by unconditional love for my favourite animals, I have become a world renowned authority in scorpion keeping and breeding.
I had a bunch of fish tanks I used to keep my pet scorpions in – one of which was of mighty size. I had several heaters, specialty bulbs, bedding, hideouts made of stones and equipment for breeding crickets and silk warms which were the staple of my scorpions’ diet. I was a responsible and respective scorpion owner but no matter how hard I tried, the lifespan of scorpions in captivity was never the same as in the wild.
In order to be a good scorpion owner one has to be fascinated by these animals. Scorpions are nocturnal creatures that spend most of their days in hideouts. They will not come running towards you when you come back home from work wiggling their tails. If you expect that, then scorpions are not for you. It takes a great deal of respect and patience to be a good scorpion owner but once you succeed to make your scorpions comfortable, you will be rewarded with some of the most spectacular shows imaginable. The mating ritual is a dance that lasts for about half an hour and is the most breathtaking scene I have ever seen in my life. It took place in the middle of the night and I have respected my roommates enough not to disturb their mating with camera flashes so I never took pictures. Instead I just sat nearby savoring the spectacle.
I consider scorpions to be the most amazing animals in existence. They have 8 legs, 2 large pincers they use as weapons and 2 small ones on their head they use to grind food with, a venomous stinger and two wings at the bottom of their bellies with which they pick up vibrations for navigation and location of food. They are so well equipped that imagining they used to be one meter in size during prehistoric times gives me shivers. That would have been one formidable predator you wouldn’t want after you.
Aside from my undying fascination with scorpions, I’m also a cat person. I had a cat I named Shadow whom I tamed. She was a wild cat who survived all on her own through tough Alberta winters. I have eventually become friends with her and she was my partner in everything. She was the most loyal creature on Earth and most beautiful at that.
After all of my scorpions moved on to the scorpion heaven, I’ve come to realize that Shadow deserved a better life than living in stress my frequent moving put her through. I went on to take one of the most devastating moves in my life when I said Good Bye to my best friend. I did it because I sincerely believed Shadow had suffered enough when she was all on her own without anyone providing for her and giving her love during brutal Alberta winters. I took my beloved cat to the Edmonton Humane Society and have never seen her since. I think of her all the time and pray that she ended up with an amazing family who loved her as much as I did.
When all was said and done, I was left with lots of cat care pet supplies, including unused cat food and cat litter mixture, cat toys and tools you’d use to look after your kitty. I thought the easiest way of getting rid of all those would be to dump them in garbage bins but these were all usable pet care items someone might put to good use so I’ve picked up a telephone and called Edmonton Humane Society again.