"Blank" Adoption Forms

Well, they're not blank, but they might as well be.  If I'm talking about you, I really don't apologize, because you put in absolutely no effort.  I don't know if they're meant to be a joke or if they're really from people who couldn't take 5 minutes to research, but I got this one form this morning (one of many, over the past several years), and I mean... well, let me copy and paste some of the relevant parts:

Are you aware that veterinary costs for exotics / chinchillas is usually costly? : No
What type / brand of hay do you plan to feed? : Unsure
What brand of pellets do you plan to feed? : Unsure
What type of dust do you plan to use? : Unsure
What type of bedding do you plan to use? : Unsure
Name some safe chew toys or safe items to chew on: : We will plan a trip to the pet store 
What type of cage do you have? : None, yet
How large is the cage (dimensions)? : N/A
What type of shelving does the cage have? : N/A
Have you read our Chinchilla Care Packet (on the website, the Chinchilla Care Info page)? : not yet
How many times a week should treats be given? : unsure

Now.... while I acknowledge that I always tell people, I'm happy to help, I no longer will regurgitate the entire care packet in an email for you.  It is online on the website, you are welcome to read it, or I can even email it to you... and adoption policies say that it should be read.  If someone used to send an email with questions on, "what do they eat?" "What type of cage is best?" "Is plastic ok?" "Should I feed veggies?" "What is the dust for?" "what pellets are best?" "What temperatures should they be kept in?  Do they need heat lamps?" -- I actually used to answer all the questions, EVEN THOUGH that person had stated they read the care packet, and even though every single question they asked was thoroughly covered in the care packet (ok, maybe not the heat lamps part... but when you read, "keep them under 74 degrees," it should be self-explanatory).  Anyway... I used to regurgitate the care packet, and then I realized... especially considering about half of the people who contact me never adopt anyway (which is pretty typical of rescue adoptions, not just here, but in most rescues I talk with), it's not worth the time it takes to re-write all the answers out in an email... when I wrote the care packet.  So now, I refer those people to the care packet, and since they already said they read it, suggest that maybe they missed that section (or, well, the entire thing) and should check it out, and let me know if they have any other questions.  If it was one question, I will answer it... but it's usually regurgitating half+ the care packet.  So, there's that issue, of time and effort.

There's also the issue of... well, think about it.  Those specific questions -- what food are you going to feed?  What hay?  What dust?  What type of cage do you have?  How big is it and what type of shelving?  How often should treats be given?  What bedding will you use?  Those are the ULTIMATE questions.  I sure HOPE everyone can fill out the top of the form which is name and address, but THESE questions are the ones that ACTUALLY let me know if these people have ANY IDEA how to care for a chinchilla.  There's a big difference between Kaytee Fiesta and Oxbow.  There's a big difference between treats 1x week and treats 10x day.  There's a big difference between a 10g aquarium and a 2x2x4 cage.  There's a big difference between pine bedding and cedar bedding.  These questions are IMPORTANT. 

So I'm sorry if I seem upset when I get adoption forms like this, but honestly, sometimes I think I shouldn't even email these people back, but that I should rather just assume, with the lack of effort they've already shown me, that I should just deny the adoption.  However, I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt (though WHY anyone would fill out an adoption form that is, in effect, blank, makes NO sense to me), so I email them back, suggest reading the care packet (which this one didn't) and ask that they get back to me with their answers.  Now... let me share with you... 90% chance I will never hear back, so it won't make a difference.  But... I am not here to be your mother.  You want a pet, and all the information is out there for you, ON MY OWN WEBSITE NO LESS (if you can't find it there, when you're looking at chinchillas there... don't even tell me you didn't know where to look), I don't feel bad asking you to re-read the care packet (or read it for the first time, in this case). 

Heck, I've even thought about taking down the care packet before (I won't, but listen to my reasoning...), because it might as well be a cheat sheet -- people may know nothing and go question by question, search for the answer in the care packet, and fill in the blank.  They may actually learn nothing, other than how to search for relevant terms.... and still not know how to care for a chinchilla at the end of the day.... so to not have it up there, and ask people to fill out the adoption form, I'd see what they actually know.  But, I leave it there because I want the correct care info out there and maybe someone will learn.  But I will not babysit.  Make an effort, people.