Oh the life I live here in this place of absolute bliss.
My life is for the most part very good. I have a heat light that comes on when it is cold to keep me warm. I have a light that comes on when it is daylight outside to provide me with vitamin D which I need just like the tree things that live here do. My house is six feet high, three feet wide and four feet long. I am given food that is fresh every single day. I also have what is called a heating pad to help me digest my food after I eat.
One of my favorite things is being able to look outside at the world beyond my home. There are lots of trees that I frequently daydream about climbing so I can be high above everyone to look around.
The tree things who call themselves humans come up and bring me down off my house at least once a day. I always go potty in this place of water that is warm. I like that very much. I even spend time soaking my scales while I am in there most times.
Today was a terrible day for me though. When I started to wake up this morning the tree things made me come off of my house and they took me out into the cold. They took me into something that moves really fast and when it all stopped we got out to unfamiliar territory. I was on the back of the taller tree thing and we went into some place I had been before but by the smell of it I knew I did not like it there. Lots of tree things were at this place and one took me from the one I know best and put me in a cage.
The next thing I knew I was taken somewhere that smelled horrible and was somehow made to go to sleep.
Way back when, I am not sure how long ago, I hurt my tail. I do not remember how I even hurt my tail but it got crushed in two places and has gotten to a place where I am not able to heal it up on my own. This is what led me to be taken to that awful smelling place the first time. They gave me medication for the tree things to give me but although my body feels a bit better, my tail still hurts and is not better.
The tree things are very upset and they come up to my house a lot to check on me and see if my tail is ok. They have been giving me treats that I love. I wonder if that is where that medication is being put.
For many years I have lived with these tree things who treat me well and seem to like me enough to make sure I get food and that I am healthy. The tree thing I lived with a very long time ago did not do all those things for me so I am glad I live here now. I don’t like to talk about my past because it is very sad. I will have to tell that story one day so that others will learn to take better care of iguanas like me.
This is how I came to be at the awful smelling place being made to sleep a long time.
I started to wake up and knew I was still not at home. I wanted to be where I was safe and not in the hands of strange tree things.
They were doing their best to comfort me but it was to no avail. In my eyes the only place that is safe and good is on my house with the tree things I know best.
I have no idea what they did to me but my tail does not feel as it should. I can get around but not as good as I know I can normally.
Finally the tree things I know are back. They put me in a box for what I hope is the trip home. I am sleepy and just want to be up on my house. So even I though I do not like the idea of being in this box I will put up with it with the hope that I will soon be at home where I belong.
Yes, here is home at last and on my house once again. I am warming up and tired from all that has gone on all day. My light just went off for the day so I think I am going to go to sleep for now. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day all around.
Meet Xena, our female iguana. This photo was taken two or three years ago. Although it can not be seen in this photo her tail is long and perfect at that time.
This is a photo of Xena before her surgery. Those with better vision may be able to see where her tail was injured.
This is a photo of Xena after her surgery.