Comfort &Trust in a breeder like Kasi is unsual for me ...
My name is Kris Kutlik. This is my story, and how Kasi Krauss aka Party Gecko has helped shape my hobby into the blossom it currently is.
Two years ago October, I was helping long-time friend, Marcia McGuiness vend at the Sacramento Reptile show. While I wandered the halls and gawled at her friends' tables of animals, I made the decision to purchase a few crested geckos from varying breeders (none of which are Kasi, and are irrelevant at this time, as this post is about her) and felt satisfied with 0.0.4 cresteds; two of which were around 3g and the other two were about 6g. I named them, took them home, and was happy. I housed the two 3gs together, and the two 6gs together.
Tragedy would strike when one of the 6gs passed away, Jan 1st of 2012. An not a few hours later, the other 6g would pass away in my best friend's hands, myself sitting directly in front of her. Being emotional and irrational, I put it in my head that it was my husbandry (besides housing them together) that kill them (when it turned out to be parasitic) and I decided right then and there I didn't want to kill the two 3gs. I surrendered them to a local reptile shop, and knew they'd take care of them and they would be re-sold.
Now I'm no newbie to reptile care or the like. I'm confident in my leopard gecko care and even rehabilitation ... All of my other herps are incredibly healthy. I swore off crested geckos forever.
Fast forward to San Jose Herp show of 2012. I meet Kasi from Party Gecko towards the end of the day Sunday, the last day of the show. Her red harleys and high contrasting geckos looked great. As I complimented her animals, and told her my fear since loosing my first two, I was unable to buy. I was very upfront. She did not seem to mind me around even though I was clear I would not be purchasing animals from her. Instead of shooing me away for paying customers to come through, she asked what had happened. I explained my story. She nodded and sounded sympathetic to my loss. Then she did something I didn't expect. She began to explain how little I may have actually done wrong, and how it was highly unlikely that their deaths were directly my fault. I began to ask her question after question about husbandry of these little arboreal critters.
Question after question she did not tire. She had solutions and multiple ideas for each husbandry inquiry I had. Feeling satisfied for the moment, my friend who had accompanied me to the show, parted her table to look around the show.
My friend and I returned a few hours later, right before closing. I had more questions. Kasi seemed pleased that I was so curious and willing to make sure I did my research. It made me feel good that she cared about her animals and didn't just want to make a profit. She gave me her card.
I started to stalk her beautiful animals. I always looked at her iHerp and her photo updates. We stayed in touch here and there.
The October Sacramento Reptile Show rolls around in October again last year. My friend (same one that actually accompanied me to the San Jose Show) is helping Marcia vend with me. In trade, Marcia accepts a crested gecko from Geektrastic Reptiles and cash in trade from them for one of her normal phase N. Milli. Having no direct attachment or use for crested geckos, as she breeds Aussie geckos and Leopard geckos, she gives it to me, knowing I'll love it.
I'm terrified at this point. I house this little fella at my fiancee's house. He cares for him, feeding him CGD from Repashy, misting him, keeping him at a stable temperature, etc.
In Jan of this year, 2013, I move to Emeryville and meet some new roommates, one of which expresses her interest in reptiles. She drills me for questions about leopard geckos. She also expresses her dislike in bugs. Only one gecko came to mind. Crested Geckos. I first directed her to the East Bay Vivarium in Berkeley, CA. She goes to check it out. Unimpressed, she starts to loose interest. I text Kasi impulsively. She's enthused and invites my roommate and myself to her house where she breeds, and encourages my roomie to check her website to get an idea of who she'd like to meet.
Upon arriving, everything is tidy. Quaint house, save environment. Each gecko tub (and pet tubs) are labeled. Mind you, I also caught her in the middle of gecko cleaning time. She was comfortable enough with her tubs that she was unashamed to show the minorly dirty tubs. These must be changed frequently. The food looked fresh, even in the ones she hadn't cleaned yet.
It was obvious my roommate had definitely checked out her website, and had a few to check out. Not only did Kasi very eagerly show her each of the babies, but the sub-adult that said roommate looked at as well. I can't say I didn't look at the available geckos on her website as well and ask to see a few geckos myself.
My roommate chose the sub-adult, and received a tub of feeder sized dubia roaches for free. He is still just as healthy, and just as beautifully tempered as the day he was purchased. I talked myself out of buying any geckos, even after expressing my interest in a few, because I was still too nervous. Kasi understood. We left.
But it was from that day that I obsessed over these little jumping creatures again.
My fiancee suggested I take Loki (his crested from the Geektastic Trade) and care for him for a little while. I do, nervous he's a little small still even after a year. But he eats, poops and is all around healthy.
Every day I feel like, I annoy Kasi with questions; "Any updated pictures? How many grams?" and once I became more comfortable in my 'sexing' prowess from JB crested tutorial, "Any pores?" I asked her about different geckos different days. One after another. Never committing to buying *anything.* I kept telling her how much I loved this and that. But I never purchased anything. Kasi never once turned me away from these constant questions.
It was about May that I got hired at Petco. I won't get into it, besides during their 50% off reptile rally weekend, I pick up a little 2g crested. Because I fell in love, that's why. Alright, this was it. Loki was well started and I couldn't screw that up. But little Hawkeye was different. He was wish me two days, ate crickets, shed and pooped. My faith was restored.
Fast forward to June. Kasi's babies look still so amazing.
I pick up another 2g baby from the East Bay Vivarium.
I had made the choice to breed crest geckos. I wanted to produce pinstripes. Tigers. Extreme Harleys.
I started to commit to one of Kasi's geckos.
After much back and forth, I met up with her at the San Jose Herp Expo this past weekend. After entering the door, I beeline to try and find her table. The gecko I loved and wanted was there. She openly disclosed to me that there were so far no signs of pores at 6gs and female or not, it wouldn't fit into her breeding projects. It was discounted from her website. I couldn't say no.
At this point, I must say, if it wasn't for Kasi and re-assuring me that I had what it takes to care for these hardy little fliers, I would not have ever owned one again, let alone be looking into breeding these little guys. I have two pairs that should be ready in two years or so, depending. I'm not going to rush it, but I'm so excited to have some really decent lines for at least one pair (the Geektastic/ Party Gecko) of geckos. (The other planned pair is the Petco/ EBV geckos.) It just happened to work out that way with colourings/ morphs.
I will be forever faithful to Kasi and remain a loyal friend and customer of hers. I dream she'll be one of my customers some day!!
. So I was very pleasantly surprised!
