My friend’s stepdad keeps getting exotic pets without doing proper research, so her mom ends up taking care of them. This weekend, I’ve been hired to take care of these animals while they’re away, and I noticed that some diets are not ideal. I’m looking for advice on how to enrich their lives and improve their diets. Here’s what I’m dealing with:
Red-Crested Turaco: They mostly feed this bird fruit every day. I was thinking of adding small pieces of hard-boiled egg or maybe sprinkling ground eggshell on top. Would mealworms, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, or cucumber work? Could they eat a pinky mouse? What about bee pollen? I already have some for my gecko, but she won’t touch it.
Cotton-Top Tamarins: There’s a pair, and they’re also fed mostly fruit, with some monkey biscuits. I thought they might like mealworms, eggs, pinky mice, or different types of nuts. Would bee pollen be good for them, too?
Foxes: They have three that were rescued from a fur farm. Their current diet is fruit, chicken gizzards, and hard-boiled eggs. Would they enjoy cheese, unsalted nuts, or mice? Any other suggestions?
I’m especially worried about the turaco and the monkeys because their diets seem too limited. Any advice is appreciated.