Me
My name is Vince. I live in Switzerland, and I work as a accounting supervisor in an American company, which develops and sales eye care products.
Beside my work and my animals, my interests are focused on psychology, including new trends such as neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and transactional analysis. I believe that having knowledge in this area makes it easier to live our life and to better understand those around us.
Music plays a large role in my life. I played synthesizer in two bands, a little guitar too, and I even tried to sing. In 1998, with the arrival of electronic music, I began to mix. This enabled me to perform in various clubs, such as q-club in Zurich, love zoo in Neuchâtel, le nouveau and l’ancien palais in Geneva.
When I was a child, I promptly expressed the wish to have animals. It took time to convince my mom, but at the age of 9, my brother gave me my first animals: a couple of guinea pigs. It turned out later that my brother was allergic to their hair. Fortunately for me, my brother had already moved out and was not living with us. Nonetheless, as his allergy was so severe, he could no longer visit me (nor could I visit him if I brought one of my pets) without having his breathing become difficult and his eyes tearing. To my despair, I had to give my companions to a neighbour. I then took a rabbit who lived 13 years. I think I can say that this is a rather exceptional age for a rabbit. I like to believe that his secret of longevity came from the Smarties he loved and that I gave him daily! I then got another rabbit, which failed to break that record!
Meanwhile, I began to be attracted by the beauty and the independence of cats. So I took in a cat from a person who didn’t want him anymore. This was an alley cat called Figaro, whom I lost in 1998, because he developed diabetes, and his liver did not support it for a long time. I could not live any longer than 2 weeks without cats. I then bought my first breed cat: a beautiful female British blue-cream shorthair. A year later, I bought the uncle of my female: a British blue shorthair.
In 2000, while reading a French magazine on cats, I fell in admiration for an Oriental white. As I could not find this race in Switzerland, I had my first Siamese cream point tabby. I have always loved cats for their personality, but with a Siamese, it took an entirely different dimension. The temper of Siamese is like a dog, without the inconvenience of the walks!
As I am persistent by nature, I could not resign myself not to have a white Oriental. So I contacted a breeder in France, which quickly became a very good friend. I was lucky, as she coincidentally had a small male who was waiting for his new home. So I went to pick him up. In my head I was already planning to have an Oriental ebony. I told my friend breeder. She told me she would make all the possible mates to get one and it would be for me. Unfortunately, my white Oriental started to have crises: his hair bristled up, his lips became blue and his breathing was difficult. What we thought was a heart problem was in fact epilepsy. Despite the treatment, he left this world when he was not even two years old. My friend breeder was sad for me, and she spontaneously offered to me to choose another kitten among those available. So I took a superb Siamese chocolate point tabby. I started already at that time to be interested in lizards. A colleague introduced me to a breeder she knew. I wanted a dragon, but was hesitating between the bearded dragon (Pogona Vitticeps) and the water dragon (Physignatus Coccincinus).
In 2005, finally an Oriental ebony showed the tip of his nose! And what a phenomenon! He is my only cat who comes when I call him. He loves visitors and has outstanding culinary tastes that are out of the ordinary for a cat (cheese fondue, pizza, chocolate cake ….).
That same year, I made my choice for the lizard: I wanted a bearded dragon, but a colour morph. As I did not find what I wanted in Europe, I imported three bearded dragons from the United States. One male blood, a female sunburst and another female snow.
I was so delighted by the personality of the Pogona Vitticeps and by the service of the American breeder, that in 2006 I imported again three other bearded dragons: a male translucent, a female pastel and another female sandfire.
I stayed in contact with the Swiss breeder who was the first to make me discover the world of reptiles (he owns about fifty different species). I started to be interested in chameleons. And by chance, the breeder had a clutch, and in 2007, I got a veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo Calyptratus), which is the only kind of chameleon allowed in Switzerland. However, he is subject to an authorization of detention. It is a great animal to observe. And I also think that he observes me with his eyes that have the capability to make movements independent one of the other…
Thanks :
Julien (Yabo-concept) : website design
C_box : logo
Julia : translation
Tania : translation
Lukas : translation
Thierry : biography
Yabo-concept