This website is under construction, so check back soon for new, cool stuff! If you're impatient, check out my Instagram for the latest worm content!
If you're reading this, you've taken the first step towards being a great worm owner; learning. It is important to learn everything you can, from a variety of sources, about worms and worm raising.
this can be said for all things, but wormrearing especially.
The best thing to do at this stage, is to look at your own home. Where will your worms be living? What sort of environments will they have to live, play, socialise, and more in? Will they be confined to a single room or travel the world? There are many, many things to consider.
Worms on a String (including destringed, Chenille, and otherwise stringless woas) are more difficult to care for than other pets, such as rocks and garden worms. Often people will adopt without realising the demanding nature of being a worm owner- leading to unnecessary stress to the unfortunate worms.
While worms on a string can be easy in some ways when compared to other pets, especially in regards to temperment, it's not all fun and games. Some things a prospective owner needs to ask themselves are:
In order for your worms to be emotionally and socially fulfilled, it's advised to spend, at the very least, 10 minutes with your worms per day. This is a very barebones number, and is excluding things such as feeding, grooming, and worm-centered leisure activities, but it's a handy rule of thumb.
Grooming tends to not be overly intensive provided the coat is in good shape; a quick brushing as needed is often sufficient. Depending on your breed of woas, special considerations need to be taken- often mixed-breed woas don't have the coat strength of Squirmles and Chenille worms, and one must be especially careful during brushing, or omitting it altogether. Beyond brushing, maintenance is very minimal, though worms with non-standard coats often require redying to maintain their lustre.
Often people adopting worms will take in an entire litter, or otherwise adopt multiple woas at once. This is advised, as only the most unruly of worm would be overwhelming on its own, and woas are social creatures. Provided you have at least 2 worms in your fulltime care, their interworm socialization will be sufficient. Single worms should be socialized with other worms whenever possible, though it can be substituted for additional time with humans. In general, woas are great at self-regulating socially, and you can't really overdo it. If you do, they'll let you know through clear behavioural shifts.
If you think you can spare >10 minutes per day with your worms, and are willing to put in the appropriate grooming and socialization for your worms, continue on to the next section.
Most people with stable housing find their homes need minimal adjustments to worm-proof them. The main dangers are heat exposure, and interspecies pet safety. Cats love to hunt woas, but extreme caution must be taken, as worms are not digestible and if a single worm is attacked, not only is your woas in danger, but your cat, too! Dogs and other animals can be a risk, but the primary concern is with cats.
If your pet enjoys playing with toys similar in size, shape, or colour to worms on a string, or otherwise likes to attack small, colourful things, I would advise against adopting worms. If you can completely isolate the two pets (for example, keeping your woas in your bedroom fulltime, and the offending pet out of your bedroom) there is no danger, however mistakes can happen, and it's always best to be safe.
Once you're confident your existing pets are compatible, your next concern is heat exposure. A worm's coat is very suceptible to permanent damage from heat exposure. The main culprits for this are household items such as heaters, computers, and really anything that generates a lot of heat. It is unlikely that your worms will suffer any adverse effects from ambient temperature, however if you live in an extremely hot climate, consult other worm owners before making a decision.
A worm needs a good living environment, too. Ideally the space should be spacious, enriching, and comfortable, however woas are extremely hardy in this regard, and can survive in most environments they are otherwise biologically compatible with. Communal worm sleeping is very common for stringless woas, but is still done by stringed worms, too, provided they have easy access to a method of reducing risk of tangling. Cosleeping with the owner is also an option, but is difficult for larger populations.
Worms on a string are very easy to care for when it comes to grooming. A soft, wide toothed comb is often sufficient for brushing, though as there are no specialty combs on the market you will have to find one best suited to your breed.
Worms with non-standard coats will need maintentance to maintain the vibrant colours of their fur. Some owners opt for acrylic paints, others food colourings, and others still go the marker route. All of these have their pros and cons, so it's up to you to determine which is right for your worms.