Yes I should have been more careful but I thought with how ridiculously easy it is for foreigners to make money as English teachers that no foreigner would have to resort to scam tactics like this if they need money.
I did not visit Pet Castle, every time I find another way of contacting him (through a friend of his, his email from Pet Castles whois domain) he sticks with his story “maybe you dropped it after you bought it”, so I’m not sure how useful it would be for me to travel across town for this. But it may be a future idea.