What's your view on...

[Reptilian]

Hey all-

Quick question for you. For herps in general, what your view on "change in interest"? (Have herps but not interested in anymore.) Agree with it, don't agree with it? Let's hear what you have to say!

[Ginevive]

I hate to hear about people losing interest and selling off their collection, on one hand. On the other hand, I would much rather see their herps go to someone who will care for them with diligence and joy. I hate when people have big "trend-type" swings in their animal keeping and cannot commit to animals and just lose interest/ignore them

[shhhli]

how do you become uninterested in snakes?

lol.

i'm glad they're willing to accept they've lost interest in their pets, but it still saddens me. man, try and seperate me from any of my animals and i'll squall like a baby

[lord jackel]

This is an interesting question.


Personally I don't think people loose interest in the animal per say but in the husbandry requirements.

For instance...I used to breed ferrets. I pry had 100 at the height of my breeding. They were registered, shown, sold, etc. I bred for color patterns, temperment, etc. But after a few years it became a job with no benefits.

Do I love ferrets? Absolutely
Would I bred again? Maybe
Would I get a huge collection? Never Again

I never lost interest in them but the joy I originally got from them was lost in the "job" of their care and upkeep. I think anytime you get above "pet" status (meaning more than 1 or 2) then it becomes work. Work can be fun and enjoyable (just like your job that pays the bills). But once it isn't fun or enjoyable for you it is time to move on (from your pay the bills job or a hobby that has grown too big)

Very few people have enough long term vision to know today that over the lifespan of a snake (25+ years) that their homelife, finances, time, etc. will allow them to devote the "work" necessary for the animals proper care. I would rather see them move on then allow the animals to waste away due to neglect.

Just my 2 cents.

[Schlyne]

I still love crested geckos, and I enjoyed breeding them. But after working with a young breeding group of 4.2 and having all the problems I was having, I sold them all. I decided it was just too much work with my current lifestyle and that they needed a better keeper. I still think they're cute and I took very good care of my guys, but it was just too much for me to make diet all the time. Also, even though they were communal geckos, the geckos I had ended up living separately either due to size or due to temperament.

For whatever reason it's much easier to feed insectivores.

[Sunny1]

I also think that people lose interest because it becomes too much work or even too much money. And unfortunately I think that is what happens with a lot of unwanted animals everyday. I think that as long as that person strives to find a new home for their animal(s) with someone who has prior experience or someone who has done their research and is ready to take on the animal, and is going to give it a good home, then it is probably much better anyway. I wouldn't want to see an animal either suffering because their owner "has lost interest" or being passed on from home to home because people don't understand what they are taking on.

But as of recently, I have seen people losing interest in having a big collection of one type of snake because they want to focus on raising/breeding another type.

For the most part I disagree with it, because my thoughts are that if you take on an animal baby, then you should plan on caring for it for life (or have plans for its life since some animals, I think some tortoises, can live much longer than people). Although I fully understand that life can get in the way and force you to have to rehome an animal. But at the same time, and maybe this isn't what is intended as "loss of interest" but it still kinda fits in this thread, many in the herp community though will take in snakes as a breeding project but not intend to keep it for life, just the babies. This seems to be more widely accepted in herp communities as opposed to cat or dog communities.

[Krazy99CL]

I love herps, but I dont think in the long run I want to make it a full time job. Full time job meaning cleaning 100+ cages and spending time with each and everyone. Thats extreme, but as an example.

The only things that I hate about the the hobby is greedy, lying, and unhuman sellers. Sellers that pretty much do it for the money and not for the hobby and sell inbreed and sick animals to others. Like that mr BIG D***Y. Theres a couple more, but I wont list it.

Yeah I read the employee that quite bc of his husbandry practices. Yuck!

I remember someone who had a normal ball that had a big buldge. I remember he loved his normal and did everything he could to try to save his priceless ball, but couldnt. Thats the kind of people who keeps me going.

Sorry had to vent.

[GirDance]

I think that if you're going to get a pet it should be for life... And that you should do whatever you can to ensure it will be a long and healthy life too.

What I don't understand is a lot of the trading, although I keep mine as pets, I know that others don't keep as pets and I respect that as well.

[SPJ]

I just recently got rid of a lot of different animals. Got rid of all the corns, the viper boa, the BCI's, all but one childrens python, and the kings and milks.

Now I am strictly dealing with BP's except for the one childrens python I just couldn't let go. He is now an even more spoiled pet.

[TekWarren]

I thinks its impossible for one to agree or disagree with someone elses "loss of interest". There are to many variables for such a general concept to be taken as right or wrong. If someone decides they don't want to put the time and effort into keeping animals...OR...they truley decide the experience just isn't for them that is their personal decision. If there is no joy whatsoever to be had than things *could* go down hill quickly as far as taking care of the animals.

I think Lord Jackel's post hits at least one of the nails on the head, good post.