FRUSTERATED!!

My Mom said, Yes to getting a BP. Now shes like nah I dont want one. I asked her why and she said she doesnt like them. She still doesnt get the fact that im taking care of it and she doesnt have to touch or even look at it. I dont know why that she all of a sudden changed her mind. What would be really great is, if someone were to type a short or long paragraph for my mom to read. That way she can see that they arnt so bad. Is anybody in here in there "older ages". lol . that the best way I could say it. I seem to figure out that when "older people" talk it tends to help out a little more.


Mike

My dad is the same way, mymom is kinda getting into the whole snake thing but my dad doesnt see why i want to get another snake or need one, as long as im paying for everything that has to do with the snake he is down with it but somtimes its hard, hopefully your mom will come around soon, BP's are AWESOME !! and can teach you and your mom ALOT i know mine has.

I'm 19...guess that's not too old, but I'm definitely old enough to know right from wrong, and know my limits to what I can handle, and believe me, a ball python is not too hard to handle. I'll see what I can put together with my ramblings and you can let your mom read it if you wish...

They're small snakes really. Usually getting no bigger than 4 feet(5 feet is considered big and rare for a ball python) but most males max out at around 3 feet. They're not too thick, and therefore not a problem to handle. They aren't snakes that you have to worry about when you wrap one around your neck. If they squeeze too tight, you can just unwrap them with no problems. They're also quite simple to care for. As long as they have an appropriately sized tank to live in, with temps ranging from 80-85 cool side and 90-95 warm side, and humidity in the 50-60's, everythings good. Then you just have to spot clean here and there, and change water regularly. Of course, once a week they'll need a mouse to eat, but that's not expensive at all really. Maybe a dollar a week. And if you're worried about a ball python hurting you or anything, all I can say is a pet dog could do more damage to you than a ball python can. The most they can do is bite you, and they're nothing bad to be bitten by. You could compare it to a bee sting I guess.
If you have a phobia of snakes, ball pythons are perfect to help you get over the fear. They're very docile and laid back, so they're easy to handle. But as your son said, they're easy enough to care for and maintain, that if you really don't want to see or touch it, you won't have to. But I'm sure that after you've seen him handling the little cutie, you'll start to see how harmless and beautiful they are and maybe start handling it yourself. My mom is deathly afraid of snakes. She was traumatized when a kid in gradeschool shoved a garden snake down her back. But after she realised I'm serious about owning a snake and after I started talking about them enough, she realised it'd be fine to have one in the house. Since then she's even asked me questions about them often and learned some stuff about them herself. She's even said she'll probably pet little Pelota when I get her this month. Anyway, all I can say is you should seriously reconsider letting your son own one of these beautiful creatures. They're a great learning experience, and you can really start to appreciate and admire different types of animals instead of the usual pet cats and dogs. If you or Mike have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. There are plenty of people on this site that know what they're talking about and can help you out. I may not be the most knowlegable with ball pythons, but I know enough to know it's a great pet to have, and I know if I had a son or daughter, I wouldn't break their heart and tell them they can't have one. ;)

wow, if that doesnt convince your mom i dont know what will !! :) :) very good stuff cody

thanks so much, I just printed it off and put it onto my moms bed. so hopfully she'll see it when she goes in there. She probably read it in the next hour. Thaks a bunch!!


Mike

Whoa, I feel so special to be so involved in this matter. 8) Keep us posted as to how she reacts to it. :)

ok. she said she'll read it tomorrow because she cant find her reading glasses.

Good luck on getting one! My mum wasn't too thrilled either when I got my first baby (who has now lived with us for two-and-a-half years..) but now she's in love with them. Hopefully your situation turns out just as happily.

I've been afraid of snakes most of my life. When ever I saw one in the wild I would stay very clear of it (for good reason, they might be poisonous). However, I did handle a python for a little while when I was about 12, and quickly grew to like that type of snake.

Having a snake is unlike any other pet I have had. They take a good deal of responsibility, and husbandry. They command respect from me, because of my laytent fear. But, I enjoy handling the snake on nearly a daily basis. I have found him to be very cute now, and nearly all the fear is gone.

A lot of people don't know why I got a snake. I find them to be very interesting creatures. I wanted to learn more about them, and learn how to care for one. I like challenges. This has been a great challenge for me, that I have grown to really care for.

I hope that the post author will be able to get a snake, learn from them what I and others have learned from our reptile friends, and share it with others. Snakes are very misunderstood creatures, and I hope more people learn to respect them, and tolerate them more.

I am a teacher and hopefully sometime I can work out something with the biology teacher at my school, and bring Jubs in for a little show and tell. That will be a while down the road, as I still have a lot to learn from my snake.

I'm not ready for the old age home yet, but I will say that our 7 week old kitten causes a lot more pain than all my ball pythons put together and is more expensive to feed than any single ball. She's also much messier and louder and may cause allergic reactions.