College

So, the college that I want to go to doesn't allow any pets other then fish. I have one bp and I don't think I could bear to give him up. I have a uncle that has around 14 bp and I asked if he might be able to take my bp for the 7 years I plan to go to college. (I still haven't gotten a reply). I still want fish but what solutions do you have for this dilema? I really don't want to rehome my little boop-noodlehttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...119_190312.jpg

Living off campus is an option, though probably an expensive option. Then you just need to find roommates that'll be cool with a snake.

7 years is a very long time to 'babysit' a snake...you really should have waited to take on a pet if you were planning to live on campus. Please, if you love your snake as
you say, do NOT try to hide him in a locker or something...it's all been tried before now, it won't work & you'll be lucky if your snake even survives...he may be found &
killed or taken away when you aren't there. Just don't try to smuggle him where he's not allowed...I hope you can find an off-campus place to live, as Craig suggested.

I know how hard it is to live without pets, believe me...but you always have to be legal & above board or bad things just happen that you don't foresee now. Especially
for snakes, so many ppl fear & hate them irrationally. I don't imagine ANYONE would want to invest in the love & care of a snake for 7 years while not considering it to be their own pet...so maybe you need to find him a new owner, if it's not possible to live off-campus. Even off-campus, rentals can be very stringent too, especially because most landlords been 'burned before' by other renters.

He's adorable...I don't blame you for not wanting to part with him, but ultimately, do what's best for HIM.

My secondary (Or backup whatever) does allow lizards, fish, amphibians and snakes. So I could just go with that option. Is this the best solution?
God this seems kind of dumb I didn't check my backup to see if they allowed pets before :oops:

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Originally Posted by Serpentine_Queen

My secondary (Or backup whatever) does allow lizards, fish, amphibians and snakes. So I could just go with that option. Is this the best solution?
God this seems kind of dumb I didn't check my backup to see if they allowed pets before :oops:

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You mean your second choice of college? That's your decision to make as to the best 'solution'. College (& life in general) can be stressful, & pets to me are both special and essential. You'll be busy in college but snakes don't take up a lot of time anyway, so as long as they're allowed & can be kept safely it's a plus, IMO. (their safety, I mean)

When I was in college, I never lived in a dorm, & had pet rats, lol. Another easy pet, but not universally "loved" lol. And one place I lived- I rented a room & bath with kitchen privileges from an old lady who otherwise lived there alone (big house, husband had passed & kids were grown)...she was a character, the house was walking distance to the beach (Santa Barbara) & she had dogs that her "kids" saddled her with because "she had a yard" & they wanted to rescue them...so in essence, I got to enjoy her dogs too. I took them hiking sometimes, or to the beach. She couldn't keep up with them at all, lol. These sort of living arrangements all have pros & cons...never as simple as they sound, but that's life...as long as you get what you need out of the arrangement to get your studies done.

I'd recommend living off campus.

Search craigslist, you'l easily find a room for rent, and it'll probably be much more affordable too.
I'd recommend asking if they're cool with a snake in person, wait until y'all meet up and you're about to seal the deal, then ask if a little ball python in your room is alright.

I wouldn't recommend choosing your back-up college unless you're sure you want to go there and you think it would give you the best learning environment and future career opportunities. As others have said, you may have luck finding off-campus housing that allows snakes although it will be challenging to find both a landlord and roommates that are okay with it. College is a tough time to have a pet, I hope you can find an option that works out well for your snake!

Hi

**actual** college campus bp owner in my past life (and current professor with multiple bps).

1. Please choose the college that best supports your education.
2. I housed, successfully cared for, and transitioned from two years' worth of college dorm herp keeping a happy, healthful, and thriving bp to off-campus living. And then, past grad., to my own apartment. This bp and I, we went places together.
3. It is totally possible to house a bp when RAs deem it "unacceptable." I admit, this may be controversial, BUT, if they allow fish, it isn't crazy to keep a bp. They are just as quiet, and chances are, you will not be kicked out of the dorms for it. I went to a very strict school, and still, there are bigger concerns than this for dorm policy.

That being said, you need to option your own path, and maybe choosing to house a bp against dormitory rules isn't your thing (though I did it, and it was fine). The biggest risk is the safety of that bp, and knowing that if you choose to house on campus, you HAVE to have a backup for that animal. I had a friend who wanted bps for their science classroom, which would serve well in the case the RA decided it was between me or the snake (that never happened, the snake was fine and lived in my dorm hassle-free).

The bp was NEVER noticed (even during room checks with at least 7 different RAs), so chances are, housing won't know. They are impossibly disorganized older college employees who are more stressed about curfew and drinking rules than a quiet, non-smelling pet that hangs out in your room. If I had a dorm check, I hid the tank temporarily under lingerie (because most of the RAs were men and felt weird about checking that) and I made sure above ALL ELSE that my roommates first were okay with him, which they were. It's all up to your principle about the thing.

Each situation is different, I get that. But, I know so many people that do it. In the end, you'll need to choose. I chose, and it led to a wonderful, happy relationship with a healthy and loved little bp with a caring home.

Very best of luck! :snake::snake::snake:

Sammysnek's experience living with her snake on-campus is interesting, but still requires some luck & considerations to succeed, besides those she mentioned. Besides having room-mates that are OK with it, you also want room-mates that don't smoke (snakes lungs suffer from smoke, even if you don't worry about your own- and you should).

Dorms are like apartments & might be treated/sprayed for bugs (roaches or ants most likely) & small pets that aren't supposed to be there can be easily poisoned & even killed by accident...maintenance people may have no obligation to tell you in advance & may do this when you aren't there.

And one huge difference between keeping fish versus keeping a BP is that BPs require heat that may malfunction & cause a fire, so IMO, management has some good reason to be concerned & to differentiate.

Besides the emotional baggage (fear & hate) that snakes may evoke in others...that's not normally an issue with fish. Just keep in mind that when your back is turned, some people may do evil things to a captive-snake, especially since they know you aren't supposed to have it there anyway. I therefore would urge great caution about keeping your pet where it's not allowed, but in the end, it's up to you, and you'll have to live with your decision.

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Originally Posted by Sammysnek

Hi

**actual** college campus bp owner in my past life (and current professor with multiple bps).

1. Please choose the college that best supports your education.
2. I housed, successfully cared for, and transitioned from two years' worth of college dorm herp keeping a happy, healthful, and thriving bp to off-campus living. And then, past grad., to my own apartment. This bp and I, we went places together.
3. It is totally possible to house a bp when RAs deem it "unacceptable." I admit, this may be controversial, BUT, if they allow fish, it isn't crazy to keep a bp. They are just as quiet, and chances are, you will not be kicked out of the dorms for it. I went to a very strict school, and still, there are bigger concerns than this for dorm policy.

That being said, you need to option your own path, and maybe choosing to house a bp against dormitory rules isn't your thing (though I did it, and it was fine). The biggest risk is the safety of that bp, and knowing that if you choose to house on campus, you HAVE to have a backup for that animal. I had a friend who wanted bps for their science classroom, which would serve well in the case the RA decided it was between me or the snake (that never happened, the snake was fine and lived in my dorm hassle-free).

The bp was NEVER noticed (even during room checks with at least 7 different RAs), so chances are, housing won't know. They are impossibly disorganized older college employees who are more stressed about curfew and drinking rules than a quiet, non-smelling pet that hangs out in your room. If I had a dorm check, I hid the tank temporarily under lingerie (because most of the RAs were men and felt weird about checking that) and I made sure above ALL ELSE that my roommates first were okay with him, which they were. It's all up to your principle about the thing.

Each situation is different, I get that. But, I know so many people that do it. In the end, you'll need to choose. I chose, and it led to a wonderful, happy relationship with a healthy and loved little bp with a caring home.

Very best of luck! :snake::snake::snake:

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Please don't advise people to break rules. Campuses have rules for a reason. It would really suck if OPs heating equipment somehow started the whole dorm on fire...
Just because you chose to act irresponsibly doesn't mean you should advise others to do so.

I've done PLENTY of irresponsible crap in my day, but I don't share it and advise others to do so. If anything I'll share my mistakes with the hope that people learn from my mistakes rather than making their own.

But openly suggesting that somebody break their colleges rules is completely unacceptable and irresponsible.