What to say to family and friends

It's like religion... We don't really talk about it and they bring it up, I just answer questions and laugh everything else off. Yea, my parents haven't been to my house since but, just like me changing religions on them, they'll eventually just start to accept it. If not, oh well. They love me. No question about it. I'll never understand why my sister can't cross the street by herself and she'll never understand why there are snakes in my house... We're both cool with that.

yeah i go with the aspect of its a hobby and doesnt require 24 hour attention like my dog. me and my girlfriend just had this convo tonight actually she joked saying her ball was my best friend and i said no.. this is my hobby my best friend is in there (reffering to my dog kennel in the next room). my dog is without a doubt my best friend nothing will come between me and him no girl or person. i love my snakes but with the exception of my first it wouldent break my heart to get rid of one.

as for the family issue some care some dont, useally i just get the "where are the snakes" question to which i reply down stairs where they belong. or the "what do u do with them? or what do they do" and i reply not much, just poop,eat and relax much like myself" and it useally ends there, i only have one family member who will "dis-own" me if i bring one around but well.. if im 15 min late im disowned for the day so it doesnt really phase me.

i also a a firm believer in the dont ask dont tell policy with my reptiles lol.. ill take the same one out for walks but dont advertise i have the number i do simply because its noones buisness but my own and the mmebers of my house hold.

the only real problem i have with ignorant people and snakes are the biting questions and the ones who draw out the same old story with either the girl or the everglades which just urks me because its all wrong and even after reason and sometimes proof i get responses like "no, that cant be right the news said...." or "your not a know it all.. i saw it on the news and they had scientists say so.. and soo.." i particularry like the scientist come back tho cause i love to rebuttle with the global warming scam with the 2k emails proving it a lie.

noone really likes an educated individual, but one that has the same ideas and beliefs, so i tend to go with research and facts lol..

My family is accepting of my choice of pets, snake, dog, and cat although some friends and acquaintances are not; but when asked (or insulted) I just explain that like any of my other animals they are a part of my life and that they make me happy. If they persist in knowing why I would want a "thing" like that in my house I give them the same answer once again and if they are still not willing to let it go I tell them that if it really bothers them so much that they don't ever have to step one foot into my house.

I do try to explain to people who are afraid of them that there really is no reason to be afraid and give them as much information as they are willing to take but if it is just a person who dislikes them and refuses to listen to any reasoning than I am a lot more likely to give all types of smart mouth responses.

I simply tell them, "If you don't own one you just won't get it." It's like asking someone why they collect stamps, rocks, or coins? Or why do the run a marathon? Why do they own a dog or cat?

It's all because that hobby is what attracts you and you have an interest in.

I could care less what other people think. My wife isn't all that interested in my snakes either, but that's okay too.

Don't be offended. I look at it this way, you have a hobby that most people don't have the guts to participate in.

Jim Smith

My mother is less then pleased that I have snakes and that I one day want to breed them. She thinks snakes are disgusting and that it is totally gross that they eat mice and rats. She will not step foot in my home and that is ok because it is her right. I just simply state that this is something that I really enjoy and that it is my hobby. My whole family does not like snakes. It is the way they were raised. I will not quit doing what I love just because someone does not like it.

The only person in my family that doesn't get the willies from my snakes is my oldest sister, and that's only because she understands the attraction of the "oddity pets" - she's got a couple of cockatoos and lots of fish. Quite honestly, she's really the only person who can talk to me with a straight face about my snakes. Everyone else I know is rather disgusted by or totally stumped by it, and a couple of my old friends had made it their hobby to insult me about it whenever the subject came up. Needless to say, they're not my friends anymore. The reactions and questions don't phase me much anymore, and when the subject about why I own them comes up, the only reply I ever give is "because they're fascinating."

Not everyone is going to love everything you do, in the same way you don't them. The way I look at it is that it's best not to go into depth with the people who blatantly want to be disgusted and argue about snakes, because that's an argument you'll never win. ;)

I get a lot of [poop] from a lot of the people I know about my keeping snakes and plans to breed. They're like "Why would you want to aid in the spawning of the Devil?!" (No seriously, someone actually asked me that).

I understand that not everyone is as comfortable around snakes, in fact, I have some seriously ophidiophobic friends, and I respect the fact that they're afraid. I used to be scared stiff of dogs, and people understood and would put their dogs away if they were very high energy and I was around. It's when people are scared and make rude or ignorant comments about my hobbies that I get my back up. They'll ask me "Why would you want a pet that you can't interact with?" or "Snakes are dumb, they don't recognize you" and I tell them "Have you ever owned a fish?" and then tell them how smart snakes can be. They don't get it, but I try to help them.

The people I know really don't give me much crap about it. I have always had some type of lizard/snake so I guess they are used to it. I have also worked with animals most of my life so it's just part of who I am and they accept it. I guess I am lucky.

Eh, I've never been normal in my family. So to them it just added to it when I got into snakes a few years ago. I am lucky to live with my Aunt and Uncle who are accepting of my passion and don't mind having them in the house. My aunt prefers lizards, but she doesn't mind looking at the snakes and thinks they are pretty. As for the other part of the family, like everyone else is stating it's not brought up until someone asks me about them or decides to give me crap in front of my whole family.

Shrugging it off is all you can really do, even if they begin to frustrate you I try and keep my cool and change the subject. My Aunt understands what these animals mean to me, and honestly she is the only one in my family that actually gives them a chance.

Every single time I get asked that question I tell them I have 3 words....

STRIKING
GRACE
BEAUTY

if they don't understand from those 3 words I'm not wasting my time explaining it to them !