Losing Interest

For most people, interests in a particular endeavor wax and wane, ebb and flow. If you ditch every hobby, job, person, life-choice you make just because a time comes that you don't "feel" as "interested" in it as you did at first, then you'll never get anywhere or have any meaningful relationships ("relationships" in a very general term, relating to anything from people to hobbies). Making a commitment means sticking it out even when you don't "feel" like it.

Work with the animal, help it get over its own fears of you and help yourself get over your own fears of it. Care for it as if it's life depends on it...because it does! In time, you'll start to see some progress and feel that immense sense of satisfaction in caring for another living creature. And the "interest" that you thought was lost will return in spades. It's a gradual process...and will always have its ups and downs. Don't try to live life based on how you "feel" at any given moment.

All that being said...as was mentioned, reptiles don't develop an emotional attachment, and if you are sure your ability/willingness to care for it properly is going to suffer because you just don't care for it anymore...then please find it a new home. And keep in mind that maybe reptiles just aren't a good fit for your lifestyle. Not everyone needs to keep them. Just because someone admires and respects cold-blooded creatures and enjoys watching/learning about them...doesn't mean they have to have them as pets.

One note on "display" snakes. I will disagree that any display-worthy snake isn't for beginners. Many North American colubrids are very simple to care for and can make delightful display animals. My milk snake is awesome to watch (often to the point of distraction when I'm trying to work! LOL). Milk snakes, king snakes, corn snakes...all can make lovely animals that will be active and content living in a display enclosure.

OP what exactly are you looking for in a pet snake? Ball pythons are typically bought and sold for their paint jobs, not their personalities.

I've had my girls since February and I still get excited to hold them and interact with them, see them shed and eat and just do any sort of snakey things! Then again, I've pasionately wanted pet snakes since I was a wee thing, so my enthusiasm might not be standard haha. We're going on vacation tomorrow and I have to leave them for a whole week. As much as I'm looking forward to the trip, I miss my babies already!

Addendum: I find that having my girls in tubs and not being able to look at them constantly is better than having them as "display" snakes in tanks. If I want to look at their lovely scales, I have to pull them out and interact with them.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

OP what exactly are you looking for in a pet snake? Ball pythons are typically bought and sold for their paint jobs, not their personalities.

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Not true. I think most of the time it's the docile personality that most people enjoy.

OP, I hear you on the loosing interest part. It happened to me a while back when life got a little bit too busy. The great thing about BPs is that they don't have any emotional attachment to you. If you're not feeling it this month, that's ok. Do your usual upkeep to make sure your pet is healthy and do your own thing.

When I first began in this hobby, I used to fuss over my BPs every day. Now, I enjoy them once in a while. I still enjoy watching them explore but I handle probably once or twice a month and I'm content with that.

I guess what I'm saying is I found my happy balance between obsessing and lossing interest. You just have to find your happy medium.