Loved ones don't like your herp friends ???

Here's how I can break it down in my family.
Wife - Hated him at first, but now loves him and can't wait for the handling sessions.
Mom and Dad - Scared at first sighting, but warmed up after realizing he wasn't so bad. They even held him for about 30 seconds each.
Mother-in-law - Scared to death and totally avoids the upstairs since that is where he lives. Good, keeps her out of my room.:D
Sister-in-law - Talked smack, at first, about killing him if he ever came near her, but now every time she is over she wants to handle him (she likes him).

Dad: doesn't like snakes or spiders. He was scared with repeatedly as a kid (pushed at him, thrown at him etc). Dad had a caimen when he was younger though, and we often caught turtles as a child. Dad thinks my geckos are pretty neat as well.

Stepmom: not really sure. She wanted to see all of my animals and she took pictures, and she did hold one of snakes though. She likes animals anyway.

Mom: listens to me talk about them all time. I have no idea what she'd think if they were in the house. I don't think she'd mind the snakes at all. I don' think she minds the spiders either, but you never know.

Stepdad: Had a igggy for a quite a while (was my stepbrothers pet). Doesn't mind the snakes or the spiders at all.

Ex-bf/close friend: is phobic of the spiders. After making the invert room escape proof. He has insisted if one is loose (like during feeding or something and I"m running around trying to catch it), he will lock himself in the batheroom until i find it. He's okay with the spiders as long as they're in the enclosures. He doesn't have any problem with the snakes or other herps.

Robin just loooooves them and can't wait until she can have a couple more (or we start breeding) once we have more ROOM!


I don't know if it was my stepmother or my dad making the email comment, but snakes aren't their idea of a "pet" but "whatever floats YOUR boat" is okay.

I don't think my mom has an opinion one way or another. My sister's not thrilled, but since she lives in Seattle, and I live in Oregon, it's a non-issue.

My best friend, her BF, and their roommate all think we're crazier than loons, and the only good snake is a dead snake. In fact the roomy swore he'd kill my snakes if he ever saw one....but since he'd NEVER step foot in my house, we're safe. Patty even made the snide comment about why am I taking our pet rat, Smudge to the vet when all we're going to do is feed him to a snake if he dies. ??? :mad: :angered: :fork: IDIOTS! *%%&&%&^$&^$&$*%(%() Keep the snakes away from her. She who doesn't care for her stupid, untrained, disobedient Newfoundland dog she can't control........Some friend, but I just consider a handful of salt with it.

As for any future beaux, I've talked to one and he's not thrilled, but figured he could deal with it if he were to visit. Any future BF/husband would have to deal, because the snakes are NOT going away, and I'm starting steps to establish a rescue and breeding business. :D :D :love:

honestly, once people learn about them and open their minds... they love them :)

my mother and grandmother and dad hate snakes but my brother and sister love them

Karen wasn't scared of them, but she was apathetic and kinda "Oh, well that's neat" till Gomez then Ma-tsu. :love: Now she loves them as much as I do and is uber supportive of my obsession! She's the only local loved one aside from our best friend Amarin who we consider family and has a baby snake of her own!

My Mom was very "EWWW" at first, but she's also slowly gotten used to them from a distance via my LJ and my babbling on about them. She knows how passionate I am about them and how much I love them so she's calmed down about them a lot, and plans to visit this November. I'm hoping to really win her over then. She says she'll always still come over to visit as long as I never get into tarantulas. ;)

Paternal Grandma: is morbidly curious, but disturbed. I dunno which disturbs her more, the snakes themselves or that she and I have had a 15 minute discussion about Neptune's bowel movements, as I was on the phone with her the first time he had one with us, LOL.

Paternal Grandpa: "Neat!"

Paternal Aunt: "EEK!"

Maternal Aunt: "Tell me everything! That's so cool!"

Brother: Not sure yet, I guess I'll find out what he thinks of them in November too. He seems more interested in the bunnies.

Sister: Wants to meet them! Thinks it's awesome.

In-Laws: Polite humoring bewildered occassionally slightly forced smiles.

My mom doesn't seem to mind, but my dad wants me to get rid of any animal I get insisting its going to kill me... lol.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

honestly, once people learn about them and open their minds... they love them :)

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I agree, but unfortunately some people, no matter how much you encourage them to be open minded, will remain ignorant to how they are. Oh well.

My three closest friends were not to bad. No one had a problem with my tortiose, my friend Judi had some initial problems with my tarantulas, but got over it, she didn't have a problem with the snakes, but didn't want to touch them (she finally held Toby, the baby cornsnake last week) and she said she was drawing the line when I told her I was getting baby emperor scorpions, she came over, I showed them to her (they are about 3/4 of an inch) and she squeeked out "Oh, how cute!". So now no problems at all.

Most of my friends adore my snakes since none of them can really own any at this point. My brother loves them too since his wife won't let him have any ^^ My mother....well, I'm planning on moving out soon, and she still thinks that tank in my room is for "desert toads" :D And because if anyone else in the family other than my brother knew I had snakes in my room, I would be ratted on, so no one else knows just yet.