Stop talking about it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by B.O.S Reptiles

I'm a whinny brat...

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It is your attitude that people don't care for. Don't start being a martyr.

And are you sure he's arguing with a "whinny" brat?

Anyway, I'm out of this thread and on to better reading.

:ignore:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

"I BOUGHT MY DUMERIL'S AN ANIMAL PLASTIC T8 DISPLAY ENCLOSURE"

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...pse9817db8.jpg

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Lol that's seriously my favorite movie.

Everybody chill out and take a step back. Let's try to make the forums peaceful again. This or you can ask Mason that I'll turn this thread to N rated. :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by B.O.S Reptiles

Thank you. that's where the majority of my anger is coming from. I am trying to take.care of my animals, and they aren't being deprived of anything, yet people are making it seem like I'm doing a horrible job. I appreciate the kind words.

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You rubbed some people the wrong way, and I think a lot of the responses you are getting are based on personal dislike/annoyance rather than your actual husbandry. I hope you will enjoy this site, despite your previous experiences. There are always new things to learn, new methods to try. :)

*sigh*
I'm beginning to get really worried about you. I really really want to believe your heart is in the right place, and that maybe you're just young and not thinking this all through? And I'm trying so hard to be nice, and rationalize your thought process, and think back to when I was your age, but it's getting hard. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you got your first snake in May or June, right? That means you've only been keeping snakes for like four months or something, right? Even if it was longer, you definitely only had the ball python when I first met you like three months ago. So that means you went from having no experience to having six snakes in a matter of months. And now you are wanting more? I've had one boa in three years. Your set-ups aren't the worst I have seen. But are you sure you can handle more? I'm not that much older than you are, I'm a senior in college, and I would LOVE to have another boa. But right now I'm also paying my way through school, and setting aside money to eventually start my career and have a family. Plus I am always adding funds to my animal's accounts in case there are more emergencies. I know my limitations, and as much as I want to take in another snake, I know I can't.

A few weeks ago you were complaining about funds, and now you're saying you can easily buy another two cages for your two BCIs? And have you considered how much it will cost to feed them further down the line? What are you going to do if one of your pets gets sick? How are you going to afford to buy housing for them as they grow? I'm sorry, but until you're able to answer these questions, I don't believe you have any business getting any more animals. You have your entire life ahead of you, you're new to reptiles, so what is the rush? Your snakes should still be new and exciting to you. I really don't understand why so many new keepers feel the need to go get a dozen or more snakes in their first year. You're not the first person with this problem, and you won't be the last, but I've seen it blow up in so many keepers faces and they lose their entire collections. And it isn't you who loses, it's the snakes.

I know it may not seem like it from this post, but I really do care about you. You are very passionate about animals, and I believe that you could do a lot to influence other people and help them get over their hatred of snakes. And I know you don't want to hurt any of your animals, but if your animals need medical attention, and you can't afford it, that is YOUR fault (just so you know, I've spent well over $1000 dollars on my ferrets, $200 dollars on Figment's vet visit, and my cat's vet bill came out to $7000 dollars - thank god the vet fell in love with her and paid for many procedures himself). So please focus on what you already have, take advice humbly, and think about the future. I know it's hard at your age to look ahead but I feel like I'm pretty well-adjusted for a college student (I've excelled at my jobs, I get good grades, and I have a really good relationship) but I still feel like I'm drowning in the "real-world" and I'm so thankful I don't have more pets than I do. I couldn't live without my animals (seriously, not kidding here) but I know my limitations. Please find your limitations. I don't want to see you have to give away your pets or lose them because you can't afford to treat them. I know you already know the devastation of losing an animal, and just think about what that would feel like if you had to go through it again when you could have prevented it (or at least done your best to). Again I really do care about you, as much as you can care about some stranger you've talked to on the internet for several months, and I just don't want to see you get in over your head. I know you love your animals and that's the only reason I'm even bothering to type out this reply.

I'm all over the place here. Sorry about the length of this. It's just been building up in me for a while. I'm done now. That's all I'm going to say on the matter. The thread took a different turn, but I've been typing this out for an hour so I figured I might as well post it. I really hope you understand that I'm not trying to be mean. I just don't want to see you end up like I've seen other keepers your age end up.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by meowmeowkazoo

You rubbed some people the wrong way, and I think a lot of the responses you are getting are based on personal dislike/annoyance rather than your actual husbandry. I hope you will enjoy this site, despite your previous experiences. There are always new things to learn, new methods to try. :)

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That's because I personally don't care for being "buddies" with people online. My snakes are the ones who suffer from my supposedly horrible husbandry if people don't give info, and are only rude. Thanks again, though.
I'll surely stick around (like it or not lol).

I agree with Shann. Something that new keepers often overlook is the necessity of saving up a fund for vet bills, which inevitably occur no matter how perfect a keeper you are. Make sure that your current animals have everything they need before getting more. None of us are perfect, and sometimes it's hard to resist that adorable/beautiful/awesome snake, but it's a good thing to go slowly, save money for vet bills, and take time to learn about your animals before getting so many that you become overwhelmed. It's much easier to enjoy your snakes when you have a manageable number.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shann

*sigh*
I'm beginning to get really worried about you. I really really want to believe your heart is in the right place, and that maybe you're just young and not thinking this all through? And I'm trying so hard to be nice, and rationalize your thought process, and think back to when I was your age, but it's getting hard. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you got your first snake in May or June, right? That means you've only been keeping snakes for like four months or something, right? Even if it was longer, you definitely only had the ball python when I first met you like three months ago. So that means you went from having no experience to having six snakes in a matter of months. And now you are wanting more? I've had one boa in three years. Your set-ups aren't the worst I have seen. But are you sure you can handle more? I'm not that much older than you are, I'm a senior in college, and I would LOVE to have another boa. But right now I'm also paying my way through school, and setting aside money to eventually start my career and have a family. Plus I am always adding funds to my animal's accounts in case there are more emergencies. I know my limitations, and as much as I want to take in another snake, I know I can't.

A few weeks ago you were complaining about funds, and now you're saying you can easily buy another two cages for your two BCIs? And have you considered how much it will cost to feed them further down the line? What are you going to do if one of your pets gets sick? How are you going to afford to buy housing for them as they grow? I'm sorry, but until you're able to answer these questions, I don't believe you have any business getting any more animals. You have your entire life ahead of you, you're new to reptiles, so what is the rush? Your snakes should still be new and exciting to you. I really don't understand why so many new keepers feel the need to go get a dozen or more snakes in their first year. You're not the first person with this problem, and you won't be the last, but I've seen it blow up in so many keepers faces and they lose their entire collections. And it isn't you who loses, it's the snakes.

I know it may not seem like it from this post, but I really do care about you. You are very passionate about animals, and I believe that you could do a lot to influence other people and help them get over their hatred of snakes. And I know you don't want to hurt any of your animals, but if your animals need medical attention, and you can't afford it, that is YOUR fault (just so you know, I've spent well over $1000 dollars on my ferrets, $200 dollars on Figment's vet visit, and my cat's vet bill came out to $7000 dollars - thank god the vet fell in love with her and paid for many procedures himself). So please focus on what you already have, take advice humbly, and think about the future. I know it's hard at your age to look ahead but I feel like I'm pretty well-adjusted for a college student (I've excelled at my jobs, I get good grades, and I have a really good relationship) but I still feel like I'm drowning in the "real-world" and I'm so thankful I don't have more pets than I do. I couldn't live without my animals (seriously, not kidding here) but I know my limitations. Please find your limitations. I don't want to see you have to give away your pets or lose them because you can't afford to treat them. I know you already know the devastation of losing an animal, and just think about what that would feel like if you had to go through it again when you could have prevented it (or at least done your best to). Again I really do care about you, as much as you can care about some stranger you've talked to on the internet for several months, and I just don't want to see you get in over your head. I know you love your animals and that's the only reason I'm even bothering to type out this reply.

I'm all over the place here. Sorry about the length of this. It's just been building up in me for a while. I'm done now. That's all I'm going to say on the matter. The thread took a different turn, but I've been typing this out for an hour so I figured I might as well post it. I really hope you understand that I'm not trying to be mean. I just don't want to see you end up like I've seen other keepers your age end up.

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I wasn't complaining about money. I am making plenty enough for me and the snakes I Have. I was complaining about waiting for my check. I was just really vague about that. I could see how that was taken into the wrong context (I said "I have to have a paycheck to buy blah blah blah". My fault there). The only time I'm not at home is when I'm at work, so I have time + money to care for the ones I have. I have been keeping snakes for about 7 - 8 months. However, my first snake was a WC garter whom would not eat anything besides fish. Anyways. I get where you're coming from completely, but I don't push my limits. Caring and affording the snake I have right now is nothing. I didn't think Dumas cage out as well as I should've and that's the only reason I ran into that issue. I do not push my limits when it comes to pets. If I couldn't handle five snakes, I most definitely would not have five snakes. I cannot control when my new enclosure is shipped, so I'm done discussing that aspect. Anyways, I was only looking for ideas, I am not necessarily set on getting more reptiles. Thank you for the reply and your concern.

I'm making an average of $800-$1,000 right now, and I'm saving close to half of my checks in case of emergencies.

Another thing to keep in mind is quarantine. Every new animal you get should be quarantined for a minimum of 3 months. It's very very difficult to maintain a strict quarantine when you are often getting new animals. Going slowly also helps protect you and your animals from the tragedies that occur too often when a sick animal is introduced. Mites, Respiratory Illness, and other very serious health concerns such as IBD and OPMV become an issue when you do not quarantine properly.