Making Your Python A Family Member

I thought it would be interesting to share and hear from people who socialize their Python with their other pets and make them more of a family member.

I've started with Alexander to let him sit on top of whatever kitty maybe on my laps at the time so he see's that it's okay to be with them and also not to be upset when they look at him in his tank. I think this is important to multi pet homes that they all get along and don't stress each other out.

I have been working with him not to be head shy. He wasn't so much so to begin with, but it's important that he doesn't take the actions of another pet, with a nose touch as a reason to strike. In fact he's gotten pretty good at letting me pat his head going in from the front with out him recoiling back from my hand And I've only had him a week now.

:snake:

um well... I really see no reason for a ball python to get along with a cat.. They are never going to be "friends" because ball pythons are not social animals. I can understand bringing the snake out to interact with your human family but the cat? I would consider putting a snake and a cat together a dangerous situation for both of them. Cats bite, snakes bite.

I would say this is probably the LEAST important part of owning a pet. Your ball python should not be interacting with any other animals. If they don't interact, then they can never stress each other out. It would be INCREDIBLY stressful to be in the snakes position while a giant cat is staring at you, don't you think?

Ball pythons are normally head shy, you can't train them to not be head shy. They don't have any arms or legs to protect their heads and their heads are the most vulnerable part of their bodies.

I think you need to slow down and give this animal some space. I don't handle any of my new snakes for 2 weeks after I get them to allow them to adjust to their new home. Handling him and putting him on top of cats is not going to make him more comfortable, it is going to stress him out.

When i was living in Florida I Play with my BP regularly :) ( i even let her hang out on my neck when i was talking to my friends on skype/chat - she was great attraction on chat rooms :P ) She was for sure part of my family and I was devastated when I need to give her away because of Moving to NYC. Right now i'm moving outside of town just to be able keeping BP again and if that gonna be plausible i gonna bring her back because i miss her like i missed all my previous pets.

a cat and a snake?! i wouldnt say that's the best idea, when the cat is looking at the snake through the tank .. the snake in my opinion SHOULD be scared. i mean the cats preditorial instinct isnt saying hi to the snake, but dont get me wrong there are some instances where 2 animals that youd think would kill eachother become the best of friends.:please: be careful! trips to the vet are pricey!

As for your snake being head shy.. youve only had him/her a week!!! ofcourse they're going to be shy. i know it's hard not to leave them alone because they're soooo cute but it's for the best. the last thing you want is to stress out your new pet.

[QUOTE=Kaorte;1288101]
Ball pythons are normally head shy, you can't train them to not be head shy. They don't have any arms or legs to protect their heads and their heads are the most vulnerable part of their bodies.
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I dont know if this holds true with all snakes but when i got my boa petie he was very headshy. After many handling sessions i am now able to gently rub his head without a swift retraction. So I will have to politley disagree with you on this matter. :)

[QUOTE=OzarkMountainBalls;1288113]

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

Ball pythons are normally head shy, you can't train them to not be head shy. They don't have any arms or legs to protect their heads and their heads are the most vulnerable part of their bodies.
QUOTE]


I dont know if this holds true with all snakes but when i got my boa petie he was very headshy. After many handling sessions i am now able to gently rub his head without a swift retraction. So I will have to politley disagree with you on this matter. :)

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My snakes are generally comfortable with ME touching their heads because they don't read me as a threat anymore. If I hand a snake to my friend and they try to touch its head, it recoils.

I wouldn't put a cat or dog with my ball pythons. It's just too risky. What happens if the dog/cat is in a playful mood and tries to nip/bat at the BP? Of course the BP is going to react, then soon you'll have a sticky situation where you need to decide which course of action is going to hurt whatever pet the least.

You're going to have this snake for ~20 years. You will gain it's trust, just give him time to settle in and get used to some things.

I know the love and adornment that comes when one first acquires a snake -:P but as many have said, it really does take time and trust for them to become more secure and less head shy.

I agree 100% with the person who said that some snakes can become less head shy. That is true; I have personally experienced this with my 17 year old BP Nico. However, as a general rule, I would not attempt to blend the lives of two species of animals that would not naturally coexist in nature – e.g. reptiles and our furry companions.

I just think that a good understanding of snakes and companion animals will dictate that some pets should not intermingle. We have a reptile house, and no fur is allowed, so for us, this is not a quandarie that we would find ourselves in:banana:.

I do have one snake i have trained not to be head shy. She is an educational animal and my personal pet.

but as far as reptiles and cats.. my cats NEVER interact with my herps. its for everyones safety.

Nope. I don't allow my dog in the snake room or too close to the snakes if they are out. There's no point, and neither snakes nor dog would benefit from it. I also don't completely trust either party to be safe and friendly.

I had one of the snakes at the vet's office one time. My son wanted to hold her in the waiting room and that was fine- we were the only ones there except for one lady who had no pet with her. Then the lady's family comes in with a big dog and they just drop the leash to let the dog run around to come say hi. Of course the dog runs straight for my five year old holding a snake around his neck... I jumped up to keep the dog away from the snake and the dog's owner just goes "Oh, no, she's ok! She's very friendly!" Riiiighhttt...I don't care HOW friendly your dog is, the snake doesn't appreciate its company!

Sorry, that wasn't a completely topical anecdote. This topic just made me think of it and it made me angry all over again! lol

I agree with all of the above, but I do "trust" one of my dogs with my snakes (well, the older two BPs). She thinks everything is her baby since we fostered kittens a few years back, and she just lays down and lets anything crawl on her. I'd never leave them alone obviously, and I don't go out of my way to introduce them, but yeah, sometimes we're just all hanging out on my bed :D My little dog however, would probably eat them if she got the chance (part terrier, she wants to eat everything :rolleyes:) in most cases, not a good idea. And to the story above, I wouldn't ever just let my dog run at someone else's pet. Sure, she's friendly, but how do you know the other person's pet is? Sheesh.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

um well... I really see no reason for a ball python to get along with a cat.. They are never going to be "friends" because ball pythons are not social animals. I can understand bringing the snake out to interact with your human family but the cat? I would consider putting a snake and a cat together a dangerous situation for both of them. Cats bite, snakes bite.

I would say this is probably the LEAST important part of owning a pet. Your ball python should not be interacting with any other animals. If they don't interact, then they can never stress each other out. It would be INCREDIBLY stressful to be in the snakes position while a giant cat is staring at you, don't you think?

Ball pythons are normally head shy, you can't train them to not be head shy. They don't have any arms or legs to protect their heads and their heads are the most vulnerable part of their bodies.

I think you need to slow down and give this animal some space. I don't handle any of my new snakes for 2 weeks after I get them to allow them to adjust to their new home. Handling him and putting him on top of cats is not going to make him more comfortable, it is going to stress him out.

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[QUOTE=Kaorte;1288122]

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Originally Posted by OzarkMountainBalls

My snakes are generally comfortable with ME touching their heads because they don't read me as a threat anymore. If I hand a snake to my friend and they try to touch its head, it recoils.

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Fair enough. I havent had alot of people handling my snakes so i wouldent notice that!! Point well taken.

I have a cat and a dog and I don't allow them to get near my snakes. My cat often tries to sneak into the snake room to take a gander at the snakes but I never leave him back there unattended. I really don't think my snakes want any interaction with my cat or dog.

Here's a good reason not to let cats and snakes mingle. See the 3 dots on the lower part of his body? Those are bite marks from when he escaped his cage and one of my cats found him.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...e&id=785733059

Of my 6 cats, there are 3 that I might could trust to not harm my snakes. But they're still cats, they all view snakes as potential prey and something to play with, kill and eat. The outside of their tanks is the closest any of the cats are going to get to my snakes.

I forgot to tell you the cat Alexander sat on. Is 13 years old and drools on himself.

I feel making your fur family avoid contact with your reptile family is a mistake. I have all sorts of different animals and they all get along fine.They grew up with each other for the most part and despite some being the predator of another with safety precautions in force, there is generally no problems. Mean I am hardly going to let the ferrets, who are free range might I add, play with the guinea pigs. Alexander needs to learn not to be nervous around his new family. Remember a calm snake is a happy snake. He will never be allowed to roam or interact with anyone with out close supervision......As for everyone else...They could care less he's just something else mommy drug in.

Whats wrong with just letting the humans interact with the reptiles?

Putting the snake with a cat or any other animal is not going to make it calm. It is going to make it stressed. Your best bet would be to do short 15 minute handling sessions for the first couple months so the snake gets used to you and doesn't register you as a threat. After a while, the snake will be comfortable being out and will most likely ignore any other animal in the room.

I really don't understand why you think putting a cat with a snake is beneficial to either party. You are just putting them both in danger.

Everyone's situation is different, and everyone has different ways of relating to their animals. And all the animals are different, too.

When I was a kid, we had a cat who was a great hunter, and we had a really cool parakeet who was very sociable. Those two eventually became friends...or at least able to interact together without hurting each other. It was really cool and fun. But would I recommend that everyone who has cats and birds teach them to "be friends"? Nah. That was a special time with special animals. I wouldn't expect every family with cats and birds to be able to do that...or even think they should to want to do that.

The OP has their own unique way of interacting with their animals, and I think that's very cool. While I don't think she'll get very many folks on this site relating to her situation, I can certainly understand and respect her own way of doing things. Just because someone doesn't do things MY way doesn't mean they aren't taking good care of their animals.

I'm always trying to get my BPs to be friends with the rats I bring home. I go through ALOT of pet rats though...

On a more serious note, I keep my snakes and my other animals very seperate, but the other animals are fine with eachother. The biggest reason is that my dogs weigh 3lbs and 4lbs, so there literally is a possibility the snakes might kill them. Obviously that could never happen while I was around, but on the off chance someone escapes I'd rather the dogs run away from them than go say "Oh hey buuuuddy...."

Social animals can definately get along with social animals of different species... Ie. the cat/bird example... But I think that antisocial animals are best kept solo.

I view pet ownership as a responsibility one undertakes to care for another creature that did not ask to live with us. The personal reasons we may have for wanting to adopt this responsibility are subjective, but I believe providing the optimal care for them is not.

Prior to getting my BP I did a lot of research into their care needs, paying special attention on how to keep them comfortable. Aside from using this information to properly set up his enclosure, I also accepted the fact that what I may perceive as a joy (such as frequent handling) would not be best for him. Simply put, I accept him for what he is, as he is, and I do my best to live in harmony with those needs while enjoying his company. I look forward to doing so for another 30 years! :)

While I understand your desire to familiarize your pets with one another, and for some species it is a great idea, I would urge you to consider some of the inherent instinctual needs of the ball python. As others have pointed out, exposure to animals that are his natural predators (even if you know them to be docile) will cause stress that can manifest in unpleasant ways, such as health conditions. There is also the potential for illness/bacteria to spread from the snake to your mammal-pets, such as salmonella.

I have no doubt that you love the new addition to your family, and I always love to hear about dedicated pet owners, so please don’t perceive any of my comments as disparaging. I am simply offering what advice I can to help you and your new BP have a long and happy life together.

Thanks for sharing, and don’t forget to post picts in the pic forum! (We love to see pics!) :D

Well I think I tend to be over the top with pets. ALL of them....I even wrap my beardie in a blankey everynight and rock him to sleep....:rolleyes: We bring our snakes out just about everyday...except the 48 hours after they eat and whenever they are in shed. They get to "play" with each other but really they tend to do what they want to and go to their favorite places.

We do have 2 dogs....however we don't mix them. I don't think anything would happen but it just takes one time to seriously injure or kill the snakes. I would be concerned with the cat only due to they tend to play allot and when they play they use their claws...be it their front or back. That would be my only concern. Again....it only takes one time. My other concern is the snakes....one time when one of mine was on my leg....my hubby looked over and we swear she looked about ready to attack my dogs ear...lol. That would of been a ugly issue.

I also agree that eventually they will become less and less head shy....especially with age as well.

All in all it is your choice and you know your animals...just be careful...accidents happen.

Thanks JLC--My point is to desensitize him to seeing the others running in front of him or jumping on moms shoulders to leap off to an shelf etc or the puppies fussing around with each other...he's going to have his knickers in a knot every time he gets to come out and sit with mom. He's not going to be a playmate with of them. He is now VERY relaxed around everyone. No defensive stances or trying to run off and he's never even balled up in a knot cause he's afraid. This was accomplished in a weeks time....But them mom isn't a nervous sort and I'm sure he feeds off this as well.

Just remember, these animals are nothing like mammals. They do not get used to things like dogs. They don't go through training, and they don't get used to things easier when they're younger. Except maybe f/t, but I think that would depend on what kind of eater you have. They don't consider you part of their family, because snakes don't have family.

I think the cat that is 13 years old and drools is still a cat, and still has feral instinct. You never know when it will kick in.

Hmmm, I haven't "trained" or desensitized any of mine - and I have a dog and two cats.

All of mine are pretty laid back in the presence of the cats and the dog, and don't have their knickers in a knot either - without training them or rubbing them on the dog or cats.

I have tried to get them to be friendly to my pet rats but they keep eating them.......:(

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Originally Posted by unspecified42

"Oh, no, she's ok! She's very friendly!"

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I hate that line. No lady, it's been very friendly so far.

With all the animals I deal or have delt with - horses, goats, cows, chickens, dogs, cats, sugar gliders, hamsters..whatever, my response is always "it hasn't bitten yet." I still have to wear gloves with new Mr. Snake, he doesn't fall under that category.

I have 4 cats and a small dog. None of them come in contact with my snakes at any time. When my snakes used to be in my room, the cats left them alone for the most part. On occasion, a cat would sit and stare at a snake, but the snake just went about her business and never paid any attention to the cat.

I don't see a point in "socializing" a reptile (other than a lizard) with another animal. If you want to, that's fine, but I just doing see a point to it. A snake will become calmer being handled in general, not because you are "exposing" it to the other critters. My dog is especially not allowed in the animal room because I think, if given the chance, he would develop hunting behavior.

In a nutshell, I only socialize animals that need to be, like my dog, cats, and ferrets. They only socialize with each other. All other animals are in the animal room and are kept away from the others.