I'm addicted, and the hubby is not.

Okay so I just bought my first BP a little over two weeks ago, and I'm already saving up for a second one lol. I have one male pastel already, and now I'm saving for a male piedball! I first saw them on the NERD website and fell in love, they're so awesome looking. The problem though is getting my husband to say yes. He's getting better with Dante (my pastel) but he still makes me take him out of the tank and when he wants to hold him. Yesterday, Dante "yawned" while my husband was holding him and he got a little freaked thinking he was going to get bit. I explained it was normal and not a sign of aggresion, but it's been a slow process. So do you guys have any tips for getting my hubby to be a little more okay with snakes?

Tell him hes a wuss and make him feel insecure about his masculinity!
Just kidding Thats a terrible idea.


My mother was so terrified of snakes that she would cover her face to try and hide, until I went off to college and got my own ball python. She then was able to watch me confidently handle it and hear me talk about snakes with my other family members and she slowly got used to it. She even was able to pet it once.

I feel as long as you take things slow with your Hubby, he will begin to appreciate your addiction (mabye not fully understand).
Im sure he will let you get another snake if thats what makes you happy.

Divorce him lol j/k :banana:

would you marry me?.lolz!.

Just don't force it. Let him become comfortable in his own time. My BF is not a big snake fan, never has been. He doesn't dislike them, and he has no desire to hold any of mine (I've got around 50 of them), but he doesn't complain about them, and I don't have to consult him when I add more (we live together).

He does, however LOVE going to the reptile shows, because he loves the friends we have made through the hobby. He's the one always asking "when's the next reptile show? Where is it going to be?". We're already planning to go to Tinley in October with three other couples, renting a big passenger van to drive up there together.

It really doesn't matter to me that Karl isn't into the snakes like I am. They are my hobby and my passion, he has his own interests and hobbies that I'm not as into. It works for us.

You may not love his golfing addiction or motorcycles or whaterever his hobby is, and that what makes him him. Loving snakes is what makes you you. Like others have said, take it slow, save your money, and buy one every once in a while. You shouldnt have to ask him for permission (depending on your financial situation), but it is nice to let him know when you are going to buy one (especially if he is going to be the one at home to sign for the package :))

hey i feel for ya, i do.
my bf isnt crazy about my snake but he tolerates her. i'd dare to even say he MIGHT be gaining a little curiosity cuz he's watched a little bit of a couple feedings (live, mind you) and watched my girl shedding out just recently. our kids have even handled the snake (VERY closely supervised by me of course) and he's even helped our son hold her by holding his hands together and keeping him still.
he know's i want 2 more bp's (and possibly a nicaraguan boa) & at first he was just saying no more snakes. i've mentioned the other 2 bp morphs i want (pumpkin piebald & either a GHI mojave or a GHI lesser) and recently i havent been getting any flat out :colbert:'s.
he knows that if i want something bad enough i'll find a way to get it. i've used that "you have some hobbies that i dont much care for but i dont tell you you cant do them, do i?" on him and he's been unable to come up with any kind of comeback for that cuz he knows i'm right. ;)
it's girl power i'm telling you, haha.
we may not win every battle but you bet your sweet butt we'll win a war or two. :D
anywayz, good luck with your plans for a pied. :gj:

I agree only time and experence will make him feel better about it. Don't push it, and I bet in no time he'll be picking out ones he wants to get :D

Time will fix it...I wanted to get back into snakes for years and my wife kept on with the no snakes in the house routine. Guess who got me my first one after years of not having any? She came home one day and said "Come on lets go and get your early Xmas present." I say "Can't it wait til Xmas?" Anyway she adopted a nice male normal for me that someone did not want any longer. Went to her first show awhile back and guess what we came home with. Needless to say she is right in the big middle of it all now...

Rabernet is right, don't force it. My wife hated snakes when I got my first ball ( the other week as well!) Now she is starting to get interested. She wont hold her yet, but yesterday she touched her! If you don't push it and try to understand his fears and help him through it he should start warming up. Just don't get frustrated if it takes a while. Some people are just deathly afraid of snakes no matter what kind.

Your husband, like the snake, needs time to acclimate to the new surroundings. You could try leaving him alone for a week with no handling, then offer a meal... :8::rofl:

The fact that he is scared of snakes but is trying to hold yours says volumes about his character. Snake fears are pretty common, and the only thing to do is to do your best to show him as much of the good stuff about herpetoculture as you can in a fun setting where he can feel safe.

Reptile shows are a great thing to hit up. My gf didn't (and still doesn't REALLY) like big snakes, but after starting her out with small snakes and colorful stuff like panther chameleons, she came back from the last show saying "I could have held that 8ft reticulated python".

It sounds like he's pretty willing to try and get used to them . I agree that waiting might be the best idea. If he doesn't mind holding the snake, its only a matter of time before he learns the difference between a yawn and a threat. He just needs a little more time to build confidence. :)

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I agree with time he will come around. my wife dont like snakes but she is getting used to them i put my male on the bed with her while i was cleaning out his cage and she watched him closely but she was fine with it as long as it didnt move or touch her. now my 5 year old daughter is the opposite from her she loves them she told me when i got my female the other day that she was her snake.:D

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Originally Posted by psychophobia

would you marry me?.lolz!.

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LOL :laughing: sorry but I'm already taken :)

Thanks to everybody else though, this has been a great help! :D He is curious, so I'm hoping that will continue to develop into love and addiction as well, or at least enough so I can get another one. :gj:

My husband from day one told me NO SNAKES!! I'd ask every few months if we could get one and it was always a big "NO!"
When we got taxes back this year we went into the exotic pet store to look into getting salt water fish. They have ball pythons I was holding one as my husband and son looked at the fish and the price to convert our tank to a salt water talk.
It was less expensive to get the snake and everything we needed than to convert the tank for salt water fish ... then we would have had to get the fish.

He said reluctantly that I could get the snake. Of course I freaked out and did a happy dance. The store owner told us that we couldn't leave until my husband held it (joking around) and my husband took him seriously haha. He held the snake cautiously then gave it back to me.
When we got home and I had held our new ball after the week of adjustment ... my husband started to warm up to him.
Well, now we have two. And are getting a third tomorrow. Plus he's looking into morphs that he wants and planning to convert our laundry room into a snake room haha.

I think he'll warm up.

My fiance Blake isn't terribly interested in snakes. I don't think he has taken any of the snakes out of the tub. He has held one or two of them a couple times, but I never push him to do it. It's my hobby, not his, so he really doesn't have a reason to hold them. I took him to the Tinley (Chicago) show this past year and he realized where my interest in BPs spawned from. Since the show he has become mildly interested in ball pythons, but still leaves the hobby to me.

My advice is to give it time and take your hubby to a reptile show. It's been about three years since I got my first BP and it took until October for Blake to become the slightest bit interested ;)

About 8 years ago before my wife and I got married, we had a small normal, and she wasn't scared of it or anything, but one day we made a trip to the pet store to buy some mice to feed him, and somewhere along the way she had touched the mouse, when we got home we had 'Maynard'(I named him after the singer of Tool) out letting him crawl around, and needless to say he smelled mouse on her hand, and struck at her, ever since then my wife has been real cautious about them, we had to give him away a few months after that, because we had to live with her parents to help take care of her grandmother, and about 2-3 months ago I told her I wanted another ball python and she said no, but she gave in, and I ended up getting 2, and I'm about to get a third one, in about a week or so. Anyway's, my wife is coming around, and she's getting back used to having a snake or two around, and she's back to holding them, and helping me take care of them like she used to, so just give him time, and before long he'll probably be picking out ones that he wants:D

Hi. I know how you feel 100%. My boyfriend was against the idea of me getting a snake at first and always told me that it seems like I am never happy but he has grown to like the pastel I bought last year. If you want another snake, then get one. I just purchased a new spider without my boyfriend's "permission" because he was going to be against the idea. Your hubby will eventually warm up to the idea and won't hold it against you...even if he seems upset at first. Just go for it if that is what you want and what makes you happy. :)

I would caution against buying expensive morphs if you can't afford them. However, if bills are paid and you are able to save your own money for it without having to cut into his or your shared finances, then technically, you can do what you want! I recommend waiting until you have all the money so you don't have to do a payment plan and don't go too overboard. My bf didn't understand my Morph obsession and still doesn't, but he thinks my snakes are cute and has adopted a lost kingsnake a neighbor found in their backyard. (We're pretty sure he was a pet, he's a Sonoran desert king and we are on the Oregon border, ha ha...)

Sometimes husbands/boyfriends/friends get addicted as bad you you, sometimes they don't. As long as you have your snakes and he can have his own things I'd say that's a pretty good way to work it out! I have an adversive hatred of video games because of an obsessed ex, don't make him feel like the snakes are more important and I'm sure he'll come around! Besides, waiting only makes the morphs more affordable!!!! XD

My boyfriend was hesitant about my first bp, who is no more then 100 grams right now haha. Anyway, once I started handling him the week after he came home with us, Eric(boyfriend) started to hang out with Boomerang and even began taking him out on his own. We recently got a male pastel who is much larger Eric is itching to get him of of his tank(still leaving him alone for a week). The only problem he has now is that he's worried the snakes will take over his bike room, haha :rofl: