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  1. #1
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Katie: Reptile Convert and Love of My Life - Post about converts you know!

    Many of you know about Katie. She's my fiancé since (9-21-17) and we have been living together for a year this July. We will have been together 2 years 6-21-18!

    Without so many words, Katie is the love of my life and the best partner I could ever ask for. Neither of us are perfect people (who is), but we really are perfect for each other.

    Now, we volunteer together, cook together, watch similar shows (except sports - I love sports and Katie could care less), both love dogs (hence having 5! Two from me and 3 from her), and enjoy many similar things. However, when it comes to hobbies, not so much!

    I have reptiles. Katie had never touched one until she met me.

    I race cars and have a proper sports car; The Beast. Katie likes trucks and doesn't understand why I would want to drive a stick shift and go fast.

    I collect rare Whiskey and Katie virtually never drinks. I smoke cigars, she has asthma.

    Katie paints and writes. I write for work and on forums (like this one), but Katie does it for fun. Regarding painting, unless it's Painting with a Twist - where I get to drink and paint - no thanks. I am hardly artistic or creative.

    Regardless, we make it work, and work well and with lots of love!

    Now, back to the reptiles.

    Katie's parents are terrified of them and Katie, although hardly afraid, had never met or touched one until she met me.

    Since then, I acquired Frank the BTS, moved into her house (agreed on together - she could have moved into mine, where I had a reptile room, but logistically this made more sense although there were some compromises), and after I moved in, also acquired Behira (a female BCI). I did take up 1/3 of our finished basement initially with tanks, which wasn't great for anyone, but then upgraded to a Boaphile stack (6X2' and 6 FT high - 4 6X2 tanks and 1 6X2 split into 2 3X2's because one of the geckos decided to become aggressive after 5 years!). The boaphile stack takes up about 1/8 of the basement, so we have a lot more room now.

    Initially Katie wasn't crazy about any of them. Then, she liked Frank. Then she liked Frank a lot. Then she liked Shayna (the BP), then Figment (the Corn), then the Geckos. However, she would not watch the geckos eat. She hates bugs.

    Then Behira came and Katie was cool with her. Then she nailed me with a feeding response and Katie didn't like her anymore and potentially wanted to get rid of her. Then I hook trained Behira and now they are best buddies.

    Now, she will even watch the geckos eat!

    This week, she asked if she could help feed Figment!

    Tonight she watched me feed Behira and Shayna, and, wait for it....FED FIGMENT ALL BY HERSELF!

    She hasn't watched them eat in months. The first time I fed Behira was the last time she watched them eat.

    It was really funny.

    I opened the tank door just a touch after putting the thawed mouse on her tongs. She stuck it in and when Figment came over to grab it, she freaked/got scared, and dropped the mouse 2 inches onto the ground/his body.

    He could have cared less and grabbed it and gobbled it down.

    Katie was nervous she had hurt him by dropping the mouse and was upset. I told her, "Does he look hurt? He's too busy going nom nom nom to complain about it anyway!" He is, of course, fine. Katie was worried her fear caused her to drop the mouse and hurt Figgie. I told her he was fine and, "How many people are brave enough to feed a 5FT snake? You did great. You are a great Snarent!"

    She said she jumped when Figment grabbed the mouse and almost screamed when I fed Behira and she struck.

    Between us reptile friends, I still jump when I feed Behira! I told Katie that too. However, let's keep that on the down low! Hard to get used to your tongs getting hit by a freight train!

    She has grown so much with the reptiles and in trusting them and trusting me and my judgement with them.

    I am so happy and so proud of her.

    Pictures below for those that don't follow my other threads (and just in case she tells you they are MY reptiles, here is evidence to the contrary).

    POST about reptile converts you know and/or have converted!

    Me and Katie!



    Katie and the crew!










    One more of Katie and Me!


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  3. #2
    BPnet Veteran hilabeans's Avatar
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    True love if ever I saw it.

    1.0 Lesser Mojave Ball Python "Neptune"; 1.0 Western Hognose "Murray"

    Lizards:
    1.0 Bearded Dragon "Nigel"

    Tarantulas:
    0.1 G. Rosea "Charlotte"; 0.1 B. Albopilosum "Matilda"; 0.1 C. Versicolor "Bijou"; 1.0 B. Boehmei "Lightening McQueen"

    Inverts:
    1.0 Emperor Scorpion "Boba"

    Dog & Cats:

    1.0 Doberman Pinscher "Bulleit"; 1.0 Siamese Cat "Boudreaux"; 1.0 British Shorthair Cat "Oliver”


    Goats:
    "Hazelnut" & "Huckleberry"


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  5. #3
    BPnet Lifer zina10's Avatar
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    What a great love story !!

    What makes it even better is that it is REAL ! Katie sounds like a gem. I wish you two many, many happy years together
    Zina

    0.1 Super Emperor Pinstripe Ball Python "Sunny"
    0.1 Pastel Orange Dream Desert Ghost Ball Python "Luna"
    0.1 Pastel Desert Ghost Ball Python "Arjanam"
    0.1 Lemonblast Enchi Desert Ghost Ball Python "Aurora"
    0.1 Pastel Enchi Desert Ghost Ball Python "Venus"
    1.0 Pastel Butter Enchi Desert Ghost Ball Python "Sirius"
    1.0 Crested Gecko ( Rhacodactylus ciliatus) "Smeagol"

    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    - Antoine de Saint-ExupÈry

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  7. #4
    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Great back-story! The only thing better than keeping reptiles ourselves is helping others to understand & appreciate them too.
    Life would be so boring without our pets to surprise us, make us laugh or just try to figure them out.

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  9. #5
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Katie: Reptile Convert and Love of My Life - Post about converts you know!

    Quote Originally Posted by hilabeans View Post
    True love if ever I saw it.
    Quote Originally Posted by zina10 View Post
    What a great love story !!

    What makes it even better is that it is REAL ! Katie sounds like a gem. I wish you two many, many happy years together
    It is REAL! And it is true love! Doesn't make it perfect all the time, but it's about as close as we can imagine.

    That's what REAL TRUE LOVE is!

    Thank you for the kind comments!

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
    Great back-story! The only thing better than keeping reptiles ourselves is helping others to understand & appreciate them too.
    Life would be so boring without our pets to surprise us, make us laugh or just try to figure them out.

    Katie has embraced "our" reptiles about 30%, versus my 100%, if I had to quantify it. However, that is way more than I ever expected and that number seems to be growing.

    I love being able to share my love and joy of reptiles with her, and others.

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  11. #6
    BPnet Senior Member tttaylorrr's Avatar
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    Re: Katie: Reptile Convert and Love of My Life - Post about converts you know!

    i could read about you gushing over her almost regularly! ...almost!

    oh i tease. my parents are my converts, but they didn't get much choice. i moved back into their home with Yellow in late 2015, and well i now own 7 snakes. i pay my dues, i do what's expected, so they only get to complain about my pets. here's some pics of them complaining!




    a recent TV show they like to watch featured a kid bringing home a pet corn snake; the mom was actively freaking out and saying how it would kill the family. i then hear my mother go "that little thing?" it was an incredible moment of knowledge that i had passed down to them trumping normalized fears and IT WAS AWESOME!!!
    Last edited by tttaylorrr; 05-24-2018 at 11:22 PM.
    4.4 ball python
    1.0 Albino 0.1 Coral Glow 0.1 Super Cinnamon paradox 1.0 Piebald 0.1 Pastel Enchi Leopard het Piebald 1.0 Coral Glow het Piebald

    1.0 corn snake
    1.0 Hypo

    1.0 crested gecko
    0.1 ????

    0.1 cat
    0.1 Maine Coon mix

    0.1 human ✌︎

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  13. #7
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Katie: Reptile Convert and Love of My Life - Post about converts you know!

    Let's keep this thread going! Reptile converts - who and how?

    I wanted to write about another convert of mine, my mother.


    My mother used to be petrified of snakes. Literally couldn't even hear the word without freaking out!

    When I was ten years old, she became open to the idea of me having a pet snake as she realized a lot of her fear was based in anxiety and past experiences. She got the point where I was able to have a pet snake when I got older (but was still living in her house) and would happily hold and interact with calm snakes.

    She likes all my current pet reptiles. Figment, the corn, moves a little fast for her, but she still holds him, even though it makes her a little nervous. Shayna (the BP) and Behira are both super docile and, for the most part, slow moving, so she loves holding them. She doesn't mind the Leopard Geckos, but isn't crazy about Frank the BTS. She says he looks prehistoric and although he doesn't scare her, and she will pet him, she usually doesn't want to hold him.

    Now, my step-father says he's indifferent, and I got him to pet Behira for the first time yesterday, but I think he's scared too. He seems better every time he sees the snakes. Not sure he'll ever be excited about them though. My mom really enjoys them now.

    Anyway, here are some pictures of my mom with Behira from yesterday:

    [IMG][/IMG]

    [IMG][/IMG]

    [IMG][/IMG]


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  15. #8
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Katie: Reptile Convert and Love of My Life - Post about converts you know!

    Two more converts!

    Katie had foreign exchange students for years. Her biggest success is Ana. Ana is from Mexico and stayed with her 3 years ago when she was 15 to almost 16 years old. Ana is now almost 19 and came to visit us for two weeks, starting yesterday.

    Ana's best American friend, and Katie's adopted American exchange daughter, Claudia, came last night as well to stay through the weekend.

    Neither are fond of reptiles. Ana got chills every time I said snake, and Claudia scrunched her face and looked nervous.

    We talked about it last night and they looked at the tanks, but that was it.

    Today they let me take everyone out, but were only going to look, or maybe a quick touch. We got way beyond that! Claudia touched Cleo the Leopard Gecko and Figment the Corn, and held, that's right HELD, Frank (BTS), Shayna (BP), and Behira (2 year old BCI). Ana pet Frank, Shayna, and Behira! Big steps for one day!

    They asked a lot of good questions and seemed genuinely interested with the reptiles by the time we were done with the hour long show and tell and touch session.

    Here are some pictures of the reptiles and the new converts!

    [IMG][/IMG]

    [IMG][/IMG]

    [IMG][/IMG]

    [IMG][/IMG]

    [IMG][/IMG]

    [IMG][/IMG]

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  17. #9
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Katie: Reptile Convert and Love of My Life - Post about converts you know!

    Katie got me Solana (our baby Scaleless Sunglow Motley Corn Snake) for our anniversary last week. Well, she came last week, but we ordered her at the beginning of June.

    She is our last snake for a long time and Katie helped pick her out and also named her.

    Katie had been against getting another snake, but when she saw a picture of Solana, and heard how chill was already (at 1 1/2 months old), she said, "she's worth getting another snake for."

    Fast forward to our 2 year anniversary last week. Solana came and Katie could not wait to meet her. She has literally been gushing over her since and I had to beg for Katie to let her digest (she ate on Sunday - happily) for two days after eating and not to handle her (she did listen).

    I don't know how to explain it, but Solana has brought out the reptile momma in Katie. She adores her and is excited about watching her grow up and having her for a long time. I joked in Solana's thread, that she is Katie's therapy snake. Behira (BCI) is my therapy snake and Reptile Companion Animal (RCA), she always cheers me up.

    Katie had a rough day yesterday and literally a minute into holding Solana, she was smiling and laughing.

    Yesterday, Katie said to me, "I miss Behira, I haven't held her in a couple of weeks." What? Say again? Historically it's been a chore, unless Katie is unoccupied and in a perfect reptile mood, to get her to hold them when I clean their tanks (versus putting them in their holding containers, which are fine, but I've been trying to get Katie to interact with them more), or any time for that matter.

    Today, she held everyone......Snakes (4), geckos (held 2/3 - Kayla was not in a being held mood especially), and Frank (BTS). She truly seemed to enjoy interacting with all of them and everyone had a good time (well except for me - I was cleaning tanks!).

    This a vast departure from, "They are your reptiles," and, "I tolerate them." I know she didn't completely mean those statements, but there was some truth to them as well. Reptiles are my hobby and passion, and Katie was nice enough to let me move in with my two dogs and reptile crew, but although crazy about the pups, could take or leave the reptiles. They didn't add anything to her life like they do for me.

    I am very excited about how far Katie has come and how much Solana has gotten her to the next level. I don't want to jinx it, and I don't know if she'll ever be cleaning tanks or feeding (regularly anyway), but even if this as is far as she comes, it's pretty awesome.

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  19. #10
    BPnet Senior Member Skyrivers's Avatar
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    Re: Katie: Reptile Convert and Love of My Life - Post about converts you know!

    I love everything about this thread!

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