Confessions of a Pet-A-holic

[cornball252]

Man I love all my pets If any of them died I would prolly cry. =(

Just look at my sig!

[mainbutter]

I think we all feel the pull of the 'pet collecting' addiction.

I resisted the urge to pick up what would have been a great craigslist pickup, because I just don't need more herps. It'd tighten my budget and I have no room for more.

I'm getting a dog, because really I just need a friend and companion to come home to, and calling it good.

[Eventide]

Thank you for going ahead and pressing that Post button! This is something that I am somewhat worried about, myself, and it's good to hear about what could happen if I let it continue. I would cry if I had to give up any of my animals; I need to keep that in mind so I don't go too overboard!

Again, thanks for baring all to help others!

[recycling goddess]

Thank you for going ahead and pressing that Post button! This is something that I am somewhat worried about, myself, and it's good to hear about what could happen if I let it continue. I would cry if I had to give up any of my animals; I need to keep that in mind so I don't go too overboard!

Again, thanks for baring all to help others!

isn't that the point though... for all of us to remember...

[Gooseman]

isn't that the point though... for all of us to remember...

This is very true, this very post in reference was the underlying reason I felt I had to share. Not to toot my my own horn, but back when I was a regular here it seemed as though I had a great deal of friends, and when I meandered out of the off-topic section, on occasion someone would listen to my advice, and so far this thread has been the most valuable I feel. If one person has taken this to heart, it was worth it!

[ssballow]

I can relate with the addiction to hobbies. I quickly got lost in the gun collecting addiction and ran up credit cards and spent all of my time at the range. I almost lost my marriage! I enjoy the BP and the forum, but I am being very frugal in this hobby. I plan on getting a Boa, but I don't want to go crazy getting morphs. I really enjoy handling the snake and my daughter and students really love it. I have to keep things in perspective, however. I can see how I could let all of this run away with me. Great thread

[Simpson Balls]

Welcome back, And nice story to hear that can help people in near future

Daniel

[adam_degel]

dont feel stupid for posting.. its great that you've overcome your habit and your strong enough to give it another chance.. thats life, its constantly teaching you.. unfortunately it always seems to teach people the hard way.. but i guess its just trying to build character in people.. some cant handle it and break down.. but y'all have to understand that its not worth it to break down cause something crappy is just going to happen again.. roll with the punches and be happy you have your health and your family! good luck mate

p.s. i got hit with the bug about a year ago and if it wasn't for my wifey i would have maxed out my credit card on all kinds of morphs! lol.. but i found composure and am working with only a few girls and instead of buying more i'm going to produce my own! and in the meantime i'm going to gain as much knowledge and prepare a husbandry that can meet every standard of living for as many snakes that come out of my girls! dont limit yourself to just ONE reptile.. maybe just focus on breeding just ONE kind of reptile.. cheers

[Hollydominique]

I had an interest in herps from a young age but wasnt allowed, as parents thought they were all difficult to keep and that my cat may munch on them! Its only in the last couple of years Ive aquired 3 leos and a rescue bp (who I all love to bits) but in the future I do hope to add a couple more beautiful herps. However I do have to remind myself to wait even if I can afford the time and money now. Its easy to become overwhelmed, and like you said I wouldnt want optimal care and attention to become part of a 'must do' list because Ive acquired so many. Still, I find it a battle of wills against myself sometimes!

Im so sorry to hear about snape, yet Its a really good thing you had the courage to post not only to help heal yourself from the experience, but as already said 'to remind us all'. Good luck

[angllady2]

I too am glad you posted your story. I'm new here myself, so I didn't know you before, but I can certainly relate to your story.

I've always loved cats. When my husband and I moved in together, we had just one. Over time we got another, just a little stray my daughter loved. But then we got a bigger place, and it was so easy to say, "We have room for one more." Then another, then another, then this one had kittens, then we found a stray who had kittens. At one point I'm ashamed to say, we had about 30 cats and kittens, plus a dog, and birds, and three kids. It was a nightmare!

Like you, it was hard to let go, but I asked myself, what kind of life could I possibly provide so many? The kittens were easiest of course, everyone wants a kitten. The older cats were harder, but we persevered. Eventually, we got down to only 8.

Of course, most people would react by saying" Only 8?!?" But for us we thought it was fine. But time went on and outside things interfered, and again I found myself asking, "Is this too much?"

So we made some more tough choices and got down to 6. And believe me letting "my babies" go was very hard to do. Then we decided to take it one step further and we found homes for most of our extensive bird collection, which numbered around 50 at one point.

Even though the decision was hard, it's one I'm glad we made. taking proper care of so many animals was impossible, no matter how I wanted to deny that fact. Granted, most people still consider us to have a zoo, but for me things are much easier.

Now, all I have to do is learn from your example and not go overboard with my newest addiction, BP's.

Thanks again for your post, and know that you aren't alone in this.

Gale