How does your family/friends react to your pets?

[Pandora]

My boyfriend is the secondary caregiver to Pandora. He helps me with almost everything that needs to be done even though I end up doing most of the work

Dad is indifferent, doesn't mind snakes but doesn't really pay much attention to it either. On the other hand, my mom is deathly terrified of snakes which is why I always leave Pandora and everything to do with her in my room, I warn my mom when I have her out and she always peaks in to make sure she's not exploring before she comes into my room. I just purchased in a mini fridge for my room so that my mom doesn't have to deal with frozen rats in her room. We both kind of compromised when I got miss snake.

My brother in law loves Pandora and handles her/watches me feed whenever he comes over, where as my sister will handle her for a bit but has no interest in feeding or anything like that. A bunch of my friends are also very interested in her where as some are scared.

Overall, I'd say I have it pretty good

[Seneschal]

My mother was the one who got me my first snake (despite disliking them originally) and now even likes them; she holds them, talks to them, and pets them. My dad is fine with them so long as they don't touch him--and in the entire time I've had snakes, he has never once touched one of them. My brother is mostly indifferent; he likes them well enough, but doesn't want one (but that's generally how he is about everything except video games). My sister is terrified.

My maternal grandparents put up with them, my paternal grandparents are terrified of them, and the extended family is either fascinated or terrified.

My friends mostly like them, and a lot of them will fight over who gets to hold which snake when they're over. XDD

[AaronP]

My mom has always liked snakes, my dad doesn't care.

[wendy]

i love the squirmy people!! the reactions when they come in and you are just chillin with your snake on your arm, they stand there or sit down for a few. then when they finally see it, they have a friggen heart attack! yeah baby!!

[envy_ld50]

My mom who lives 1,200 miles away wishes I would sell all 35 of them.

[HypoPita]

Well, here's an example. I got accepted to a great school in the city, and it will cost me almost nothing to go there, tuition-wise. My aunt, uncle and two cousins invited me to come live with them because they are only 5 blocks away from the school. My aunt knows that I have snakes, but for some reason, didn't expect them to come with. She flipped and refuses to have them in her house. ....sooooo.... now I have no where to live..and I doubt I can afford an apartment. If I take on a job to help with the apartment, my grades will drop and Ill lose the 20k a year that I am getting off of school for my grades - and I won't be able to go. (I'm pre-med. Slightly difficult to keep up grades, all by itself) Hopefully I can get a good loan on an apartment...or everything is now messed up because my snakes are going to eat her in the night... *sigh*


....and I start school Monday....

[Louie1]

Well, here's an example. I got accepted to a great school in the city, and it will cost me almost nothing to go there, tuition-wise. My aunt, uncle and two cousins invited me to come live with them because they are only 5 blocks away from the school. My aunt knows that I have snakes, but for some reason, didn't expect them to come with. She flipped and refuses to have them in her house. ....sooooo.... now I have no where to live..and I doubt I can afford an apartment. If I take on a job to help with the apartment, my grades will drop and Ill lose the 20k a year that I am getting off of school for my grades - and I won't be able to go. (I'm pre-med. Slightly difficult to keep up grades, all by itself) Hopefully I can get a good loan on an apartment...or everything is now messed up because my snakes are going to eat her in the night... *sigh*


....and I start school Monday....

I hate to say it but... ...I would sell what I have and move in with the aunt. School is nothing to mess up. After school you'll have plenty of time and opportunity to get want you want. Sometimes sacrifice now is best for your future. Just my .02 cents

[Bruce Whitehead]

My partner likes the snakes and does not mind them, he isn't as passionate about them as me, but can tolerate getting defecated on without flying into hysterics, I cannot really ask for much more than that.

My family is relatively indifferent, they are neither scared nor into them. They like the breeding aspect (I come from a long line of animal breeders) so we can talk genetics, temperment, etc.

Most of my friends aren't that involved with them, and I am OK with that. I do not really like having a bunch of people in the snake room, and I do not like strangers handling my animals.

a) I do not know what they may or may not bring in
b) I do not want to be responsible should they get bit or have a bad experience
c) most people cannot sit through "snakes 101" so they lose interest (I do not let my animals get handled unless I think the person can anticipate the animal's body language and they can respect the animal and know how to interact with it)

The two that show the most interest are my 6 and 9 year old nieces, they come through the door and the first thing they want to know is "ou est les pythones?"... they are always in the snake room hanging out.

I have one or two that are great lap snakes, so if people are interested I will bring them out to visit if everything is calm and cohesive.

If not... I just say "oh they just ate... are going into shed... are locked... are sleeping (my favorite)" and interest dissipitates pretty quickly.

Bruce

[llovelace]

My mother is terrified of them, but she let us have them as pets when we were growing up, kudos to her.

My brother absolutely loves them!

My son thinks they are cool, I've exposed him to all kinds of animals in his 21 yrs.

My roomates 14 y/o daughter wanted a ball but her dad said no he didn't want her to get a snake, so I sat him down and explained things to him, the pro's & cons, he gave it some thought for a few minutes and agreed with me. she's had her 08 pastel for a month now.

My friends 5 y/o son is here every feeding day to watch, and make playdough

I'm working hard at staying single, so no significant other to worry about.

My roomates girl friend is terrified os snakes and spiders, I don't like her anyway (thinking about getting some T's to keep on the kitchen counter)

[snakewrangler]

My immediate family thinks I am insane for having 40+ herps (19 of which are snakes) and prefer not to hear about or see them.

My live-in girlfriend's family thinks of my hobby as a curiousity, and I've been asked several times to let relatives "see" my collection.

In general, when I meet people socially or at work, I make absolutely no mention of any of it. People don't understand, nor do they have any desire to learn.