Silly People

[claireree]

well I get it all the time "why do you want snakes", but once you get used to them they are great. And other people that just wont come in the house if they know you have snakes, but to be honest my are all in viv and hide 90% of the time so dont even know they are there.

But I am also one of those people with silly questions as 2 of my python hatchlings (about 9 months old) have just escaped and my other half and me were wondering if they might try and attack my kitten,

[frankykeno]

Yea I am called crazy for owning reptiles in general
I think the number one question I get from people when I show them my snakes are

DO THEY BITE?

The truth is...YES They do....but ball pythons are docile so they do not choose to bite, they ball up, hence the name ball python
But I don't tell them that. I just tell them "No, they are called ball pythons because when threatened they ball up into a ball."

When I get asked that (and it's likely the 2nd most popular question I do get asked) I always respond that anything with teeth can and will bite. I also inform people quite truthfully that I've been bit more often when nursing my own babies or by a teething toddler than I have ever been bitten by any of our 40 snakes. That tends to make people, especially other women, laugh and understand my point a bit better.

[Lolo76]

2) Do they try to eat your (forty pound) dog??

That one always cracks me up! I have a 42lb dog, and people have asked if I'm worried they'll eat him - LOL.

Then there's my best friend who has two tiny Malti-Poo dogs, and refuses to bring them over since I got the snakes. She's afraid they'll be eaten, even after I explained how BPs can't eat anything bigger than a rat... not to mention, mine are secured in cages and very well-fed. Oy vey.

[Swingline0.0.1]

My mother in law will not step foot in my house. Oh darn!

[Lolo76]

I also inform people quite truthfully that I've been bit more often when nursing my own babies or by a teething toddler than I have ever been bitten by any of our 40 snakes. That tends to make people, especially other women, laugh and understand my point a bit better.

That's a good one! My cats have bitten me more times than I could count, but I have yet to be bitten by a snake... too bad people can't see logic, and get caught up in the stigma and lies.

[Lolo76]

My mother in law will not step foot in my house. Oh darn!

I'm sure that breaks you up tremendously.....

[Lolo76]

well I get it all the time "why do you want snakes"

That's probably what I hear most often, especially from my mother! She isn't afraid of them, and even held Delilah for a few seconds recently... but she keeps asking me "Why snakes? What's the appeal of a pet you can't cuddle with?" She's only ever owned cats, so just doesn't get the concept of exotic pets.

[Elise.m]

My interest in snakes all started out as a joke. My boyfriend is allergic to anything that has fur, and we were in Petco once and he jokingly said "Well I'm not allergic to snakes, we should get a ball python!" we laughed about it, then I got to thinking, well if it's the only sort of pet I can get... why not? Of course two months later, we're still setting up our first tank, and we plan on getting a bunch of snakes! We haven't even gotten one and we're hooked.

So, anytime when people ask me "Why a snake?" the answer is simple: Boyfriend is allergic to everything else!

[Patricia]

Yep I look like your typical older mom type, yep I to the horror of my daughters tend to wear high waisted "mom" jeans, yep I've been known to drive a mini-van full of stinky hockey equipment and yep I do spend a lot of my time yelling "if I have to pull this car over.....!" oh and I'm an elementary school library lady.

OMG, other than hockey equipment, you sound just like me, even down to the elementary school libary lady, ROFL!!!

Why are people who have never touched or been near a snake scared of snakes???

It's been nearly 40 years after falling in love with snakes when I finally got one. I still can hardly believe it! Alas, only the day after we brought it home, that story broke in the news about the python that had killed a 2yo girl in Florida, I think it was. Over in another forum I frequent was a most hateful thread about "the only good snake is a dead one." Of course, others chimed in their agreement. A few of us spoke up, but the person was so adamant, to the point of purposely continuing to spew hate. I was still in that glow of thrill and disbelief that I finally had my own snake (instead of only touching other people's), so that REALLY burst my bubble. Thankfully, that same day (last Wednesday) I found this forum. Amen!

The week prior, when we were still looking, I showed my co-worker the Craigslist ad of the BP we wanted, and she was stunned. "Why do you want a snake? They're just cold-blooded killers. They don't know any better." <--her actual words

Since then, even though we happily chat about most everything under the sun, I haven't told her that I finally brought one home, and don't plan to tell anyone else. It's hard when you have to shut up about something that makes me so happy.

So again, amen for this forum!

[TheOtherLeadingBrand]

That is sad! Don't hide your snake love. We ARE out there, and we can help educate people- "I've had twenty snakes with my newborn for three and a half months... and life is good"