when doesa hobby become to large

[mechnut450]

I understand the poitn everyone says about when it becomes more of a job and when it effects the health of the person/ animal. The onyl reason I wantedto poll /post this is to prove to them that my 21( possible 23 ) be weekend ) snakes are only a small collection. I do plan on rehoming,relocating and plan get rid of some of the ones I gotten in a rescues over the years. I I am getting a little uncomofrtable wit hthe boa she seems to ( me ) be getting more of a temper ( might be casue I makinger her stay in the cage more and more.) I also not go the great interest in the corns or the leustic texas rat snakes i aquired over the last 2 years or so.

[Oxylepy]

It's based entirely on your ability to take care of them. Personally I think each individual snake is better off when you have a handful of snakes as you are more likely to care for them properly than to make their living conditions visually stimulating for you/friends. But when you let a mite infestation take over or when you ignore the signs of RI in one of your snakes, then you officially fail in your ability to take complete care of them.

The best part about reptiles is the fact that, for the most part, the conditions you set up take care of the animal for you, but if you're husbandry is bellow that of someone with thousands of snakes then you are failing your snakes.

All that aside, I don't think there is such a thing as too many, it's just at a certain point it stops being a hobby and starts being your job, and I think that point occurs around the same time that you have USARK on speed dial

[blackcrystal22]

With the reptile hobby I don't think there's a limit as long as you have proper care.

When it comes to cats and dogs.. it's unhealthy. For example, I know a woman with 23 cats. They make the house smell TERRIBLE and she cleans and changes the litter twice a day, but it still doesn't help. She doesn't fix them and they keep breeding.
That's where problems come to order.

[Oxylepy]

That's why I dislike mammals. They eat and go all the time, they have fur that gets on everything and they're just plain nasty. Friggin high energy demands.

[MasonC2K]

None of the answeres were correct from my POV. It's not about numbers. It's about money and time. A hobby is too large when it starts to strain your finances or to your personal life because of how much time you spend on it.

Also, any time you put your hobby above your family/friends it is too much.

[JLC]

I'd like to add something else that comes to mind...

When a person's hobby is collecting trinkets...sure, there's a point where it can become obsessive, but for the most part, they're just trinkets. They don't care if they sit on a shelf and collect dust...or get packed away in a box in the back of a closet because the hobbiest lost interest in that particular line of trinkets.

But these are animals. And anyone serious about taking care of animals needs to seriously consider the commitment involved in EACH and EVERY ONE of them that they choose to take in. As a group, we have a very bad tendency to go "Ooohhhh, that's neat...I WANT ONE!"....and then run out and buy one...with little-to-no-thought about the future consequences of that purchase.

I realize that sometimes a person will be sincere in their desire to care for a particular animal and after they've bought it and taken care of it for awhile, they discover that it's not really their cup of tea. I had that experience with our beardie. Great critters....but just not for me. I found mine a new home. BUT...no matter how cool I think some other bearded dragon is, or some other awesome (but high maintenance) lizard may be....I'm NOT going to add one to my collection.

But there are people out there who add and add and add to their collections....because it's their "hobby" and their "passion"....and really all they are doing is accumulating stuff without any conscious commitment to the individual animals involved...just that they see something they really like and figure that they gotta have it just because they like it.

A hobby involving live animals should be taken a lot more seriously than a hobby involving inanimate objects. Unfortunately, I see a lot of people treating one just like the other. (And if that isn't you, then I KNOW it's not you, and you don't have to tell me. Please don't assume I'm talking to you...unless it hurts...then I just might be.)

[Muze]

With the reptile hobby I don't think there's a limit as long as you have proper care.

When it comes to cats and dogs.. it's unhealthy. For example, I know a woman with 23 cats. They make the house smell TERRIBLE and she cleans and changes the litter twice a day, but it still doesn't help. She doesn't fix them and they keep breeding.
That's where problems come to order.

I definitely agree with this. My 3 dogs require more attention and upkeep than all of my herps put together. I could handle 1 more dog (or a cat) if i had a bigger place with a yard, but I am at my limit right now. I also think that space is an issue. If one cannot provide the proper size enclosure (whether it be tanks, rack system, etc.) then don't have the animal.

[Eventide]

It becomes too many when you no longer take care of the animals health & well being properly- may that be 2 or 2000.

Yep, this for me as well.

I have to disagree on the family part, though. If it's interfering with taking care of one's family, then yeah, too many, but I don't think it matters as much if one's family thinks it's getting excessive. My parents aren't thrilled about my collection, and Mom (who is extremely snake-phobic, to the point where she won't even look at pictures) thinks snakes are terrible, disgusting creatures and I shouldn't have them at all. So I don't go by what my family thinks is excessive 'cause...well...one snake is excessive to them.

For me, "too many" can be any or all of the following: (1) Inability to take care of them all, including possible vet bills; (2) The collection is interfering with one's familial and/or work duties; (3) General interference in one's overall quality of life.

[JLC]

I have to disagree on the family part, though. If it's interfering with taking care of one's family, then yeah, too many, but I don't think it matters as much if one's family thinks it's getting excessive. My parents aren't thrilled about my collection, and Mom (who is extremely snake-phobic, to the point where she won't even look at pictures) thinks snakes are terrible, disgusting creatures and I shouldn't have them at all. So I don't go by what my family thinks is excessive 'cause...well...one snake is excessive to them.

I don't mean letting the opinion of family members who don't live with you sway your own goals for your hobby. If you live on your own and your mom is terrified of snakes...well, get used to taking your mom out to dinner a lot so she doesn't have to come into your house with the scary snakes.

HOWever...if you LIVE with your mom...and she's that terrified of snakes...and you insist on keeping them in great numbers in the same house that she must live in....personally, I think that's taking things way too far. Love and respect for the people we live with should far exceed our own selfish desires.

[Eventide]

I don't mean letting the opinion of family members who don't live with you sway your own goals for your hobby. If you live on your own and your mom is terrified of snakes...well, get used to taking your mom out to dinner a lot so she doesn't have to come into your house with the scary snakes.

HOWever...if you LIVE with your mom...and she's that terrified of snakes...and you insist on keeping them in great numbers in the same house that she must live in....personally, I think that's taking things way too far. Love and respect for the people we live with should far exceed our own selfish desires.

OH, okay. I misunderstood. Yeah, I definitely agree with that. I'm afraid of heights, so it would be like having dinner daily on the balcony of a 53rd-story apartment.