Parental Craziness

[Rob]

Stay in school, don't expand your collection or breed until you move out.

[jcoylesr76]

i have a question are they paying for any of this stuff for you?, the situation sucks, my mom was cool with what ever i got, even the rhino vipers, copper heads, and gaboon vipers, but if my step dad really knew what i had he prolly would have killed them all off, racks in my case helped a ton, since it kept is small and not show-offy when he had to visit my realm.

the reason i was asking about if they are paying for anything, i could see the irritation when you said i need another rack. and that was one thing my mom made real clear, she did not care what i had, how many of them or what i needed, as long as i payed for it 100%, the occasional few $ for feeders was ok as long as it was payed back within a week. (i no longer live with my parents, but had to a few times through the years.)

Definitely stay in school, if they are bothered by the expansion of your collection, then hold off on it for a while. Girlfriend, well if she is not cool with it,......well that will be a harder choice to make later on when that time comes around.

[DooLittle]

Stay in school and get your education! I would forget about breeding and expanding while you are still living at home. There will be plenty of time for that when you move out. Then you have your own place and can do whatever you want. Perhaps if you told them that you decided now was not a good time to breed and that you are going to wait, they would be ok letting you stay at the 5 snakes you have now. Maybe them they would be ok, and you would get to keep the snakes you have. Isn't that better than getting rid of them, to just chill and wait?

[Annarose15]

I suggest that you come up with a plan and go on the offensive, rather than waiting for them to give you an ultimatum. Offer the compromise that you will stop expanding (that includes no breeding) until you are out of school and on your own financially, as long as you aren't required to get rid of what you have. If they are supporting you, even with tuition, then they have a very strong right to tell you where your money is going to be spent. Tell them that you understand and respect that right, and you had no intention of misleading them in any way. As others have mentioned, you are at a very unstable place in life. Although I doubt you will lose your passion for BPs in just the next couple of years, you have to bear in mind that you will need flexibility when it IS time to move out, find a "real" job (parent-speak for salary and benefits), and having twenty-thirty-ninety snakes will make that a LOT harder, especially since you will still probably need to live with a roommate, who may not share your passion. If your parents are reasonable (I can only advise in how I would have approached mine), then I think they will understand your desire for the hobby, appreciate that you came to them with a plan like an adult, and ease off your back now that the initial panic attack has subsided.

[Mike41793]

The reason that theyre mad is bc you plan to breed not buy more snakes right? So just dont breed for 2 years until your out of the house. Theyll probably be ok with that. This will only benefit you bc then your females will be over 2000grams and the first year you breed your chances of getting some big clutches will be good!

[MrLang]

Don't be a fool; stay in school.

Keep the ones you've got till you move out, then get serious with the snakes.

You have plenty of time.

[evan385]

My stepdad is like that. He never wanted to have snakes in his house for whatever reason. I have three and would have had four. I had to sell my boa so I could get a big breeder female because it was either breed possibly this season and definitely next or have a cool boa that won't give me any breeding experience. Just a few days ago he thought he found a bedbug and was blowing up that the new female brought them in and he's just gonna bug bomb the house snakes or no snakes and get them out for a while if you want them to live. That's an insult to me and I told him that straight up. I make damn sure that an animal is healthy and mite-free before I add it to my collection and even then I still quarantine for six months. I just need to save my money because he has told me if I have my own little building/shed he'll help me insulate it and run electricity and water to it so I can have it on my own meter and get my own bill every month. Then he doesn't care how many snakes I have because they're not in his house. Also I think you need to stay in school. Realistically if you're going to breed snakes and try to make a living on them, you need a good job to support yourself and to get started. Not only that but you need to have something to fall back on if your breeding doesn't go the way you want it to.

[jcoylesr76]

My stepdad is like that. He never wanted to have snakes in his house for whatever reason. I have three and would have had four. I had to sell my boa so I could get a big breeder female because it was either breed possibly this season and definitely next or have a cool boa that won't give me any breeding experience. Just a few days ago he thought he found a bedbug and was blowing up that the new female brought them in and he's just gonna bug bomb the house snakes or no snakes and get them out for a while if you want them to live. That's an insult to me and I told him that straight up. I make damn sure that an animal is healthy and mite-free before I add it to my collection and even then I still quarantine for six months. I just need to save my money because he has told me if I have my own little building/shed he'll help me insulate it and run electricity and water to it so I can have it on my own meter and get my own bill every month. Then he doesn't care how many snakes I have because they're not in his house.

That Sucks, but in the same regard is not a bad idea if he is willing to help you out on that project. my only concern would be the security of the shed with animals in it, having someone break into it is night or what not and steal or kill your animals off would,....... can't think of a word that would describe that feeling

[Cameron Lamb Exotics]

Growing up my dad was like that however my mom was on my side so I was constantly sneeking in reptiles.
I would suggest trying not to get your parents involved with your snakes as possible. The less they hear or see them the less of a bother they will be to them. When they see them they are thinking about them and I like to avoid conversations like that as much as possible. If you plan on breeding it do it on your terms. Get all the equipment on your own without asking for money. Snakes are not for everyone so you cant force them to understand but you can show them your responsible enough to be able to handle it.
Do not drop out of school either. School means more then anything these days.

[evan385]

That Sucks, but in the same regard is not a bad idea if he is willing to help you out on that project. my only concern would be the security of the shed with animals in it, having someone break into it is night or what not and steal or kill your animals off would,....... can't think of a word that would describe that feeling

Well if I have thousands or even hundreds of dollars worth of snakes then I would invest in ADT or other form of security system. Maybe a big pad lock on the door and some bars on the windows. It would be a strong, sturdy building and not flimsy like some sheds are.