The same sad comments about my snakes... (vent)

[danipanda]

I just recently acquired my first Ball Python, and the nasty comments I've been receiving on Facebook have been astonishing and eye opening... I posted this little blurb and I can now post pictures of Noodles in peace!

"Regardless of how you feel about someone else's pets, whether they be reptiles, amphibians, arachnids, rats, or even cats and dogs, please show some respect. It's NOT OK to make jokes about killing them, saying how disgusting you think they are, or behaving as though they have a contagious disease... I completely understand that people have fears and phobias and are completely entitled to their own opinions, but please remember that these animals, no mater how odd, unusual, or weird, are our beloved pets."

[redshepherd]

I just recently acquired my first Ball Python, and the nasty comments I've been receiving on Facebook have been astonishing and eye opening... I posted this little blurb and I can now post pictures of Noodles in peace!

"Regardless of how you feel about someone else's pets, whether they be reptiles, amphibians, arachnids, rats, or even cats and dogs, please show some respect. It's NOT OK to make jokes about killing them, saying how disgusting you think they are, or behaving as though they have a contagious disease... I completely understand that people have fears and phobias and are completely entitled to their own opinions, but please remember that these animals, no mater how odd, unusual, or weird, are our beloved pets."

Good blurb. I actually posted a similar one on facebook awhile ago too.

And same, I was astonished by how people react to our snakes! I thought people were smarter than that today, with all this information/internet at hand, but I was wrong.

[PhoenixGate]

Housing snakes with birds sounds like risky business, but if the snakes aren't of a species that eats birds, and the birds aren't inclined to kill them, then what's the harm?

My brother and I had a dog that he was told when he rescued him hated cats. They specifically said at the shelter, don't house this dog with cats he will kill them. Well a little over a year after he brought home the dog I begged him for a cat (I was fourteen) and he brought a kitten home. It took a couple months but we were able to supervise their interactions and teach them to get along. Our dog lived with the cat (and others!) for over a decade with no harm done.

Yes, there's a risk but it's your risk to take and you're not putting the animals together specifically to pit them against each other. Everybody's full of their own opinions. As long as your not hurting anyone they can buzz off.

[JustinCW]

I got a pomeranian puppy a few years ago and someone made the comment that my snake would eat my puppy. I just told him that my snake was only big enough to eat rats and that my puppy was well over the size of a rat. I also have people tell me that they'd never allow their kids around someones snake. I tell them that I'd never leave my kids alone with a chihuahua, as they are the only dogs that have ever bitten me.

[Rickys_Reptiles]

I had to check this thread out... I was wondering why you were making comments about a snake's vent! haha

[nightwolfsnow]

I'm always amused by the stuff people say about me having pet snakes. My family is probably the worst. My mom is a spanish catholic and thinks snakes are from the devil. One of my aunts has a phobia of snakes. Both of my aunts and my mom say they're not coming to my house to visit now. My uncle keeps teasing me about them eating my kittens. I'm like really? They can barely swallow mice, let alone a kitten. My female bp is still on rat pinkies. My friends and coworkers have been really cool about it. They like to see pictures, and now some of them are considering getting one. I haven't gotten any bad comments from my Facebook other than my family. And they're not being hateful, just kidding around. They still respect me and know I love all animals. I used to want to be a vet and grew up watching animal planet, so they're not really surprised. I think it would be neat to go to schools as an ambassador.

[se7en]

I do get annoyed when someone says some crap like "your snakes will get out and eat your neighbors' dogs!"

a ball python would have a hard time eating any dog other than maybe a newborn Chihuahua.

[Tash]

When people tell me, "if you ever bring that snake around me I'll kill it..."

I heard about a guy who pranked his girlfriend with a little baby ball python that he borrowed from a friend.

He placed it in the bed with her and watched her wake up to it horrified. While he was laughing she had killed it in her panic. Needless to say the actual owner of the snake was not amused, though I think he should take partial blame for allowing his pet to be put in that situation.

Poor baby BP... it didn't deserve that at all. Story still makes me angry.

[Reinz]

When people tell me, "if you ever bring that snake around me I'll kill it..."

I heard about a guy who pranked his girlfriend with a little baby ball python that he borrowed from a friend.

He placed it in the bed with her and watched her wake up to it horrified. While he was laughing she had killed it in her panic. Needless to say the actual owner of the snake was not amused, though I think he should take partial blame for allowing his pet to be put in that situation.

Poor baby BP... it didn't deserve that at all. Story still makes me angry.

Terrible

That story just has stupid written all over it. Pure Redneck Stooopid.

Anytime you mix a human phobia with a live animal, you're just asking for trouble.

[SekiMoshu]

A lot of my coworkers had that kind of reaction when they found out I was getting my first snake last April. One of them was all 'just wait til it wraps around your neck!' and all I said was 'And what? Give me a massage, they're not strong enough to actually cut off the airflow in the first place.' 'Why not just get a dog?' "I live in a small apartment and don't have a space for the kinds of dogs I like... Not only that but that little snake will outlive any breed of dog and is more than happy just to flop and watch a movie with me."

The key to a lot of the negative comments is indifference with tidbits of true information. Usually when someone hears that most snakes will outlive their dogs they start asking more questions like what do they eat and how often do you feed them, how big they get, ect. One of my coworkers is actually considering letting her husband get a royal because he loves snakes after I was talking with her about mine and just how nice he was. Until he gets fed a half hour late, then he gives me attitude, lol.