A friend indeed.

[Craiga 01453]

Thanks for sharing! That's a great story. I don't really have any friends who are into reptiles either. My brother is into them a bit, he used to have a beardie and has wanted a snake for a while. But his wife is NOT into reptiles, so since his beardie passed years ago, he is no longer in the hobby. He inquires about mine and always likes to hear about them, but it's usually from afar since he lives 45 minutes away and has a busy work and family schedule.

I have been lucky enough to have a supportive girlfriend who was willing to let me get back into the hobby, and she's cool with the snakes. She definitely doesn't share my passion. So, I don't force anything on her. She will handle the snakes a bit, she likes to watch the colubrids eat sometimes, but that's about it.

It can be a bit of a "lonely" hobby, but it works for me. I love watching and learning about my animals, I enjoy taking the time to care for them each day, ok, I don't LOVE cleaning up after 4 ferrets, but they're worth it. As somebody who struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for over 15 years, it feels good to be able to take responsibility for something. I rehomed all my animals years ago because I couldn't responsibly care for them, booze and drugs were far more important. Now, after being clean and sober for a while, I have gotten into keeping pets again. I am passionate about my animals, I enjoy the time I spend with them and at times find them to be therapeutic.

So for me, I'd rather enjoy my time with my animals, than waste my life like the animal I used to be...