A chronic collecting issue with the hobby

[Bogertophis]

Believe me, that's something I've been thinking about a lot. So many times I hear of pets people rehome because "their apartment doesn't allow them" or "there's a new landlord" and so on. It, scares me honestly. As someone who's really started to look around in terms of living on my own lately, that kind of horror scenario where I must choose between living somewhere or my animals pops up in my mind repeatedly. It's not going to happen anytime soon for better or worse (I looked around several nearby towns and nothing is within my budget rent-wise at this time), but it's still a worry.

I already know some animals can't come with me, like my hens (but they're close to their final years anyway), and my giant aquarium might not be on the cards too depending on the situation just out of its sheer weight (you can't put 1400+ pounds just anywhere), but I don't think I could live with myself if I came across a situation where I ended up animalless altogether. That's not acceptable to me.

Just so you know, it's not only the weight of large aquariums that turns off landlords- it's the fact that if (when) they leak, they do massive damage, often to more than one unit. (Think about being in the apartment underneath a water leak!). Same for water beds. So you should probably plan on having "visitation rights" with your fish, unless you hit the lottery.

When it comes to snakes, they're closer to being ideal pets (quiet & don't cause damage, etc.) if only people weren't so irrationally phobic about them. It takes the right landlord to accept them- & not one who's had previous tenants with snakes that escaped & were left behind.

Honestly, I really cannot blame landlords for giving new tenants with pets the "stink-eye"- because so many have abused their agreements in the past. AND they have other tenants to think about too- so many ppl are afraid of snakes (& think they're all venomous killers because they can't begin to tell them apart), that landlords must worry about other tenants seeing a neighbor with a snake in their midst.

I hear you though..."pet-less" isn't something I can do either. Happily, I haven't rented in "ages".