My mother in law doesn't like my snakes...for a while she wouldn't even go in the room but she does now. She will even try and peek through the tubs at the snakes sometimes. My family (mom, brother, step-dad, etc) almost always have to stop over whenever they hear I have something new. My (real) dad and his brothers where always all about plants and animals. My dad has been working with plants for as long as I can remember. The only person I can single out that absolutely HATES snakes is my grandpa, if I find even a little garter snake and bring it up to his house he has to turn away and close his eyes...that's not to say I force snakes on him if he's outside and I know it I won't bring it up. Most of my family is pretty open, many of them don't want the animals out but are geniunely interested in what I do with them. I don't force anyone to touch or look at anything they don't want to. I've a few rare priveledges of people dealthly affraid of snakes...even one women who had been wrapped up by one of her friends large boas (not sure of the whole situation). Anway she came up to my wife and I one day and asked us to hold one of the balls, although much smaller she explained how big of a step she was taking just to walk over to us...much less take the animal in her hands. Awesome to help someone like that make a step towards changing their fears into respect.

Anyway, I don't know what to tell you about your family. It sounds down right mean the things they are saying. I wouldn't give any of it up myself, but then I am not one to put up or participate in family drama.