Alex Wants A Snake - *whew* a phase.

jorats said:

crumbilina said:

jorats said:

I have to say, I find the fact that your partner in life is choosing a pet that goes 100% against your choice of pets very disturbing. If my husband came home and told me he wanted a snake, I'd seriously would be asking questions like what is wrong with our relationship that you feel the need to bring home a pet that can cause extreme stress to mine.

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But people have rats and cats all the time. Cats are a natural predator of rats, and can cause rats stress. I'm not sure that I really see the difference between having rats and cats and rats and snakes.

Edited to clarify

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I don't agree with this. Cats and mice, yes, but not rats. Rats are far too big to be a natural prey to cats unless the cats are truly feral. I've always had cats and rats, my rats have never been bothered by my cats.
We also see videos of rats in the wild actually going after cats.

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We have also seen instances in which the rat goes for a snake too. ;-) lol just putting it out there.

BUT I have never actually had a cat that wasn't feral or had not at one point in their life survived off of anything that they could catch. So perhaps I just didn't see the difference because of my experiences. There is no doubt in my mind that if my (previous) cats had the opportunity... well... ya know.

I think it was a spasm-phase after he say the python in the pet store. I went to him today after what Victoria said and told him, flat out, "no feeders. of any kind". He took it right away and came back with, "Baby, I don't HAVE to have a snake. I just like reptiles".
He's been so accommodating and supportive with the rats that he even picked out one when we went to get Lilly a friend, paid for Bambina/Maria, paid for the CN - I just wanted to find a way to accommodate what he wanted. He grew up with chameleons and I know he really wants one of those in the near future. He got all excited last night, showing me pictures of ones that look like triceratops (spell check didn't appear, I'm proud of myself), all like a kid in a candy store. He's like me - once he sees something he really likes, he can't let go of it for days.

Also I agree with whomever said that cats can be afraid of rats - my cats at my parents home seemed disturbed by my rats, when one of them frequently attempts to catch birds and rabbits (Samus is just a champion like that), and the other is just a plain b****. They never, ever tried to hurt them. When Liam was sick, he crawled right over Phanny's (... I know...) from arms and she did the "WTF YOU DID NOT JUST DO THAT" face and hissed at him before fleeing.

I also agree that wild animals need to be kept in the wild. Yes, ball pythons are nice'n'docile and what-have-you, but I just think that any animal who's diet cannot be domesticated should remain wild. By that, I mean if you need to treat them like they are in the wild, leave them in the wild. That's what I hate about snakes - there is no supplementing them at all. And I didn't even want to think of how feeders are killed, now that I know, I would never, ever, EVER keep something that needed another animal to keep it alive, nor would I endorse it.

-whew- but no worries. Well, yes, I worry all the time about snake owners and snakes and feeders and so on, but no worries with this boyfriend-wants-snake situation. I just didn't know how to handle it... I did not expect him, ever, to say something like that.

Oh yay! I'm glad everything turned out well. I hope Alex finds a reptile he really likes.

I'm glad everything worked out for you in the end, I was a little worried while reading this thread! My step-dad sounds a lot like your boyfriend, he LOVES reptiles, but he also absolutely adores my girls. He spends hours sitting in front of their cage and giving them treats, and the girls often curl up and fall asleep in his pockets, but he has a thing for reptiles. My ONLY rule (Since he's the one who moved into MY house and married MY mother!) Is no snakes. I love snakes, they're beautiful, gorgeous animals, but I refuse to support how they're fed. He understands that COMPLETELY, especially after I sat him down and told him all about how feeders are treated, so now he just has all sorts of lizards. We've got/have had beardies, and leopard geckos, and anoles, turtles, chameleons, frogs, and some day we plan on getting an Iguana (When we have a much bigger house, and we're able to house a 6ft long lizard properly.)

Why not suggest a Leopard Gecko?
I think they only eat bugs, and I've heard they're quite friendly, for a reptile.
Of course, I may be biased, the only one I've ever met fell asleep in my hands after I gave him top-of-head skritches.
It was adorable.

I am so relieved. I actually felt pretty disturbed for a day while he was looking at snake forums... It upset me the most when he sat beside me while I was talking to Maria (she's a biter, so that's how I'm socializing with her - she actually listens, or at least stares at me) and I look over and saw pictures of a snake tank on the right, a stack of plastic bins with lives on the left.
Why he was looking at that thread I don't know, I know he would never even think of doing something like that, but I don't want him to feel like he's letting me down by being curious about something. He gets down on himself very easily, especially when it comes to me, so with things like this I have to tiptoe until he comes to his senses.
I just love the guy too much to tell him "no" flatout when he admits he wants something, which is really rare.

jorats said:

I have to say, I find the fact that your partner in life is choosing a pet that goes 100% against your choice of pets very disturbing. If my husband came home and told me he wanted a snake, I'd seriously would be asking questions like what is wrong with our relationship that you feel the need to bring home a pet that can cause extreme stress to mine.

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:joy:

I had an ex who wanted a snake because he thought they were cool. There is a reason why he is now my ex.

The kid just wants something that will stay with him, a lap pet. He got Quinn because he originally wanted a rat then thought hedgies are too cute not to get one and then realized that hedgies aren't even technically domestic. He picked out Penny and, well... Penny only stays in one spot when sleeping or when Lilly has her pinned to groom her. He held a python at Oliver's and it just sat there and he got excited.
I feel bad... he needs a snuggly, docile male-rat, like my Edward was, but we have females. He admitted before that he's jealous of my bond with my boys and Lilly, then Maggie, and even Penny has taken to me. He needs a lap-pet and a bonded pet.

Just realized he's searching for a heart-pet. I hope Maria turns into that for him, when she gets over hands being near her... she absolutely freaks out.

TheHermit said:

Just realized he's searching for a heart-pet. .

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Awww <3