One more corn lover!

Naagas, her name is Temple Grandin!

The dog I mentioned that had kidney problems that seemingly recovered has relapsed into an even worse condition. She's only four and her kidneys are failing. So everyone is depressed right now. Except for my stepsister, because she's six. The dog, our brindle mastiff Maggie, will be put asleep tomorrow unless the vet can't come to our house then. Mom wants it to be when she's home. I'm staying home tomorrow.

As I am typing this, she is going into seizures. We may go into urgent care tonight. None of us can stand it.

OH NO! So sorry

I am so sorry.

She was put to sleep an hour ago. We just got home. My stepdad and I are going to bury her tomorrow.

In an odd chain of events, a family friend who is also a mastiff breeder has a brindle female that she cannot keep because her other dogs don't like it. She is going to give her to us for free.

The downside is, her name is Chunky Monkey.

I'll miss my "maggot". Horrible nickname, I know. Maggie was my favorite. She gave the best kisses. Her kisses consisted of little licks and nose nibbles. I'll miss them.

Sorry about your dog. It is very painful to lose a pet, but something about losing a young pet is exceptionally sad. We had a Chinese Crested puppy that had some major health issues and had to be put down when he was only two. Too sad.

So, I had to pipe in on this thread because my son has Aspergers too. He's almost 12.
I recognized it in your writing almost right away. Yes, there are struggles, especially with the social stuff and being misunderstood, but there are also many advantages to it. Most notably, you clearly know a lot of facts about snakes. You may not have the best information on caring for a pet snake, but that is because you only know what you were taught. Now that you have access to good info you will learn it quickly and Jack will be happier and healthier for it. Btw, my son's ball python is named Jack. He named it after his grandfather who is petrified of snakes.

Like your mom, I kind of have trouble letting my son be as independent as he would like to be. For me it comes from a place of fear. I'm afraid others will hurt him, either physically or emotionally and I'm afraid he will do something that is misinterpreted by others and get hurt or in trouble. I don't know your mom, but wonder if she maybe feels the same way. Maybe that's something you can explore with your therapist?

As for the snakes, wait on getting a new one if you can. I understand it's hard to let go of something you are really excited about, but it really would be for the best. With your mind for facts you have the potential to learn and then teach your pet store friend a better way of doing things. Learn genetics and then when you get a chance to get more snakes you will know exactly what you want to breed for and how to accomplish it. I wish I had the ability to memorize facts as well as I suspect you do!

It feels so unreal... Like I'm dreaming. Like my mind can't accept it, can't wrap around this truth that I so horribly want to be a lie. If I stay in my room, my mind can be in denial, at least until I have to come out and face reality. It doesn't matter how many deaths you've experienced. I am forced to relive every loss I've ever had. The pain never goes away, but in time, it will lessen. And you're left with the memories of love and happiness that is are forever, and think back with a tear and a smile.

I feel a bit better after writing that.

Ok I can not read any more I am getting a headache. All I want to say is that if you can not KEEP more than TWO snakes DO NOT BREED. You HAVE to KEEP ALL the babies until they are eating and shedding ok, then you HAVE TO KEEP them until they sell. So you could have the 2 adults plus 1 to 30 babies for anywhere from 2 months to MANY YEARS. Tell your mom you can not breed if you can not KEEP more than 2 because it is impossible to sell them the second they hatch unless they are super rare morphs or het for them. And even then not many people go for hatchlings right out of the egg.

I am not going to say anything else because man I really want to go off on a lot of what the OP has said so far and I am only 7 pages through. . . .

I'm sorry your dog is gone. It is always hard to lose a friend. Try to remember her as the happy dog she was before her problems started and remember that she's at peace.

@Carnivorouszoo

Maybe if you'd read it through instead of jumping on me and repeating what everyone else has said, you'd have realized I've taken the advice. You may or may not have noticed that I am not a neurotypical individual, and I might not be as mature as I should be at 19. If you took the time to finish reading only two pages, you'd also have realized that I'm going through a hard time because my dog just died.

Good job looking like a total jerk, I hope you feel happy with that.

To everyone else, thanks. I feel really bad for my other dog, Grace. She is not eating and acting depressed. She tucks her tail and isn't as playful as usual. She has another dog to play with, though. That dog hasn't been affected by Maggie's passing, thankfully. Probably because she's only eight months old and hasn't had a four year bond like Grace had. I don't know if the other dogs will notice, the rest are in the barns. Except for the old cocker mix who doesn't like the big dogs. But they like her, if course. It's quite funny. Always thought she'd be the first to go, though.

I'm not a jerk. Maybe you think that, I just put emphasis. Yeah I missed that you were not going to breed. Glad to hear it. Very sorry about the dog. Don't judge on one post ok? good way to get judged.

It's just that sometimes you should listen all the way through. I'm sorry for jumping on you back, I'm just getting stressed more easily. I don't deal with negative emotions well. But take my advice into consideration. And I didn't exactly said you were a jerk, I said it made you look like one.

We got that dog from that friend of my mom and stepdad's. Good thing, too. You guys thought my dogs were in bad living conditions? Ours atleast have shelter and airconditioning and are clean. This woman lives in filth. I was at her house before, and it was always a bit messy. But mom and stepdad came back from getting the dog and they were shocked. Trash, clothes, everywhere. Mom said there was a stench that she couldn't name. The only mastiff inside was the one we got because she couldn't go in the backyard because the other female will attack her. The two outside also live in filth. The backyard is full of mud from the recent rain. The dogs are nasty and have only a doghouse with shredded blanket pieces. It really bothered my parents. My stepdad even admitted to us not having the best place for the dogs, but hearing that, and knowing this lady has a nice spacy garage filled with junk she could put them in just irks me.

I really like the word irk. I don't know why.

Our dogs immediately loved the new brindle. Grace hasn't wagged her tail or played like this since Maggie died. The dog's previous owner said shecwas shy. She's opening up just great, and this is her first day here. She apparently really likes me for some reason. I can't go into the kitchen/living area without having a shadow following me.

I know, I talk too much about my dogs on a snake forum.

I talk too much in general.

It's taken like 5+ years for my cats to do any substantial damage to the snake cage lid. So we need a new one before it gets worse. Which should be tomorrow. Hopefully.

Hope the next lid will be as durable.
Anyone got tips on breaking a seven year old cat from getting on the lid? He really hates any type of spray, be it water or fabreeze, etc. But then he sometimes gets pouty and hides from me. I don't know if double sided tape would work because he likes licking things like plastic bags and anything with that texture. Danny is just strange. They say that sometimes pets take traits of their owners. We're very much alike.
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Is someone going to delete this thread or is it going to become my new random rant about stuff thread? I doubt mom will see it unless I give her reason to look for it. I hope, anyways.

I use a recycled aquarium for one of my snakes. It has the plastic lid with air holes and the light sits on top so my cat wont. The other tank has a screen lid that had to be rescreened after a cat used it for a bed while it sat unoccupied for a season. I've seen people make protective lids for snake tanks so the cat can still sit on top and not fall in.

My old male cat would lick, scent, scratch or nibble every thing. He had to leave his mark on the world. He had to be put asleep last fall, I still miss him terribly, but having him in my life was worth the pain we've suffered in his passing.