Just needed to share...

I haven't been around much lately, and as some of you know have actually put most of my collection up for sale.
When I look at them on paper(computer) it is easy to say "okay I can part with that" but I am having a hard time actually doing it. Every time I open a tub to feed, water, or clean I see a little face I know and have come to love. Each one has their own special place in my heart. The one that I wouldn't eat for ages, the one that regurged every other meal for months, the one that has gone from a nasty little snot to a real sweetie and vica versa, how gorgeous the coloring is coming in on that one, etc. Absolutely no one in my 'real' life understands this.
I have only been trying to sell them locally both because I am not certified to ship and I am spread so thin it is hard to find time to carry out transactions. I know I need to do it in order to make other things going on in my life work out, but I am having a very hard time with it. I know others have gone through this, how did you make it happen?
To top it all off, I had my first cornsnake death. A little het hypo that was getting a wonderful silver ground color(Dio for those of you who remember him). I have absolutely no clue why. I went to feed him and he was dead. Temps have been good, eating fine, shedding fine, just gone. Even though he was one on my llist to sell, I was heartbroken.
I don't really have a point with this post. I just needed to share with someone who would understand "just snakes".

It's too bad that life has gotten in the way of your hobby. I hope you're able to get things squared away soon and maybe you will be able to keep more than you think. I'm so sorry about the little one dying. I hope your life gets better soon.

How many are you keeping? I can't imagine having to do what you are, and I've only had my first snake since October. Sorry to hear about the sudden death too, hope things get better soon.

So sorry to hear about your little one, and that you're having to sell so many. I truly can't even begin to imagine how it must feel to have to say goodbye to animals you've grown to love. You have all my sympathies.

Just read your post again- 'JUST SNAKES'! I don't understand that way of thinking at all, and can't see anyone who posts here not caring about your situation. When my degu's vet bills were over £100 and he had to be euthanised anyway, I met that 'it's only a pet' reaction at work, and had to force my mouth to stay shut and walk away.

I completely understand how you must be feeling. Every animal comes with a story. I could never part with any of my pets.
I'm so sorry you have to go through this. It sounds like a nightmare. Best of luck in getting back on your feet.

R.I.P. Dio. I certainly remember him Traci, and I'm sorry to hear that he's gone.

I don't envy the collection reduction that you are facing. Sometimes there's a fine line between breeder/hobbyist and pet keeper. It sucks to have to place certain values on animals based on their place in the breeding program, with little or no regard to their temperaments or your feelings for them. I just got rid of one of my sweetest adults (male coral snow), and I still feel like a traitor for having done so. :awcrap: He just didn't fit any real plan I had, and rack space is at a premium.

Good luck doing what you've gotta do. I'm hoping that everything works out to your benefit!

Oh, I do feel your pain . . .

I have been seriously financially impaired lately . . . :shrugs: Which is part of the reason I haven't been on the forums that much, all the pretty snakes that I can't have bum me out. My snakes won't be old enough to breed until next year, and I feel like I'm sort of in limbo with them.

I decided I want a crestie. I really want a crestie. And I really want to get rid of that stupid hybrid I bought . . . so I looked into trading at a reputable pet store. I can't trade it straight across tho, so I ended up choosing another that isn't turning out how I'd hoped, and another that is a "spare" - sort of. So, I went from actually wanting to get rid of one snake to seriously considering trading 3 snakes for 1 gecko. I had it all worked out in my mind, but then I look at their little snakey faces and I feel like a TRAITOR.

But the fact of the matter is that when you have an expensive hobby like reptiles, and aren't to the point of breeding/selling babies yet, I guess sometimes you have to make these difficult choices. Am I doing myself any favors keeping snakes I know I won't use in my breeding program? And here I am, I've never bred snakes before and I'm already planning 3 clutches for next year . . . and 6 for the year after . . . plus I am going to have a zillion holdbacks . . . Even if I trade those 3 snakes, and only buy 1 more (I still need a male for one project) by the end of next summer I could easily have 20 snakes. I know that doesn't seem like a lot to many of you, but I am truly small time, I can't even begin to hope for a reptile room for at least 4 more years unless I come into a lot of money! I've got to keep it small!!!

I'm sorry Traci, this has turned into my personal rant, but I have been going through the same thing!!! It sucks. And another thing is that I know that if I trade my snakes for a gecko, I'm gonna have to love it! I'm probably being more picky than if I were shelling out my cash . . . supposing I had any. Again, I do feel your pain. And I am sending +++ thoughts your way that you are able to find good homes for your little snakes soon, and you'll feel better. I know you have a lot of really nice snakes, which ones are you keeping? And I'm sorry to hear one died too, that's always hard.

Traci, so sorry to hear life is being rough right now... I feel bad if you are going through a hard time. Don't be a stranger on here, and try to keep a few of your very favorite snakes if you can

It must really hard for you, especially if no-one in the "real-world" understands how difficult it must be.

I do think it's something for us new keepers to really consider. It's so easy to just go ahead and get carried away. (I'm in no way suggesting that ultimateone or anyone else got "carried away", I'm just musing on the general topic of having to part with our animals). But a corn can live for up to 20 years, and no-one can say for sure that circumstances won't change, and may be left to make a heartbreaking decision. Family matters, job changes, emigrating, nothing can really be ruled out. I know if Vin Diesel showed up and said "Hey Hannah, wanna travel the world with me?" I'd be there like a shot, corn or no corn :sidestep: Joking aside, I think it's something to consider before a collection reaches a size that could be problematic if difficult times appear.

Hannah

Wintermute said:

I know if Vin Diesel showed up and said "Hey Hannah, wanna travel the world with me?" I'd be there like a shot, corn or no corn :sidestep:

Click to expand...

:-offtopic If he DOES show up, make sure you are clear about what he's really asking. He speaks like he's got six or seven ping-pong balls in his mouth. :grin01: (I'm guessing his diction isn't what attracts you, LOL.)

So sorry for your loss! Heres a big hug your way!

I feel for you. I decided recently that with all I'm going through right now (I was in a bad car wreck last week (Ow!), I'm a divorced (abandoned really) mom of a disabled child, I've started working full time, I'm moving, etc.), that even a couple less snakes would help my work load, and give me more time for the snakes I do have. So I gave an "extra" 1.0 anery and 0.1 amel to a couple who I buy rodents from. They keep reptiles, snakes, and other pets, and were thrilled to get two baby corns, (their first). I felt bad all the way to their house, but after I gave them up and knew that they were in a home where they would be babied and taken care of, I actually felt relieved and happy for them (the people and the snakes). So IMHO, as long as you know that your pets are going to good homes, you shouldn't feel too bad.
Cheers.

That really sucks. The few snakes I've sold since I got into this have been hard, and I didn't even like the ones I've sold! And now I have to part with 5 or 6 animals that I just don't need, and I can't afford to care for these extras. I'm sure almost everybody on this forum understands all too well what you're going through. Stay strong, everything will work out in the end.

Chris

Wintermute said:

Joking aside, I think it's something to consider before a collection reaches a size that could be problematic if difficult times appear.

Click to expand...

After posting yesterday I was thinking about this a lot too, and tried 3X to compose something that would express what I was thinking with no luck, so I blew it off.

That wasn't really my point, tho, and I'd like to say that life happens, and there is nothing you can do. I had *no* idea that my husband was going to go to the casino a few times with friends, develop a gambling addiction, and wipe us out financially. And yes, that is exactly what happened. You just can't prepare yourself for everything, and you can't say "well, I'm not going to buy a bunch of snakes because maybe my life won't always be the way it is now" because you just never know. There is always that risk.

But what I was thinking more was where do you cross the line between being a pet owner and a breeder? Yes, you can be both, in the huge gray area between. And I think if you are *just* a pet owner letting your snakes go might seem like a really bad thing to do, and I think that when you are *just* a breeder letting go of snakes that don't suit your needs is no big deal and nobody even thinks about it. But the the majority of us on the forums, who fall into that murky area between, it can really be awful to make decisions between sentiment and investment. By the time you've got enough snakes to have interesting breeding projects, you've probably got quite a bit of money into it. And sometimes things happen to make it so that having so much of your money tied up in snakes is just not practical. Or your interests change and you want to focus on a different project. Or maybe you lose a snake that was key to a certain project and there's no point keeping the other snakes. Lots of things can happen. It doesn't mean you don't care about your snakes, or that they don't matter, but life is just like that sometimes. And maybe sometimes it's really in the snakes best interest to get into a new home.

Okay, this still doesn't express my feelings on the topic really . . . Personally I've had a LOT of internal conflict over the pet owner/snake breeder distinction. And I've pretty much come to terms with it because I do have certain snakes that I LOVE and would not part with, and they are pets to me, although I do plan to breed them. I also have other snakes that are really only here for their genes and I am not particularly attached to them. That doesn't mean I don't care about them, or think they aren't pretty or cute or whatever. And you know, if a snake doesn't have a personality that I like maybe that's something I should think about regarding my breeding projects? Hmmmmm . . .

Anyway, I shouldn't hijack Traci's thread with my own personal conflict except for how it's relevant to the topic. Maybe I'll figure out what I'm trying to say and start my own thread. :shrugs: But for Traci's sake I still feel that it sucks to have to make these decisions, and my heart goes out to her, but I guess I am a realist and know that you can't plan for every problem you might encounter, and sometimes you have to let go.

Peep, I know what you mean about that grey area. The only distinction between a hobbiest/reptile lover who decides to breed their animals and a person who simply breeds the animals is this...the breeder is never around for very long. Those are the people who do things like dump $100k into ball pythons simply cause the market is hot. The people who get a few snakes and decide to see the excitement of bringing new life into the world first hand are the breeding pet owners. Personally, I consider myself a pet owner who breeds. I bought my first snakes simply because i've always loved snakes. After acquiring 6 or so, I realized if I was gonna have a large collection, I might as well breed my own animals and possibly make some $ on the side, if only to pay for the upkeep of the collection. Hope that helped.

Chris

First let me say thank you to all of you for understanding my sadness over the loss of Dio.

When I first started reading the replies to my post I was afraid I may have come across as being a crybaby about this. But it is nice to know that my friends here do understand.
That is why I decided to post. I did aquire my collection rather rapidly, but I also had no way to forsee the things that would be changing in our lives.
I know that many others have had changes in time availability, finances, location, space and just priorities in general that have forced them to part with snakes and would understand how difficult it can be. Life happens, and sometimes you just have to adjust.
Opening up that tub to find Dio deceased just kind of hit me hard how much these little creatures have invaded my life and how attached I really am to them. Another thing I knew would probably only be understood by the community here.
I really appreciate being able to come here, even if I am not a 'regular' anymore and know that I am not alone.
No matter what I will not be getting rid of all of them. My daughters wouldn't part with thier little kingsnakes for anything , and I have my own favorites like Salmissra I could never part with.
If I can't find the time to get them into good homes I may just end up broke, eating mouse soup and hiding them all in a closet to avoid the seperation anxiety anyway, LOL :grin01: (How many kids, dogs and snakes can you fit into an SUV :shrugs: )
Thanks for understanding.