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Corn snakes and ...cats?

JustineNYC said:
BTW, the "was fine" doesnt mean a thing. Mites embed themselves under the scales....and their are other internal parasites you cannot see not to mention most pet stores co-hab, feed live, dont change water appropriately, clean fecal etc. How do you know if the snake is feeding regularly by picking the snake up? Your not a vet....sick animals appear "fine" all the time, you cant tell by picking them up.....I would avoid pet stores altogether but that is me.
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If illnesses in snakes are so hard to spot, how can you guarantee that an animal ordered, without being seen in person first, from a breeder is going to be healthy? How do you know for sure that a corn from a private breeder doesn't have invisible internal parasites? Personally I'd much rather be able to pick up an animal and examine it first in person, and if it's bad, then I just walk away.

I'm not saying buy from a breeder or a pet shop, either way. I think both can be done successfully. There are good pet shops, bad pet shops. Good breeders, bad breeders. It's important to choose carefully whichever method you take.
 
Pet supermarkets - eek! I know in the UK a lot of the big pet shops had a bad reputation a few years ago, and most have cleaned up their act, but others have gone out of business. However most big pet shops around us don't sell snakes, but just looking at some of the small pets - rabbits, hamsters etc, I bet some of them will be nervous wrecks after how they've been kept!

Anyway, back to the topic - we have five cats, and with our first corn, they were VERY interested for the first days, but after they realised that it wasn't food or a plaything, they settled down and they all leave the snake terrarium alone. Same thing happened with our Degus (rodents).

I thought our semi-feral or the young cat would take more interest, by it's our Ebony that is the most interested - when we take the snake out for handling, if Ebony is in the room - his eyes poke out on stalks! He wouldn't touch it though, he's too scared. However we wouldn't take a chance and never leave a snake unattended.
 
Plissken said:
If illnesses in snakes are so hard to spot, how can you guarantee that an animal ordered, without being seen in person first, from a breeder is going to be healthy? .
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Because I deal with people like Don Soderberg and Kathy Love. Does that mean the snakes received are healthy? No.

But I sure as hell hope you arent comparing their product to pet store ones. Thats just absurd.

Now your nit-picking. Where did I say illness in snakes are so hard to spot? I simply said just because a snake appears fine in a pet store doesnt mean squat.

Does the average person buying a corn in Petco know what to look for in the first place for the animal to qualify as 'fine'? Mites arent going to leap off the snake and slap you in the face.

How many new owners here have posted weeks after owning a snake.....'Hey I just noticed these black dots, what are they'

You should always buy from a breeder who you research and know that successful and healthy breeding is their livelyhood, that goes for any animal....dogs...reptiles.

This will probably piss someone off but...no breeder who cares about his stock would hand them over to Petco. Again JMO.
 
I'll "shop around" before purchasing anything from anywhere; I plan on going to PetCo sometime soon to compare items and prices for things like bedding and hides... and while I'm there I'll scope out the snakes to see what their living conditions are like. I'm not an expert or a vet, but I know some of the signs are of an unhealthy corn.

I'm hesitant about buying from a breeder because I don't know them, and won't be able to look at the snake until it gets to me... and there aren't any shows anywhere near where I live, either, so I wouldn't be able to go to one :(

But anyway, I'll be looking around and researching several places before I decide what to get from where, and closely monitor the cats once I get my new pet.
 
JustineNYC said:
Because I deal with people like Don Soderberg and Kathy Love. Does that mean the snakes received are healthy? No.

But I sure as hell hope you arent comparing their product to pet store ones. Thats just absurd.

Now your nit-picking. Where did I say illness in snakes are so hard to spot? I simply said just because a snake appears fine in a pet store doesnt mean squat.
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In what way did I compare anyone's product to anybody else's? I didn't come close to saying that chain pet store snakes are just as fab as Kathy Love's. I clearly stated that I wasn't recommending one or the other - just giving another point to think about. I don't think you understood my post.

On the point of a snake being 'fine' - the original point I was making was simply that if a snake can appear fine, but isn't, how do you know the snake that arrives on your doorstep looking fine really is? HOW is that any safer than buying from a pet shop? Okay, you're pretty safe with someone like Kathy, but there are a large number of other breeders out there and not all of them are going to be as scrupulous as they'd have you believe, just like some pet shops. In fact, maybe the breeder could have an illness in his collection even HE isn't aware of. Accidents happen.

Petco is not the only shop that sells snakes. If you dislike Petco, that's fine, but there are also a number of shops that DO take excellent care of their pets.

Like I said. It is entirely up to the buyer where they buy a snake, and I do respect your opinion Justine. I just don't think you can just tar all pet shops with the same brush and give someone new to snakes the idea that pet stores NEVER have nice, healthy animals, because it simply isn't true.
 
Plissken said:
In what way did I compare anyone's product to anybody else's? I didn't come close to saying that chain pet store snakes are just as fab as Kathy Love's. .
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I was talking about pet store snakes appearing alright, but possibly not being and you said

"If illnesses in snakes are so hard to spot, how can you guarantee that an animal ordered, without being seen in person first, from a breeder is going to be healthy?"


Thats how. You mentioned breeder. And I answered your question. Answer...get it from Kathy Love or SMR. Id take a snake I didnt see from them over a snake in a pet store that I can hold and it appears "fine" anyday.

With a breeder you are getting it from the source....whats the source in a pet store. Most of the time they cant even tell you.







Plissken said:
Petco is not the only shop that sells snakes. If you dislike Petco, that's fine, but there are also a number of shops that DO take excellent care of their pets. .
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But I have never seen ONE. So when answering her, how can I tell her pet stores are ok. Its my belief 99% of them arent. As a new corn owner, its not worth it, get one directly from the source it saves you hassle.


Plissken said:
Like I said. It is entirely up to the buyer where they buy a snake, and I do respect your opinion Justine. I just don't think you can just tar all pet shops with the same brush and give someone new to snakes the idea that pet stores NEVER have nice, healthy animals, because it simply isn't true.
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I respect yours, but in my defense, I directed her to the classified section HERE, not in a newspaper or other online source. Ive bought 4 snakes from here and never had problems, so with that said, that is what I recomended. If I bought snakes from this forum and had headaches, I wouldnt have pointed her that way obviously.

Do I still believe she is better off getting her Charcoal off this forum as oppose to any pet store? Absolutely.
 
Back to the topic....

Cats love things that wiggle. Cats are very predatory. Cats will kill your snake just like they would kill a mouse or a bird.

Also, snakes are very predatory and like to eat fuzzy things. I would never let a good-sized snake near a kitten. Even if it can't swallow it, it could squeeze it. Ever had a snake wrap around your arm and squeeze? Not good.

Just my 2 cents.
 
kimbyra said:
Back to the topic....

Cats love things that wiggle. Cats are very predatory. Cats will kill your snake just like they would kill a mouse or a bird.

Also, snakes are very predatory and like to eat fuzzy things. I would never let a good-sized snake near a kitten. Even if it can't swallow it, it could squeeze it. Ever had a snake wrap around your arm and squeeze? Not good.

Just my 2 cents.
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Yeah... my boyfriend was worried that the snake might hurt one of our cats, to which my response was a bit of a laugh; we have 2 adult cats and I'll be getting a baby snake.... so I told him that the cats are much more of a threat to the snake than visa-versa.

I'm worried about what handling the snake will be like with cats around. I wouldn't put him down and let him wander the floor or anything, but I don't want one of the cats coming up to me and swiping/biting at him :( I guess I could close myself in the bedroom with him, so the cats can't even come in, but I was hoping to have more of a "free-reign" about the house. Unfortunately the cats control me more than I can control them :rolleyes:
 
Yep, thats a cat for you.

I don't put my corns on the ground because they tend to take off. They get a "Yaaah! Freedom!" response. Those snakey critters are really fast. I just handle them, or put them on my bed where its easy to keep track of one while I'm sitting there. Different people let there snakes do different things of course.
 
kimbyra said:
I don't put my corns on the ground because they tend to take off. They get a "Yaaah! Freedom!" response. Those snakey critters are really fast.
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That's the other reason why I wouldn't put him on the ground :) lol
There's a lot of junk around that he could hide in.... It would take me a century to find him if he escaped from my grasp ... which is why I will be getting locks to go on his cage :D
 
Kathy is Wonderful to deal with. Rich Z (Serpenco) also has a steller reputation (and he runs this forum).

Not only are the animals healthier overall compared to pet shop animals, but most petshops have a limited variety of colors. I have never seen a charcoal in a petshop. I have seen normals, anerys, amels (and candycanes which are also amels) and snows. I have also seen creamsicles, which are nice but not pure corns...but the petshops never tell their customers that creamsicles are rat snake hybrids.

I think you made a GREAT decision.
Please post pics in abundance!
 
Sorry, no ideas on names YOU would like. :)
I tend to name my corns words that I think are catchy.
Some of my snakes names are:
Sniper
Snafu
Havoc
Hatteras
Festivus
Kismet
Beacon

I also have one named Elphaba, which is the name of The Wicked Witch of the West :)

One named Kessler (Kramer's original name on Seinfeld)

One named Lugosi because his father's name is Vlad. Vlad the Impaler was one of the bloodthirstiest rulers in history, and the legend of Dracula was based on him. Bela Lugosi was the most famous actor who played Dracula.

And I have a Voldermort a Luna and a Horcrux because I'm a Harry Potter nut.

Future names for snakes I don't even have yet:
Accolade
Static
Sin
Sanibel
Harbinger

It's all a matter of taste. She might just "tell you" her name when you get her (it will just pop into your head!).
 
Thats usually how it works for me. Ive named pets prior to getting them and I always end up changing it....get her and see what she looks it, you may just be like 'She looks like a _____' My butter was named the moment I opened her deli cup, she just looked like a Tula. LOL
 
Yeah, you're probably right about that lol

But, nonetheless, I looked up some Japanese names .... I'm pretty anxious in waiting for my baby to arrive. I can't wait until I can bring her home :)

but anyway... the names... I was think about either Kiri, which means mist, or Kaminari, which means thunder. I like the way they look and sound... and the english translations are good too.

I may end up changing it once I do actually get her home, but right now I'm just throwing around ideas.... mostly because I am really bored .... I don't have anything to do on the weekends lol
 
I have 5 indoor cats, none of which give a slither to my cornsnake Jada. They'll watch her if she's on the move, but quickly lose intrest. As a professional feline behaviorist, I would advise you to hold off on getting your snake, until you are certian your cat is okay. It doesn't sound to me as if your cat is truely feral, if he was there is no way you would be able to get near him with out the cat tearing your eyes out. I have an outdoor feral, who is now tame-however only with me, and after 2 years of building solid trust. Give your new cat some time to adjust with you before adding a snake. You'll definitly want to find out if your cat will be accepting of new things after the nueter.
 
I have three cats and one corn. My two sighted cats ignore the snake and couldnt give a rats ass about her. My 3 year old blind cat however sleeps onto of the tank every day while I sleep, with out fail. And every night when I wake up, I check the lid for wear...lol. (She only weighs about seven pounds but still).
 
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