Parents

[al5766]

Well, I'm the parent with the animals. Always have been. I have let some of the kids get animals over the years, of course knowing that if they didn't care for it I would have to. Didn't bother me as I LOVE the animals. I just had to add that every once in awhile you get a kid who can take care of their animal. One of my kids is 8 and a REAL animal love, always has been. We took in a pregnant cat about 2 years ago and she begged and begged to keep one of the babies, Promised up and down to take care of it. I was skeptical, she was only 6. Let me tell you something, the cat and her are best friends. She feeds, waters and changes the litter box, most times without me telling her. She's not perfect. When I read the posts about have the kids thought about down the road and what they will do with the animal I had to laugh. She has dicussed with me in detail about her cat and down the road. She is planning on taking him with her when she leaves home, or if she lives in a dorm she will leave him with me until she can get her own place. DId I mention she's only 8? She has decided to have him stuffed when he dies also. She first was thinking of burying him but then worried that we would move from the house and she would't be able to visit him. I think she's thought more about this than I have.LOL He follows her around like a puppy dog, they sleep together, watch TV together, ect. She always reminds me to buy cat treats for him or some new collar. She is his Mommy. So, there are the rare kids who can really take care of the animals.

Of coures, I agree that the parents know their own children and if they have objections they could be ligitimate also. Just had to tell the story of the other side. Oh, she loves the snakes as well and helps me with them too. She says as get more she will be there for me. Now, if only the teenagers would have that attitude.....SIGH

 

[Velvet]

I don't live with my parents (who are divorced in any case) but my mom loves my snakes! lol She handles them and cuddles them! lol

My dad is terrified of snakes but has bought me snakes as gifts so he is not totally against them! lol (Meaning he gave me the money and I picked what I liked! lol)

 

[whatisntseen]

It took me YEARS to get my mom to let me get a snake. My dad didnt mind them at all, but my mom HATES every animal except dogs, birds, and fish. I basically just started spitting out facts to my mom about snakes (ball pythons at the time) that proved that I had done ridiculous amounts of research on the subject. I proved that I could care for it without problem. Eventually she got me one for christmas, but I still can't really get other snakes, she yells at me when I do. Regardless, I know my mom and thoguh it's against her wishes, I tend to bring home a new snake every few months only to have her warm up to the idea in a day or two. She does go into my room and play I SPY in the snake enclosures, looking for any sign of one. I have yet to get her to hold one.
With that said, I'm now in college and my dorm hall doesnt allow snakes (though I have one here anyways). My other two snakes are at home, my dad is taking care of them as we had discussed for a couple of years now. I will be taking them all with me next year when I go off campus. So my dad finds them very interesting and takes care of them, my mom tries to pretend they dont exist and tends not to go into my room. It's an interesting set up. My house is a zoo as it is, though I'm sure you all have far more animals than we do.

 

[Bluebird]

We've always had pets in the house...but furry ones

Mind you, I am the mom who goes camping with her kids, and hauls them around looking for garter snakes..lol

This summer, my youngest son ( 11 years old ), asked for a corn snake for his birthday. Well, I read and read...I bought Kathy's book, and then I looked for a corn for him. I didn't tell him though..lol He went to Alberta for a couple weeks, and I picked up an Anery corn...and didn't tell him....I just kept saying..."uh..I don't think so"....( bad mommy! )..lol

anyhoo, he was thrilled when he first saw his snake set up in his room

and well...I loved his snake so much, I wanted my own..lol...so I bought my Okeetee..

Now I am hooked... I am a 35 year old mother of two boys, addicted to snakes..lol

 

[SNAKEWISPERA]

Well, I dont think all parents are scared of snakes because when I asked for one my dad really forced my mum to get me one?
And now i now why when my dad was younger he use to keep snakes, he has showed me pictures off him wrestling anaconda's & 'retic's (MADMADMADMADMAMADHEADCASELOL)
My fav' one is where he is wrestling his burm because it had mouth rot(not caused by him)
being back in the 80's my dad looked like a idiot, he has a haircut apparently called a mullet(i call it the D*** head style) and with his big American shades the police wear,and denim :laugh01::flames::eek1:
I will dig out the photos of him and scan them onto here :spinner::crazy02:


But seriously ad far as parents being scared off snakes I got to say NO but as far as lizards go he wont pic up terrance or open his tank or anything:rofl:

JOEL

 

[Snake Dave]

Well, I dont think all parents are scared of snakes because when I asked for one my dad really forced my mum to get me one?
And now i now why when my dad was younger he use to keep snakes, he has showed me pictures off him wrestling anaconda's & 'retic's (MADMADMADMADMAMADHEADCASELOL)
My fav' one is where he is wrestling his burm because it had mouth rot(not caused by him)
being back in the 80's my dad looked like a idiot, he has a haircut apparently called a mullet(i call it the D*** head style) and with his big American shades the police wear,and denim :laugh01::flames::eek1:
I will dig out the photos of him and scan them onto here :spinner::crazy02:


But seriously ad far as parents being scared off snakes I got to say NO but as far as lizards go he wont pic up terrance or open his tank or anything:rofl:

JOEL

Ha ha well you're lucky! Mike's probably just as likely to ask for a new reptile as you lol.

 

[Weebonilass]

We've always had pets in the house...but furry ones

Mind you, I am the mom who goes camping with her kids, and hauls them around looking for garter snakes..lol

This summer, my youngest son ( 11 years old ), asked for a corn snake for his birthday. Well, I read and read...I bought Kathy's book, and then I looked for a corn for him. I didn't tell him though..lol He went to Alberta for a couple weeks, and I picked up an Anery corn...and didn't tell him....I just kept saying..."uh..I don't think so"....( bad mommy! )..lol

anyhoo, he was thrilled when he first saw his snake set up in his room

and well...I loved his snake so much, I wanted my own..lol...so I bought my Okeetee..

Now I am hooked... I am a 35 year old mother of two boys, addicted to snakes..lol

I'm almost you Took my 12 yr old daughter 8 months to convince me to buy her a snake for her 13th birthday. I did not like snakes and she convinced me that she would do eeeeverything for it. We went to the pet store on her birthday (big mistake) and found her a beautiful little ghost female... who ended up being a non-feeder. Convinced that if I let the thing die I would be the worst mother on the whole planet ever, I went into maternal mode and finally found a vet who "fixed' her. Within a few months, we were at Tinley Park and my daughter convinced me to buy a very expensive snake that was on Kathy Love's table after we had been back to see it at least a half a dozen times She told me that I had called her snake, my snake one too many times.

Lady G died a year or so ago and while my daughter has moved out and not replaced her... I went from one snake to three and wouldn't mind adding a couple of more if I could find the right ones. But like with the horses, I'm very particular about what I want to bring home with me.

 

[Velvet]

But like with the horses, I'm very particular about what I want to bring home with me.

I'm exactly the same! When my little Appaloosa did grow big enough for me and I was forced to sell him, I spent MONTHS looking through hundreds of horses before I finally decided to try out two and wouldn't you know it, Velvet was the first horse I tried out!

I only buy horses and snakes that I really, really like.

Oh PS: My mom bought my first snake for me for Christmas! lol She was absolutely THRILLED that I wanted to FINALLY get a snake! lol We have always loved snakes and had been threatening to get them for YEARS and one day I finally decided that it was time! lol

Now I have 9....:rofl:

 

[snakewispera snr]

Well,
being back in the 80's my dad looked like a idiot, he has a haircut apparently called a mullet(i call it the D*** head style) and with his big American shades the police wear,and denim :laugh01::flames::eek1:
I will dig out the photos of him and scan them onto here :spinner::crazy02:


But seriously ad far as parents being scared off snakes I got to say NO but as far as lizards go he wont pic up terrance or open his tank or anything:rofl:

JOEL

Ho HO Ho, step away from the scanner, and put the photos down.
After all I should imagine a few others on here were the height of fashion with a mullet as well.
And I could bring out the baby pics, the ones of you on the sheep skin rug after bath time.
MIKE

 

[Velvet]

But seriously ad far as parents being scared off snakes I got to say NO but as far as lizards go he wont pic up terrance or open his tank or anything:rofl:

And with good reason! Lizards are nasty! :rofl:

I don't do lizards, frogs and toads and big geckos (though I can handle the tiny ones! lol)...

Anything else is 100% with me! lol

 

[diamondlil]

Ho HO Ho, step away from the scanner, and put the photos down.
After all I should imagine a few others on here were the height of fashion with a mullet as well.
And I could bring out the baby pics, the ones of you on the sheep skin rug after bath time.
MIKE

Unfair!
Joel just wanted to show how cool his dad is!:rofl:

 

[snakewispera snr]

And with good reason! Lizards are nasty! :rofl:

I don't do lizards, frogs and toads and big geckos (though I can handle the tiny ones! lol)...

Anything else is 100% with me! lol

This is Terrance, he's a Red Tegu. I know I've posted him before, but this pic shows how well Joel and him get on.

The thing with Terrance is, he isn't always as laid back as this photo shows. He can move with lightning speed, jump really well, and with his claws,can hang onto things.And he has teeth, not fine little snake teeth, but big rip things apart teeth. He can also recognize people and interact with them, and for some reason he doesn't ever settle when I'm around.
I've never done anything to make him this way, but as I move nearer to him he opens his mouth and hisses a warning to me. ( he also does this with strangers). Snakes only have one end to keep an eye on , and if you know what your looking at , can work out how far it can reach .
I've opened Terrances viv, he thought it was food coming and ran like Billy Wizz to the door. Saw me, freaked out, and I thought I was going to loose a finger trying to get him. Luckily the room is Tegu friendly, so I just had to wait with the lunatic watching me, until Joel got home from school, to rescue both of us.
So thats why I don't play with him. Maybe I should try harder with him, but for now Joel can take care of him.
MIKE

 

[Velvet]

He's still small isn't he? The tegu's I have seen were much bigger! lol
I've seen videos of them interacting with their owners and it's truelly remarkeable but not something I would want to get on the wrong side of! lol

I really laugh at myself sometimes, I'd rather handle a venomous snake than vegetarian iguana...(though they give nasty bites I would imagine!) I am always terrified that they jump on me suddenly or bite me! lol

 

[snakewispera snr]

He's still small isn't he? The tegu's I have seen were much bigger! lol
I've seen videos of them interacting with their owners and it's truelly remarkeable but not something I would want to get on the wrong side of! lol

I really laugh at myself sometimes, I'd rather handle a venomous snake than vegetarian iguana...(though they give nasty bites I would imagine!) I am always terrified that they jump on me suddenly or bite me! lol

That photo was last summer, he's BIGGER now, so it doesn't get easier. And he can tail whip. I feel very proud to have one in our collection and I love watching him, but I sometimes wonder how I am going to manage if/when Joel decides it's time to fly the nest. I'm going to have to bite the bullet and get on with him while I still got Joel here to rescue us:rofl:

 

[v_various]

you need another option, between "I just moved out" (I moved out almost a decade ago) and "I am a parent" (not too keen on taking care of anything that has arms and legs).

I had to wait until I moved out before I was able to have a pet. There is nothing wrong with that, I appreciate it much more this way. I pay for *everything* myself, I have 100% say in how my pets are taken care of, plus I roughly know where I'll be in 15 years when and my snakes will sill be alive right in my living room (you're only 12, what about college?). Snake set up's can be expensive, maybe if you asked for a tank and some books for your birthday your parents might think you're a little more serious. See if you can get them interested in going to a zoo/reptile house, try and them to see reptiles aren't that scary.

Or, wait until you move out. Do it yourself, and do it right.

 

[jessicalb]

My kid just kept asking. I figured he was serious when he started checking out all the reptile pet care books from the library and reading them aloud.

He paid for everything himself, and before he spends money he mentally budgets for pinkies. He's 10. So I think it just depends on the kid. Six months ago I would have said no way he'd be able to handle this now, but he's doing everything, just with supervision to make sure it's done well.

 

[v_various]

While on your other thread I gave you ideas for trying to tell your parents the value of having a snake, I am beginning to wonder if it is a good idea for you to get one. As I said your parents have thier reasons and it may not be just fear of the snake but fear of having to take care of it when you get bored.
:-offtopic I got a call yesterday from a woman who knows I have corn snakes, she offered me a corn at the beginning of summer but allowed her son to talk her into keeping it. It is an adult corn of unknown sex living in a viv in the garage. Per usual the son did not take care of this snake he wanted four years ago. Mom said it has eaten maybe five times this summer and only when she does it, son doesn't have time, forgets to get mice.... Now the Mom wants me to take it, son wants me to buy it for $100.00, Dad wnats me to buy it for $250.00 as he thinks that is what they have in it. As bad as I felt not taking it why should I buy a neglected snake, malnourished, in a dirty cage, probably with mites, of unknow sex. Just an example of what happens when kids a want something but aren't will to take care of it.

right right! I forgot, Amel boy came to me when his owners were "tired of him" and wanted him gone, and Thanagar came to me when his owner went to college. Some people just don't think when they get pets, what it's going to be like in 3 years. At least it worked out for my the snakes in the end.