Any suggestions on conning my hubby into getting me a snake?

jdopler · #1 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 03:50 AM

I am 26 (almost 27) and have wanted a snake (preferrably columbian red tail- but hey I'll take what I can get!!) since I was 17.
Now I can't get my husband talked into it because of the live dinner thing. However I have 2 boys who really like to go to the local reptile store and hold snakes about once a month.
I just don't know of any other ways to try to get him to give in on this-
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!
Anyone with similar stories and how they overcame this obstacle would help greatly.-- Short of finding a new husband of course! Hee heee!
Thanks

janaadopler@msn.com [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]
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Boaguy · #2 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 03:57 AM

dont know if this helps but
you dont have to feed the boa live [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img]
infact its better to feed frozen thawed..

i have four reasons why

(1) live mice can bite,causing serious damage or even death

(2) live mice can carry parasites ,frozen thawed cant

(3) Frozen mice are easier you can store away dozens of them in the freezer instead of running off the the pet store every week,,. and its less cruel to the mouse
they are gassed and killed insteastly then frozen

(4) you can order from places like rodentpro.com and get them in Bulk CHEAP like $0.22 cent each
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trinitywolf · #3 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 04:07 AM

Hey BG...I am going to follow you around all night and just post an affirmation to your post! So: I second what BG12 says!
Oh...and you could always find a new hubby...there are several available guys here that love women...and they don't mind the snakes either! LOL j/k

Good luck...hope you get your boa!

Oh yeah...welcome to RTB!!

XzyluM · #4 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 04:32 AM

Welcome to RTB. Very true what the kid said about live vs. f/t. I'm sure your hubby isn't going to leave you if you brought a snake home. Just a few more tips, if you get a snake from a pet store make sure you check him out well. Look for obvious signs of bad care like parasites, scars, lumps and etc. It would always be better to buy from a respected breeder or some of us here that breed.
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Ed_r · #5 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 04:41 AM

First off Welcome to RTB
Second NEVER FEED LIVE PREY. Red tail will easily eat frozen thawed prey. When i say thawed i mean til they are warm to the touch and soft all the way through. You can buy the rats frozen at many places www.rodentpro.com is a very good one.
Third Since you and your son really enjoy the snakes, JUST DO IT. Obviously research what you are going to purchase. Remember the average redtail Boa Will get to be about 7' long and 30 pounds. and you need apropriate caging, they are excellent escape artists.
Forth If he is squeemish about it then dont force it on him. I'ts your life too enjoy it.
My wife told me lately in a fight " Either they go or I go!!!"
My reply was "Ok need help packing?" [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img]
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cb76 · #6 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 05:45 AM

its your life right!

why ask a mate if you want something personal thats going to enrich your life!!

i say go for it. talk it out with him. you may turn him into the biggest herp freak, he just needs a lil' push.

set up a nice spot for your self and do it. if he dont like it, he dont have to see it!

if i ever meet the "one" for me and everything works out except she dont like snakes- she will be the first one to go.
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txgirl266 · #7 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 05:53 AM

I say talk to him and tell him why you really want one! My hubby wasn't down for the reptile thing at first but he finally bought me a red-tail for xmas and since tehn we have aqquired 9 lizards and four snakes.......Once you start you can't stop!!!!! It is an addiction but a healthy one!
One other thing to try is to take him to the pet stores with you and let him interact (if he will)
with the reptiles and stuff, before you know it he will come around!
We are all rooting for you so keep us posted!
Oh and welcome to RTB! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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Dr.Oviparous · #8 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 08:23 AM

If I were you I would spend time together here at RTB, just take a half hour a day or so, I'm sure after a while he will be wanting one also! plus you get to spend some quality time with the fam (this site is very family oriented, so bring the kids too), and you can learn everything you need about keeping your new snake.

if that doesn't work, I'm goona have to agree with Cb, just get one and let him find out later. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img] . -Juggalo

WELCOME TO RTB!!!!!!!

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#9 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 08:39 AM

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE> If I were you I would spend time together here at RTB, just take a half hour a day or so </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

Do we actually have members that only spend like that much time on rtb in a day here ? lmao

WELCOME TO REDTAILBOA.NET!!!

They are right. this is an addiction..both herping and the site even. My husband was not into reptiles when I met him. i laready had 3 snakes at the time. Now I have ..umm..multiples of them as well as lizards, frogs, chelonians etc... hehe As time went on my husband learned to like the snakes and now has his fave's even. I'd say go for it ! If you have a solid relationship then it is give and take and he should stand by your decision to keep a snake [ course it will wind up being more than 1 ya know down the road lol]

Like someone else said. there are some of us who have RTB's available at this time. I am one of them. Shoot me off an email @ LORI_SnakesRule@redtailboa.net and we'll talk.

You could also tell him that he already has his own snake and you just want your own snake too. They call that equality..right ?? hehe
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#10 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 08:52 AM

Here's a page on LIVE FEEDING
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#11 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 02:37 PM

My wife is not particularly fond of snakes. My first snakes (since she and I have been together) were watersnakes, which she thought were ugly. They were also very small and quick, so she really wasn't interested in bothering with them. Then I got a "used" [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] 3' normal corn snake and she fell in love with that snake, holds it all the time, walks around the house with it, everything. I think the key is to find something that hubby will find appealing as well. Then you can SLOWLY work your way to where you want to be. You need to move at his pace, not force him to move at yours.

Good luck and welcome aboard!
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Radkon4 · #12 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 02:39 PM

My advice is get the snake and hope for the best. When I first started dating my wife 3 years ago I found out she hates snakes. After living together for 2 years and being married for 1 year I finally got her to touch the tail of my argentinian female last night. The way I look at it in 20 years she should be ok.
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Seany · #13 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 02:53 PM

kind of same problem here. My wife doesn't like snakes... I have three and was going for number 4 but she put her foot down [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img]

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coferj · #14 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 03:31 PM

Sometimes gradually letting them get used to a snake will make them come around. My g/f used to be deathly afraid of snakes. She would come over, and I would religiously get my snakes out, but never force them on her. Slowly but surely she would make her way into the room, then she would sit in the room, and she started seeing that her pre-programmed thinking that a snake will bite her no matter what may not be correct. Finally, one day she decided she wanted to touch and hold my balls (ok, insert joke here... lol), and it's been downhill ever since. Recently she went out and bought her OWN bci! So, it just depends on the person.
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thomasito · #15 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 03:39 PM

well...I had the same problem with my FATHER! he likes snakes but he just doesn't like the live feeding part ...so he's against it ..... but one day I just bought a RTB and kept it a secret to my father ..one day he found out the RTB and the rats !!! he was so angry!!and said that the snakes and the rats had to go ...but I just said NO...and my mom said NO ...so what can he do ?lol.....still he thinks that we onlyhave 1 lil RTB ....but its actually 5 .....
After visiting this website(THE BEST) I switched to feeding dead rats ... but my Surinam BCC doesn't eat dead !!!! so I have to feed him live ...My other 4 babys have no problems with eating dead ....

so...just get that Boa.... and when he comes back from work ,,,show him and handle it and say that it doesn't bite ..etc...etc...and let yr kids handle it ...and after a day or 2 ...He'll say " LOOK AT MY SNAKE" like a macho-man to his friends !!
-----> well..thats what my dad does!
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Raven · #16 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 07:22 PM

I'm probably not the best one to offer advice with this, but I have to echo those who've said 'just do it'. When my other half and I started dating almost 7 years ago, he had no interest in snakes what-so-ever. Raised in Florida, many of his early snake experiences were of venemous snakes. While he didn't randomly kill any snake he came across, he also didn't tolerate the venemous or potentially venemous in his yard. It was made very clear up front that I had snakes, would always have snakes, and he just needed to accept it because that wasn't going to change. These days they are still all my snakes (10 and counting) but he does like them now and has learned a great deal about them since we've been together. He'll handle them and has those he likes better than others, maybe even a favorite one, I'm not sure. Their care is still my responsibility and the costs are still mine though he'll pitch in if I need help. I suggest you select a spot in your home for the setup, get it and the snake and enjoy yourself. Life is too short to forego what makes you happy, especially if it's something you really want.

Best of luck,
Raven
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Relayer · #17 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 08:07 PM

I know if my wife mentioned getting another cat we would have a serious problem, I hate cats. My wife was hesitant at first but now she loves them. I now have 3 boas (1.1.0 Peruvians and 0.0.1 Columbian), they are all part of the family now.
If you are considering it I reccomend a bci (Columbian) like Lori has for sale and I also reccomend buying it from Lori. Don't go to a pet store especially Petco, your just asking for truble.
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coferj · #18 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 08:11 PM

Yea, Lori has some great looking snakes, and I believe CB76 has a clutch that should be about ready for sale.
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LdyDrgn · #19 (**permalink**) 06-05-2002, 09:00 PM

My $0.02.....

Get a snake that would appeal to him the most. For some reason, most men really like the Argentine boas. Something about their color/look is rather masculine. They look like granite! I had a Royal python for a bit before I met my b/f. He isn't afraid of snakes, but neither was he all gung-ho for them. When I got my argie, it was love at first site. Tried to claim it as his, too!! hehehehe... Then we got a babysitting job-turned-rescue (female bci, near 8 ft) and he became quite attached to her. He helped quite a bit with her rehab and now she is 'Daddy's lil girl'. If you decide to do this and settle on an argie, get one that is greyish (under a year old) or black and white (after a year old). They come in high pink but are more expensive and turn brown as an adult instead of the classic black and white (just my opinion, I prefer the black and white). They get about the same size as a bci, too. You can check out my album for pics of my argie, Apophis:

Apophis' album

I hope your dream comes true! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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JuliusSqueezer · #20 (**permalink**) 06-06-2002, 12:02 AM

LOL. You guys have all missed the most obvious thing here. You are the woman half of the marriage. You hold the single most powerful bargaining tool there is. Use it!!! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Seriously. this is 2002 not 1802. Marriage no longer means that adult women are kept and treated as children. You are an adult. While it is healthy for a relationship to be 50/50 in major decisions...a pet that stays confined to a cage and makes no mess, noise or stench outside of a well kept cage is not going to hurt him in any way. If he can't deal with it, then he has issues other than this that he needs outside help with.
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