To make those feel better that read my "Descison" thread

[golden_moon_luv]

ok I was not the one really to want to breed one of my girls. My fiancee wanted to. Well Guess what I was able to change his mind in one way. For his christmas present he is getn a ball python. I have been doing research and and checking them out and talking to owners. These guys will reach 5-6 ft long eat 1-2 times a month(dont you wish our cats would do that) and just need one thing heat at the right temp. 24-7.
So Babi and HAmpster are getin fixed next month before they're first heat cycle begins.


Ashley

 

[lenaorie]

yay... great choice.. although snakes are kind of scary!

 

[chixyb]

I am glad to see you guys changed your mind, this is a wonderful decision! I have a purebred Shih Tzu, and although I would love to breed her just once, I know that there are already to many unwanted pets out there, so she will be fixed with no babies.

 

[turtlecat]

I have always wondered...

Why people that know they are in unhealthy relationships... always try to fix the relationship with either a baby or a pet.

This may not be the case. Or it might be. It is simply something that I've noticed over the course of my life, watching certain family members divorce with 4+ kids and a Zoo of animals, because they thought the kids/pets would fix things.

 

[lenaorie]

how old are you?

 

[golden_moon_luv]

Originally Posted by turtlecat

I have always wondered...

Why people that know they are in unhealthy relationships... always try to fix the relationship with either a baby or a pet.

This may not be the case. Or it might be. It is simply something that I've noticed over the course of my life, watching certain family members divorce with 4+ kids and a Zoo of animals, because they thought the kids/pets would fix things.

Well lets see I screwd up and would never tell the truth in this relation ship on account I was scared. I was finally able to get it all out and all the arguements and fights we had were about that situation. That problem fixed. We are now a happy couple. Oh Im 17. Dont say too younge. I had no one around to teach me things about life event hough my mom was there beside me. I taught my self everything by watching and going through tough times. I can say I dont know how to cook but some how every night I can cook up a great meal for me and Robert. I can deal with stressful situations and keep a cool(while robert freaks out).

I grew up fast and never had a child hood or a teenage life. I never will. I missed out on that stuff because of people. They were to busy Judging me before they met me. Go figure huh. So tus shutting out the world and creating my own where I taught my self the way things are and I think should be.


Ashley

 

[hissy]

Don't shut out the adults here on board who are trying to help you Ashley. You are to young to understand the world, no matter how tough you had it growing up. Sadly, you do not have the patent on having a tough life. There are many members here who have shared privately their stories of growing up in torment and trauma.

I was 19 when I married. I ran away from home to live with the guy for a year first, then we got married. He was 23- we lasted 10 years. He was abusive and uncaring and the only reason I went to him was because he was the only one there at the time.

I am glad you aren't breeding your cats. I hope you hold true to that committment, and just to let you know, pythons eat cats- maybe not now when they are small, but as they grow, they will look at your cats as prey-

 

[wellingtoncats]

I'm glad you are not breeding your kitties. Hopefully everybodys advice here at TCS helped!

I have to agree with hissy though - pythons eat cats?!

 

[golden_moon_luv]

As much as I would love a new kitten I cant afford that. Im about to find a home for one very trouble dog. Ok I can say that with the PROPER enclosure a snake will not get out. I joined a snake group to further learn. I found an online breeder. I am researching and learning about the snake before I get it. Well with PROPER care I doubt any cat wil get eaten and well I bet that gunie was a big meal. Poor containment lead to that animals death. I doubt a python can eat a full grown cat. I will continue my research just as I am with my cats and dogs.


Ashley

 

[valanhb]

I'm glad to hear you are getting your kitten's spayed.

Please do your research before getting a python. Are you willing to have fetal mice in your freezer? Or even full grown mice in your freezer? Are you willing to bash a baby bunny's head against a wall to feed a full grown python?

And no, I'm not kidding or exaggerating about the baby bunny. Some friends of mine had a python and they took very good care of him and he got really big. Too big for feeder mice to quench his appetite. So they had to upgrade to baby bunnies, but you have to at least stun the bunny first or else it will rip the python to shreds trying to get away. They ended up with a pet bunny and rehoming the python.

 

[squirtle]

I just wanted to add in my 2 cents for what it's worth... you say your relationship is healthy now and everything is better... you mentioned before that he was abusive... I hope things stay this way but the reality of it Ashley, is that the chances that happening are slim. Someone like that doesn't just change overnight. Things might get better when they feel they are getting what they want for awhile, but just keep your eyes open to the situation, because that can change very quickly. I don't think that adding another pet is going to help. Why don't you guys just spend some time on trying to make your relationship work, if thats what you want to do, and not add another life (pet in this case) into the scenario. I would hate to see you posting in a month from now that you need to rehome your cats and python. I know you say it's his python, but it sounds to me like your the one doing the research and taking responsibility for it...
I know you saythat you have been through a lot and are able to make your own decisions, but sometimes when you are in the actual situation you are blinded and can't see things the way they really are. Truth be known, at 17 you are still very young and immature (I don't mean that in a negative way). I am 25, have learned a lot, but I know I still have a lot more to learn.

 

[dragonlady]

Heidi and Hissy don't worry. A full grown ball python will not get big enough to eat cats. I have 3 and they only reach 5-6 feet max. There is no way they could get a cat down as their body would split unles the cat was under 10 weeks old. Even then it would be a HUGE meal.

Ball pythons are not a burmese python that can grow to over 10-16 feet. They rarely escape as they prefer to hide during the day, and hunt at night. The largest prey they eat would be a Medium sized rat.

Ashley you will need a 20-40 gallon tank with a sliding top that locks with a pin. These are fairly inexpencive through Petco or Petsmart. The bedding can be aspen chips and an under tank heater will be adaquate for maintaining thr right temp. A hiding place like a tunnel or even a cloth bag will be a stress reliever as they hate to be in plain sight. They do NOT need ultra violet light as they are noctunal, so don't let the sales person talk you into it. Clean water in a ceramic dish that he can curl up in to soak for shedding is also important. This is a great beginner snake as they are mostly docile and don't get to an unmanagable size.

 

[kittylover4ever]

Ashley, I hope you realize that we are all here to help.......and there is some really great advice given here............

 

[fwan]

First of all
EW SNAKES!

Sencondly Heidi really a baby bunny? I would smash the persons head if they hurt a bunny!! NOONE HURTS BUNNIES!

ANd mices are too cute to be fed to snakes.
I wish snakes were exstinted instead of Pandas!!

And Ew snakes one again.

believe me one day your snake will get out and eat your poor kitties so i dont advise you to get a monster.


ew ew ew ew ew ew

 

[fwan]

Originally Posted by DragonLady

Heidi and Hissy don't worry. A full grown ball python will not get big enough to eat cats. I have 3 and they only reach 5-6 feet max. There is no way they could get a cat down as their body would split unles the cat was under 10 weeks old. Even then it would be a HUGE meal.

Ball pythons are not a burmese python that can grow to over 10-16 feet. They rarely escape as they prefer to hide during the day, and hunt at night. The largest prey they eat would be a Medium sized rat.

Ashley you will need a 20-40 gallon tank with a sliding top that locks with a pin. These are fairly inexpencive through Petco or Petsmart. The bedding can be aspen chips and an under tank heater will be adaquate for maintaining thr right temp. A hiding place like a tunnel or even a cloth bag will be a stress reliever as they hate to be in plain sight. They do NOT need ultra violet light as they are noctunal, so don't let the sales person talk you into it. Clean water in a ceramic dish that he can curl up in to soak for shedding is also important. This is a great beginner snake as they are mostly docile and don't get to an unmanagable size.

Hmm well since you got some good advice there, im still against snakes so dont take it personally!!!

 

[turtlecat]

You can say to me that you never had a life. well and so. Interestingly enough, neither have most of the rest of us. Sorry. I'm simply looking out for the sake of your animals. I simply don't understand the desire to have that many pets before your life is established. Especially as the particular pets you have require so much care.

*People that have established themselves, and have the assets and time to devote to that many pets, sure.. but at 17, while you might be responsible.. It's too much to take care of by yourself. I cannot bring myself to believe that you get too much help from your boyfriend.

Also, if you say he WAS abusive, he WILL be abusive again. unless of course, you're not being honest, and he isn't and hasn't ever abused you. I hope it's the latter, and you have some personal issues to work out, rather than the former, where you have your life, and the life of your numerous cats, dogs, and soom a ball python to worry about.

Let's assume you feel I'm being judgemental. Well, let's assume so because I am. I am judging you based on all those things you've said before, and they are all quite concerning to me. You seem to feel like you got the bad hand, and because of that you need a tonne of people and pets to care about you. I'm sorry you've not had "the easy life". That is no reason to play roulette with other lives.

That's my 2 cents, and mods, please feel free to remove or edit this post if you feel it needs be, however, I felt it needed to be said. If I seem harsh to anyone, I'm sorry, but this is simply how I feel upon the whole scenario as we've been explained it. Hats off to all of those who've given good advice, to her, and the rest of us, about abuse, and ball pythons (thank you DragonLady, that was educational, I never knew the difference between a ball and a burmese python.)


So, in the words of the sublimely moronic Forest Gump..."And that's all I have to say about that."

 

[prissykitty]

Hi guys, I have had a ball python and I never had to keep mice or rats frozen in the freezer, and I never had to bash a rabbit's head in. Good greif!

A live mouse once or twice a month was always just fine for me.

Oh and by the way, Ball Pythons typically don't get big enough to eat much more than a medium sized rat at one feeding. it's the BURMESE pythons that you hear about eating people's chihuahua's and larger animals...

 

[hissy]

I stand corrected then. Sorry I watch the snake wrangler on NGEO channel and those pythons can eat a cat- I hate snakes anyway. But I still think Ashley needs to concentrate on herself and not add any animals into such a environment-

 

[valanhb]

My apologies...I was only passing on the information as I understood it.

 

[zanniesmom]

My kids had corn snakes and I can tell you I would rather have mousesicles in the freezer than watch them constrict and kill a mouse. I would train it to eat thawed mice. Much nicer in my opinion. And snakes can make great pets but they live for 30-40 years. Be sure you are ready to make that kind of commitment. Becky