# Craigslist warning



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I got it through my handicats list, and if it's true (and looking at the pic attached which I don't even feel comfortable to post here, looks like it is) it's absolutely disgusting....

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This is a shared post from Morgan County Cafe, please read.... 

Please Be Aware! I work at the local pet store and last week I spoke with a guy who came in to buy a rat. He has a 4-foot ball python, which he pays $10 per live rat to feed his snake every few weeks. He asked me (dead serious) if we'd give him a price break on kittens, or call if we got too many (presumably because kittens are a bit bigger than a rat and more readily available). Of course I told him absolutely not. Then he went on to tell me all about how he'd been cruising Craigslist ads for free to good home kittens, but (by sheer chance alone) the people either never got back to him or no longer had any available. He continues to look for free kittens. 

There's another customer who has a monitor (large meat eating lizard) that boasts regularly to other customers and employees that their lizard prefers pets over feeders, and laughs, telling people they get free to good home and cheap rehoming fee pets all the time (hamsters, birds, kittens, etc) off of craigslist, out of the paper, and from ads they find on post-boards in grocery stores and what-not. They pose as nice people but your pet becomes food. Adoption fees of $15 do not deter them! Remember, they're paying $10 for a rat, so $15 for something bigger (bunnies, kittens, etc) is nothing to them. And for the monitor family, they get a kick out of it - so they are happy to pay more just to watch their lizard kill your pet. Please be careful when re-homing your pets... that old "they become snake food" saying is true!


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## gigem88 (May 10, 2011)

People who "love" reptiles seem a little screwy to begin with. Glad I spay/neuter my pets.


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

That's been happening around here too. There is a local pet sale/rehoming page and two people (that I know of) were using it for the same purpose and were getting all of the free kittens to feed to large snakes.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Nightside (Nov 11, 2012)

Unless it is a very young or very small kitten, a ball python would have some serious trouble with that. I should know, I used to have about 20 of them, along with dozens of other reptiles in my short years. But hubby lost his job and the mortgage had to be paid so the reptile hobby was the first to go.

If he's paying 10 dollars for a rat, he's an idiot anyway. Even for a jumbo rat, I paid about 3 or 4 dollars per, and I preferred to have mine frozen for me, as live prey can damage the snake and that wasn't a risk I was willing to take. Plus, dead prey doesn't squeal. 

If you have a dog or a cat, you can't really complain about what reptile people feed their pets. There's animals in your dog/cat food too, you just don't have to see it's face. I don't believe it is right to feed pets to pets, but maybe people should fix their darn cats. 

Also, some reptiles get a taste for certain prey and are hard to switch back to anything else. I knew someone who bought a 8 dollar gerbil to feed to their corn snake for fun, joke was on them because he had a lot of trouble getting it to eat 1.50 mice again.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

what makes a cat any higher or mightier than a rat ? I dont see any difference in general. Guess in the OP's mind feeding a snake a cat is some horrendous thing, yet allowing uncontrolled breeding then gassing them at a shelter is ok ? I am gonna assume the OP is vegan ?


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

I can't speak for anyone else but I personally wouldn't be bothered by it so much but the people getting the free kittens here were getting them under the guise of them becoming pets. I don't care what they feed their reptiles but they don't need to be shady about it. A lot of farmers I know would likely give them the cats that get dumped off, those dumpees are often pregnant females.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## texasgal (Jul 25, 2008)

Joe4d said:


> what makes a cat any higher or mightier than a rat ? I dont see any difference in general. Guess in the OP's mind *feeding a snake a cat is some horrendous thing, yet allowing uncontrolled breeding then gassing them at a shelter is ok ?* I am gonna assume the OP is vegan ?


I agree with this part .. It's a viscious cycle we create by not spaying and neutering. If someone allows their cat to breed indiscriminately and then offers them up for free on craigslist, they really can't be choosy on what the person taking them off their hands does with them.

I'd rather see them feed another animal than starve to death or be gassed and thrown in the landfill.

On a side note: I've known some really NICE pet rats .. they are smart and funny and affectionate. And as much as I REALLY REALLY like snakes, the thing that keeps me from getting one (besides the hubby) is the feeding part.

imo


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Nightside said:


> If you have a dog or a cat, you can't really complain about what reptile people feed their pets. There's animals in your dog/cat food too, you just don't have to see it's face. I don't believe it is right to feed pets to pets, but maybe people should fix their darn cats.


Agree (OK I agree twice is that long enough to be a proper post)


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Joe4d said:


> what makes a cat any higher or mightier than a rat ? I dont see any difference in general. Guess in the OP's mind feeding a snake a cat is some horrendous thing, yet allowing uncontrolled breeding then gassing them at a shelter is ok ? I am gonna assume the OP is vegan ?


_Assumptions often don't lead to any good, Joe. Just something to keep in mind, you know..._

I also don't get how uncontrolled breeding has to do with the fact to be _careful _about adopting the animal out (ANY animal). And yes, I find it horrendous to feed a live animal (whether it's a kitten or a rat) to the snake (I'm talking about snake as a home "pet", not the natural environment when they have to hunt to feed themselves). I'm against uncontrolled breeding, my cats are all fixed. However not _all _people looking for homes for the unwanted kittens are breeders. Just give you an example: my last kitty came from the vet office for free. Those kitties were dumped in a park at 3 or 4 weeks old and picked and brought to the vet office. How in a world does it make a vet a "backyard breeder"?


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## Nightside (Nov 11, 2012)

Although I fed mine mostly frozen meals, how is it horrendous to feed a live animal to another predator? That's life. Granted the prey doesn't have much chance for escape in a cage with a hungry snake, but to call it horrendous is a bit extreme. They have to eat. Some are finicky and people don't have the time or experience to trick them into eating a frozen/thawed rat. It isn't as if they make vegetarian snake food, or snake kibble. Neither of which would be good for them, obviously.

And I am sure everyone is aware of feral cats/kittens. Since cats aren't native wildlife, someone somewhere down the line let their unfixed cats outside and that is where those kittens came from. It isn't realistic to think there is a home for every kitten. Better it keep a down on their luck snake enthusiasts pets fed than rot in a landfill. 

Like I said, your cats are predators, too. The only difference is the cows were shuffled around the country, stuffed in a crowded truck, bled out at a slaughterhouse, ground up, and squished into little triangle shaped kibble because coming to grips with Fluffy being carnivorous is just too horrendous.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Nightside said:


> Although I fed mine mostly frozen meals, how is it horrendous to feed a live animal to another predator? That's life.


Sorry, NS, but it's life when it's outside. In a cage it's not natural life, it's an artificial environment, and the live creature has no chance at all. As you said one can use frozen meat (like they do in places like Gatorland, Big Cat Rescue, etc.) rather then throw a live kitten there and listen how it cries until it's killed. Just my opinion.


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## texasgal (Jul 25, 2008)

About as natural as a cow being slaughtered at the slaughter house, or a chicken being bled, plucked and processed at the "kill station" .. then put in your cat food that you feed your cats.

I can TOTALLY understand you not wanting to see any of those situations, and I can understand that you are a cat lover, but it's life. Meat eaters eat meat .. whether they are out in the wild doing it, or depending on the people that took on their responsibility. At some point, a caged (penned) animal is killed to make our dog/cat food.

imo


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

texasgal said:


> About as natural as a cow being slaughtered at the slaughter house, or a chicken being bled, plucked and processed at the "kill station" .. then put in your cat food that you feed your *cats*.


Why just cats? Dogs too.  And I eat beef, pork, etc. and even (oh, boy!) doesn't see anything wrong with eating a horse (although I never tried one). With that being said I still think it's wrong to feed a snake a _live _animal. 

We can all argue all we want here, but the fact is neither is going to change the opinion, so it's really a moot point. :wink: On my side I'll share it on all forums I go to, and it's up to people to agree or disagree and to consider or to ignore.


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## Nightside (Nov 11, 2012)

If you are worried about the kitten suffering and being fed alive, well, frozen rats aren't born that way, and there are plenty of guides to feeding what is called pre-killed rats. That's right. Where you kill them yourself and immediately feed to the snake to prevent the prey from struggling and injuring a thousand or more dollar reptile. Also good for those snakes who won't touch a frozen meal so it isn't an option. I won't go into details, you can surf the net f you like, but any way you look at it, an animal that was once alive has to die to feed another. I don't like the squealing, but it only lasts a few seconds, while freezing to death can take a lot longer.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Its all down to the concept of what we see as pets isnt it.
There is a huge furore in the UK at present as its been discovered that a range of beef burgers contain horse meat - they are being placated with the message that the horsemeat is quite safe but people there dont see horses as something they eat but as pets like cats and dogs so they arent exactly overjoyed with the idea


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Nightside said:


> If you are worried about the kitten suffering and being fed alive, well, frozen rats aren't born that way, and there are plenty of guides to feeding what is called pre-killed rats. That's right. Where you kill them yourself and immediately feed to the snake to prevent the prey from struggling and injuring a thousand or more dollar reptile. Also good for those snakes who won't touch a frozen meal so it isn't an option. I won't go into details, you can surf the net f you like, but any way you look at it, an animal that was once alive has to die to feed another. I don't like the squealing, but it only lasts a few seconds, while freezing to death can take a lot longer.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


That's interesting, NS. One of the reasons while I don't like the whole idea so much is that I've seen some snake owners to feed live rats while enjoying watching the whole process, smiling, and commenting. I don't mean in any way or form that all owners are like that, but what I've seen was enough to turn me off. 

And jaydee, you are very right. It's all about how we see the pets.  I know Koreans eat dogs, I'd never consider eating (or even trying) one myself.


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## Nightside (Nov 11, 2012)

I can't say I ever enjoyed feeding live rats. I've had many rodents for pets, including a rat that was very near and dear to my heart. But I know the type of people you are talking about. The grinning idiots with the brain of a teenage boy. Luckily the ones dangling a by the tail are very likely to get a well deserved bite from either the rat or the reptile. I usually emptied the rat into the feeding cage straight out of the box, close the cage, close my ears. You have to watch to make sure thesnake takes it, as a rat is very capable of killing a snake. If it is any consolation, pet store rats live short lives, even I loved and coddled, much like a puppy mill dog they are very prone to a wide range of genetic disease.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

Cats are pets. Feeder rats are pet food. End of story.

Someone who's trolling adoption ads for kittens to feed to his snake is one sick SOB. 

I don't even need to start on how I feel about large/carnivorous reptiles being kept as pets.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

Jessabel said:


> Cats are pets. Feeder rats are pet food. End of story.


Its not that simple - rats and mice make great pets too. I had two feeder mice I bought as pets in college. Both were very entertaining and came running up for treats - especially peanut butter.

Snakes eating animals does not bother me and I would rather see an animal go to nourish another than be wasted with euthinasia. I do think they should be humanely killed by non-chemical means before being placed in the cage - safer for the snake and much more humane to the animal. 

But I do think the warning still stands - if you are trying to find your animal a home - screen it very carefully if you want it to go to a good pet home. And spay/neuter!


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

I really think this is a CL hoax, much like the shock and awe photos and stories that come up on FB. This exact posting, word for word, was posted on my local CL. 

I suppose I am a screwy person as I absolutely adore my reptiles. Straight up in love with them. My boas mean the world to me as any horse would. I truly wish people wouldn't make such terrible assumptions about people just for the things they enjoy. Some of the most wonderful people I have ever met have been reptile keepers and hobbyists. 

Overall, if you are any means a keeper, you know where to get feeders for cheap. Pet shops, unless you are tight with the owner, are twice the price of breeders, reptile shows, or even building a rack and breeding your own. 

Feeding live is very dangerous for the snake, especially with rats. I have seen pictures of some poor snakes chewed to pieces by rats when the owner went away for "a little bit". Poor babies. Frozen thawed is the much safer route, but unfortunately there are some snakes that would rather starve than eat F/T. Most Ball Pythons are picky enough. Any real hobbyist or keeper tries to limit variation in a BPs diet, just in case they decide that they will only eat certain things. 

Right now, I have only been able to fee live since my frozen supplier(s) are VERY unreliable, and I know several breeders of live that I can always count on. It really hurt us when the reptile shows here went from every month to twice a year. When the switch happened, I did not have enough money or freezer space for six months worth of food. I have to watch my bull snake very carefully, because she is a lazy striker. She doesn't really wrap her prey at first. Her last feeding she grabbed it wrong and it was almost able to bite her. I didn't even think twice about clocking that sucker unconscious. I felt bad after it died, but at the time, my pretty girls safety was all that mattered. She is too sweet to let anything happen to her. 

I do have one boa that will not under any circumstance eat frozen thawed. He will go up and smell it and investigate, but will not eat it. I doubt I will ever get him to switch over. Le sigh. It sucks too that he is small. Live pinkies and younger prey are miserable to find. 

And on the other hand, my anaconda detests live. She likes to hunt from the water, and has very low confidence. She loses her nerve the second something seems amiss, which includes me looming over the enclosure. F/T, I can just clip over the water and leave. 

As for "pets", I would have to be pretty desperate to try a puppy or kitten, but gerbils, hamsters, chicks, rabbits.... Those are all foods.

I even have two designated pet rats. They are rats we would fight someone for. They are so sweet and snuggly. They would never be considered food even if we could not find food for a while.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

I owned a 12' Burmese python. It wouldn't eat frozen or dead, umm, food. She Did perticularly like small rabbits and kittens over rats. I had her In a large enclosure, not an aquarium, so she actually hunted. Which I feel is more natural and healthier.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Tracer (Sep 16, 2012)

IMO, what matters most is how the animal dies. No animal deserves to suffer as it dies, even though it does happen. I'm the type who cringes when I see a lion take down an antelope on television, and the antelope kicks wildly as the lion digs in. That is cruel, but it's the way things have to be in that case.

In the case of feeding carnivorous pets, it doesn't have to be that way. I believe it is inhumane to put any animal in with a predator and let them live out their last moments in fear, and possibly agony if the killing isn't fast, if there is something you can do about it. 

That being said though, I have a 'humane' mouse trap and every mouse that is caught is fed to my dogs. In my defense though, the mice rarely even touch the ground before being killed, although there has been the odd ones that have suffered, and it is those ones that make me despise the method. But it's still better than most other options.

I think the whole point OP was trying to get across though was the dishonesty of the people who are feeding animals they have taken in for free to their animals. That is undeniably morally wrong. Feeding pets to pets is another matter entirely.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Nature is cruel, no way to change that. There's the predator and there's the prey. Like it or not there's no way to change that.

Our generation, or maybe the last couple of generations, have move far from the realities of life. We don't do the dirty deed and have dissociated ourselves from the cruelty and messiness of killing to eat. 

Maybe that's what's spurning some of the violence our country is plagued with, I can't say for sure but just maybe.

A snake has to eat to. I'm with Joe on this, why is a cat more important than a rat?


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## Faceman (Nov 29, 2007)

Tracer said:


> ...I have a 'humane' mouse trap and every mouse that is caught is fed to my dogs...


That's sort of like ordering a Diet Coke and a cheeseburger...:rofl:


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## texasgal (Jul 25, 2008)

Faceman said:


> That's sort of like ordering a Diet Coke and a cheeseburger...:rofl:


 
Right?? I literally laughed out loud and my office mate wanted to know what I was laughing at...

When I advertise free roosters on craigslist, I have NO RIGHT to dictate what the people who take them do with them. None. I can ask, request, beg, but once they take that animal off my property it belongs to THEM because I was no longer willing to care for it myself.

If folks would take the time to worm and vaccinate their kittens and then charge a small fee, it might discourage the snake food buyers ... but most won't even put THAT much effort into their 'extra' kittens.

SPAY and NEUTER people!!

imo


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## horsecrazygirl (Apr 23, 2012)

Some of us just can't grasp the idea of a kitten being snake food. That being said, i can't grasp the idea of my mom beating the poor little mouse(if she gets to the mouse first. If i do, then i live trap the mouse and go set it free outside) on the head for getting into her pantry and eating what he really shouldn't be eating. But then again i can't bear the thought of a baby snake being eaten alive by a honey badger. Though i watch it anyway. The point is that Nature is not nice. someones gonna eat someone. We all have to live right? whether it was originally raised to be food or not. But the thought still makes me uncomfortable.


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## DimSum (Mar 28, 2012)

Tracer said:


> *That being said though, I have a 'humane' mouse trap and every mouse that is caught is fed to my dogs.* In my defense though, the mice rarely even touch the ground before being killed, although there has been the odd ones that have suffered, and it is those ones that make me despise the method. But it's still better than most other options.


FYI, do you know that mice are intermediate hosts for tapeworm and by feeding them to your dogs they can get infested? Which is why I worm all my cats and dogs for tapeworms on a regular basis as we live in the sticks and mice are common. Lots of info on the web if you are interested.

Tapeworms


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## peppersgirl (Aug 24, 2012)

Cats are not nice predators....They will harrass and play with their food often times letting it go several times to recatch it. It can take a while for the victim to die...Snakes do not do this..

While I agree that it is discusting to lie to people to aquire kittens for snake food, I find it alot more disturbing when someone lies to aquire kittens for their own sick needs...to torture. THAT is far worse than snake food IMO.


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## Shoebox (Apr 18, 2012)

gigem88 said:


> People who "love" reptiles seem a little screwy to begin with. Glad I spay/neuter my pets.


I take a bit of offense to this. I absolutely LOVE reptiles. I used to own snakes. I plan to own more snakes when I am able. They happen to be predators, and some of them refuse dead food and you have to give them live food. That makes me screwy, because I enjoy an animal that some other people don't enjoy (and obviously don't understand)?

To the topic at hand, I do have an issue with it. I know a kitten is a kitten, and why not give it to the snake? I personally would not, but if someone else wants to....

The issue I have is that he is looking for kittens on "free to good home" advertisements. These people are giving away these kittens under the assumption that they are going to a good loving home, and they are actually being fed to a snake. He's blatantly lying about it. I don't like that.

As others have pointed out, a snake is a snake. It's a predator. It needs food, and sometimes it needs live food. I personally don't see an issue with feeding it whatever you can get it to eat - if you're willing to feed it a rat, then why not a bunny? A kitten? Because they are pets. Well, rats are pets too. Like I said... I personally would not feed the snake a kitten. But if someone is going to own an animal that eats live small prey, who am I to judge what they feed it? It's sad that he's lying about it, but. As someone else pointed out, is it better if they get gassed at a shelter?

If people don't want this happening, then maybe they should fix their animals so they wouldn't have 12 kittens they need to get rid of. Some snakes WILL NOT EAT frozen food or dead food. I know several of them. Ooh, but then it's better to just let it starve? No. Your cat is a predator too. So is your dog. They both have animal meal in their food that is killed in just as awful ways.


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## texasgal (Jul 25, 2008)

Shoebox said:


> *I take a bit of offense to this.* .


Ditto this.


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## grayshell38 (Mar 9, 2009)

I personally wouldn't be feeding kittens to other animals, however as a person that grew up on a farm, I know that food is food and nature isn't sunshine and rainbows. I've had barn cats that become food for coyotes, bunnies that are food for everything (cats, dogs, owls, hawks....), and a dog that loved to crunch, munch and shake rats until there were no bones left to break. She caught them on her own and didn't eat them. Just liked playing with them. 

I can't count how many mice, voles, moles, snakes and other little animals I've taken from my cats and killed so they wouldn't be suffering anymore. You want to see something truly horrible? Watch what a pair of cats will do to a rabbit.

I love all animals (except sheep...and dalmations...and, well, okay. Maybe not ALL animals, but ya know...) I at least respect the animals enough to allow them to practice their nature without censoring them. I may not like it, but that's the way it is. 

Oh, and I loved my pet rodents. I miss them dearly. After high school and moving to my own place, I had to rehome mine. They were lovely creatures. Very smart and affectionate.


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## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

gigem88 said:


> People who "love" reptiles seem a little screwy to begin with. Glad I spay/neuter my pets.


I get what you're trying to say, and I agree. Geckos, fine. Burmese pythons? That's a different story.

Honestly, I don't think anyone who owns a 10+ foot snake actually "loves" it. They're wild animals. They do not belong in a glass tank in someone's house. That, to me, is no different than keeping an exotic cat caged in your backyard. People who have them are merely infatuated with the idea of keeping a dangerous animal as a "pet". Besides that, I don't believe the animals can have any quality of life in captivity unless you have the resources to give them a _habitat_, not a cage. And most people don't. The snakes spend their entire lives staring at four glass walls and waiting for their next meal to be dangled in front of their faces. 

There's nothing natural about it when you take an exotic animal into your house. 

Rant #2: Cats are not rats. Cats have been valued as companions worldwide for 4,000 years. I've been around reptiles and rodents. They don't connect with you like cats and dogs. They don't care who feeds them. Snakes will chomp down on their owner as soon as a frozen rat. They do not "bond" with you. Sure, I enjoyed my hamsters, but I could have given them to someone else and it wouldn't have made a bit of difference to them. 

On the other hand, I know of a dog whose owner left it with a friend while he went off to the military. The dog was so distraught that he refused to eat until he died. I might change my opinions on the matter if anyone's ever known a rat or a snake to show that kind of devotion.

Sorry for the major tangent, but that's how I feel.


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## Shoebox (Apr 18, 2012)

Jessabel said:


> I get what you're trying to say, and I agree. Geckos, fine. Burmese pythons? That's a different story.
> 
> Honestly, I don't think anyone who owns a 10+ foot snake actually "loves" it. They're wild animals. They do not belong in a glass tank in someone's house. That, to me, is no different than keeping an exotic cat caged in your backyard. People who have them are merely infatuated with the idea of keeping a dangerous animal as a "pet". Besides that, I don't believe the animals can have any quality of life in captivity unless you have the resources to give them a _habitat_, not a cage. And most people don't. The snakes spend their entire lives staring at four glass walls and waiting for their next meal to be dangled in front of their faces.


You could not be more wrong. Sure, maybe some people are infatuated with the exotic allure of owning a snake (take the people who own deadly snakes - THAT I agree with you on). But others genuinely love them. Take me for instance. Or anybody else in my family (well... Maybe not my mother...) -I love snakes. Yep, they're exotic, but that doesn't play a role in it. I love garter snakes, too, and those are the farthest thing from exotic - they are EVERYWHERE around here. In fact, I already have a hopeful plan for when I move into my own house (sadly far in the future) to build a big snake habitat to rescue the snakes/reptiles that people decide they no longer want instead of having them dumped outside to die.

And why should a gecko be an different than a python? They are both exotic reptiles, one just happens to be smaller. I completely agree when you say they belong outside - so do the birds I own, my parakeets, but if I let them go they will die. They were born in captivity, as well as many, many of the reptiles that are sold. If I try to let them go in the wold they would not make it. All I can do is give them the best captive life they can have with a big huge cage, free flying time, toys. Likewise with a snake, or an iguana. Definitely can be exotic, but just because some people love animals that you don't does NOT mean they only want them because of that, and it's rather ignorant to think so.

Edit: and it really has nothing to do with bonding. I know a snake won't bond with me. (Some reptiles do, like iguanas and whatnot). I don't love snakes for their bond. They are amazing animals even if they aren't cute and cuddly. I myself don't care for, say, pigs. I don't like them at all. But that doesn't mean I think people ONLY want them because they are a unique pet. Some people just really like pigs. (I like pigs... In bacon form)


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## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

I LOVED my snake. He was a very sweet, curious creature that would literally crave attention. I cried like a little baby when I got a letter in boot camp that said he had passed away (he was an old fella). 

Just because you don't own reptiles doesn't mean it's not normal. Do you know what non-equestrians say about us horse people? They think we're freaking crazy.


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

I own a yellow anaconda, that I just adore. I can hardly wait for her to mature as I am so very excited about building her enclosure. She is such a neat little lady. She is kid of defensive, and VERY insecure. She is so timid that it is difficult to feed her live. She will only grow to about 15 feet and because she is a type of boa, will be massive around. Oh I cannot wait. She is so neat. 

I am also about to start breeding Boa Constrictors. They get about 10 feet long and again, typical boas, will be very girthy. I have a fantastic group that I would do anything for. I am fretting right now as mich as I have ever fretted about a horse or warm blooded animal because one of my new girls has a few health issues. Boas are absolutely amazing pets. I really think I would have to TRY very hard to get any of my boas to bite me. And if they did, it would be 100% my fault. 

Snakes will only bite for two reasons. Defensive strikes("Leave me alone!") or as a Feeding Response. They are 1000 times less dangerous than horses, especially when you know how to handle them. They are so very predictable. 

I also have a gecko. Meh, I am not thrilled with him. I am not "wowed" by him. He is neat, and I like him. I do not adore him like I do my snakes. My anery boa is just sitting here under her lamp and I am captivated by the rainbow sheen in her scales. The perfect pattern of her saddles. Her little mustache. She hasn't moved in the half an hour I have been watching her. Not even a flicker of her tongue. I am still entertained. I just love her.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Nightside (Nov 11, 2012)

You do realize that Cleopatra is said to have kept Ball (aka, Royal) Pythons as pets? It isn't as if this is some super great idea just thought of in the past few years. I'm a python person myself, and my largest, well, his head was much bigger than my hand. He was a sweet boy that enjoyed coming out of his cage to sit in my lap to soak up the warmth. I know he didn't love me but honestly, while some mammalian types of animals miss their people, a great deal more get over it. I had a dog from the time she was 4 weeks to 3 years old and when I came back from 8 weeks of boot camp, she barked at me and had no idea who I was. No cutesy YouTube reunion for me. 

And snakes don't bite without warning. They can be tamed down with time, though some species will have a nastier streak than others, the same some might say of spirited breeds like Arabs over a more placid draft cross. And in that respect, most snakes are much nippier as babies, since they have a lot more to be defensive about.

Why keep a 100 pound snake? Why keep a 1000 pound horse? Surely those that keep them in a stall with a blanket for a majority of the time can't be better than those that do it to a snake with a much simpler mind. Their natural habitat isn't a box with grain shoved in front of them, and I hate to see horses kept like that but it isn't any of my business and I keep my thoughts to myself on the matter. My snakes, when I had them, always had a room all their own. The big guy took up one entire wall, and the other was dedicated to a chinchilla mansion for a dozen chinchillas. If you want to blame anyone for how animals are kept as pets, blame pet stores and the companies behind them. They peddle tons of colorful, eye catching, over priced and entirely inadequate housing for everything from mice to reptiles. A single level ferret kit with a hammock, litter, and food, the whole thing 2 feet long? Surely they wouldn't sell it if it was bad for them! But they do.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ptvintage (Feb 12, 2010)

I think it's wrong to compare a snake to a dog or a cat. It is correct they are not cuddly, furry, or loyal animals. But that doesn't make them a bad pet. I think a better comparison is they are more like fish. Beautiful and fun to admire, with the added bonus of being able to handle them. 

But in keeping with the Craigslist warning topic of the thread, people should be very very careful. I had never heard of crush videos before, but upon finding a news article discussing the arrest of a couple who made them, am now completely horrified. They would find their animals on craigslist...


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