Last night GC and I went for dinner at my son and his girlfriend’s place. James made a delicious chile in the slow cooker. One of the best chiles I’ve ever tasted, actually. And Shelby made chocolate chip cookies, which she was just taking out of the oven as we arrived.
They have four pets, so there was a 1:1 ratio of pets to people, which meant everybody got to cuddle something. I got the boa constrictor, Olive, who slowly slithered down my shirt because she is attracted to warmth.
Everybody else got a cat.
I do not miss Lily Nofeet (she moved to Truro with the big kids in September) I’ve tried it, but I just don’t feel any “warmth” towards snakes as pets. It isn’t anything against reptiles either, because I’ve LOVED all the lizards I’ve met. Snakes just don’t inspire any love in me.
Do you feel like you won or lost out in the “hold a pet” game?
That’s a good question. I think at first I was a bit uneasy with the snake, especially when she started heading down my shirt. But once I got used to her, I started to like her more. Still, I think it might be hard to form a relationship with a snake, the way you can with a cat or bird or dog. Shelby doesn’t even know if Olive recognizes her. But back to the question: I think I won in the “hold a pet” game, because I got to hold the unique pet.
I appreciate the beauty of Nigel my grandsnake but don’t feel a ton of warmth for him either. I think this is because I really resent the store of frozen mice that startles me every time I open the freezer door.
That being said, I chat with Nigel constantly and I’m forever telling him what a darling tail he has . . .
Nigel eats frozen mice??
Olivia likes her mice fresh…as in alive. Shelby dangles a live mouse by the tail in front of Olivia and she swallows it whole. (She says you can’t just put the mouse in there, because if it attacks the snake, the snake will never eat another mouse. And then what would you feed it?)
Nigel eats defrosted mice. To avoid the forementioned problem.
But where does one get live or frozen mice from, in large enough quantities to provide a snake with regular meals?
Most pet stores carry frozen mice.
Regular meals is a relative thing. Olivia only eats once every two weeks!
I’m trying to picture walking out of a store with a big bag of frozen mice…
Nope. Can’t quite get that one in focus.
Shelby just buys the live mice one at a time. (Otherwise the cats would get into them.)
I also have a pet snake at home (a cornsnake named clementine)
I used to have a 6 feet boa constrictor named Scarlet. She pased away three years ago…
They sell frozen mices and rats at certain pet stores but you can also order them over the internet (witch is less expensive)
Olive is a Ball python or Python regius. They get about 4 feet long. They are known to prefer live preys (instead of thawed ones)They are from Africa.
Boa constrictors are from south america they can get pretty big (up to 14ft)
I really like snakes
Lysanne, that’s very cool. Thank you!
If you like snakes you should read Stolen World by Jennie Erin Smith. It’s a fabulous insight into the world of reptile lovers and traders
“snakes are not pets”: dat’s da fax – however, that being said, they’re certainly excellent company (once you manage to slither around their cold comfort zone); mice ARE rather nice, but snakes (don’t) take the cake