I have found that very few of my friends ever want to come over because of the animals i keep. Even though all of my animals are safely secured in escape proof enclosures they still seem scared i guess, like just the knowledge of them here is enough. I love my friends but itd be nice to have friends who love what i do.
I love talking about my animals to people and most people get squeamish just hearing about them. Once i went to the pet store to get some supplies and the guy asked what animals i have so i told him, he was like im so creeped out now, like seriously dude you work in a pets store with critters.
Does anyone have friends or family that will not come over because of their animals?
My grandmother is terrified of snakes. She will come over, but not enter the house xD. Most of my friends are guys, so they dont care as much, though i do have one friend who is very snakephobic. He will enter the house, but not go into any of the rooms that have snakes haha.
As a guy im unsure how it is for girls, stereotypically id imagine there is more fear and “weird” factor stigma, but i do not want to make assumptions!
Yes there is a bit of stigma about girls and us having exotic pets that are not “cutesie” but i grew up with a lot of brothers and my papa made sure we knew skills. Maybe it was how i was brought up? I have a great love of animals and feel all animals are worth saving. No im not an animal activist i do eat meat etc. But i do love to show that even the creepiest of creatures serves a purpose.
I have a marine corp. buddy who is absolutely terrified by spiders i was like dude you did a couple combat tours where people shot at you etc. And you are terrified by a tiny spider. He won’t come over because even the knowledge i keep spiders is enough. Of course i wouldn’t advocate holding some of my animals but they also don’t need to be killed on sight. We respect each other as all my friends do so out of respect for them i don’t talk about my animals. Still it would be nice to have friends come over and enjoy my animals and my company.
Over the last few years as Ive built up my reptile fam Ive had a few uncomfy friends. A dear friend who is terrified of snakes told me they unfollowed my social media to avoid seeing the pics. What evs. Nothin but love. I get a lot of friends asking to come by and visit my animals. Im very leary of that. Adults around a room full of animals can start acting like 10 year olds on a field trip to a zoo. Give a yahoo 10 seconds with a snake and you might need to spend months rebuilding that snakes cinfidence and sense of security. I hav a few snakes i keep as ambassadors. The majority i keep away from humans. Limits the ignorance and chaos. Now if anyone asks about my snakes I will bring one or two downstairs that they can see but nobody comes into my little sanctuary to “play” with my pets.
Yes i agree i like to have visitors but not at the risk to my animals or friends. Some of the animals only take one bite or sting to possibly put them in the ground. My snakes are the only spieces that are friendly, even my kitty is very spicy ( not exaggerating) i typically will let my friends take a quick look from outside the tank. My rule is if they are out and about you can see them if not, don’t ask, im not risking my life, my animals lives or my friends lives.
My boy Snowfall is big and he is often out in the open so people can see him just fine without me opening his enclosure.
Any time i work with my hots i 1st from the outside look with my black light to see if they are lurking some place like near the door or lid ( tho i tend to not build for them where they might have access, but animals do unpredictable things. After that i will open the enclosure and using my 15" forceps i very carefully will lift hides one by one i never take my eyes off of what im doing even a second once i find my critter i then never take eyes off. Im super careful and would never use my animals as props or let anyone even have access not for 1 second.
My mom is terrorfied, as long as they didn’t touch her she was fine. If someone starts bad talking them, i fire back your dog is ugly or i make up some story about how a “cute” pet was killed for just being. I also believe and announce you ( general) can not claim to be an animal lover and hate a species. I dont look like a stereotypical reptile keeper, and when someone heres i keep them they are shocked then usually procede to tell me how they killed one. I then procede with a made up story.
My Mom was not thrilled to know I was getting a snake, but when he arrived I showed her pictures and she said, “Ohhh he’s so small, he’s just like a little worm!” It’s hard to be afraid of a soba noodle.
I have lots of friends who I guess don’t come to my house. I am still in the school drama stage so probably people just think it is wierd or “gross”.
I find the 180lb dog is usually more of a deterrant than the snakes, but I did go on a date with a guy a few weeks ago who was scared of both dogs and snakes and I was like dude, this isn’t going to work.
My Mom is afraid of snakes, but she has gave up. I have a guy friend that wont come over, and my ex had me get rid of what i had when i was with him. Its just me n the kids now, n i could honestly care less what people think. I am a single mom with 3 kids, reptiles make my heart happy. They are a who i am at this point in my life. I have 50 reptiles in my bedroom, and it makes me happy.
My motto has always been my family 1st which includes all of my animals not just the cutestie ones. One particular person told me " it’s either me or the animals " without hesitation i told them bye, they were here b4 you and will be after you. Sometimes its better to be single and happy than with someone and be miserable. As a Sagittarius, i love my independence over being tied to a person who wants to own me or control me.
When I worked at petco as a groomer, one of my coworkers was creeped out by reptiles, but knew it was my passion. Every time we had a reptile shipment in, I would show her how cute the baby crested geckos were. She came over to my house one day and she was so scared to see my reptiles, but at the same time curious. When I showed her a few and even one finger touched one she was shocked at how they felt. After that she ended up buying a blue Iguana, then eventually started buying crested geckos off me! I think some people just need help to see the beauty in these amazing creatures and I love doing that.
We own snakes, tarantulas, Crested Geckos and rabbits.
Rabbits everyone loves, some are curious about the geckos but a lot are terrified of the snakes and spiders. My MIL lives with us for the time being and when we have our softy ball python out and he’s doing his thing or if we have to pop our bigger boy on our shoulder just to move him about she starts freaking out. We know our animals and their body language. If we were in any threat then there is always two of us present. Just calm down and let us deal with our animals. My own mother was terrified of snakes until we got out first boy also but has now adopted him as her own son
My momma and papa were very tolerant of every animal i owned even when 2 rats turned into hundreds, all the animals i brought home the one animal she forbid me to have were snakes. Im not sure if she was afraid of them, looking back i think it was probably a religious thing with her. Now i finally have 2 very sweet Rosy boas. Heck my momma didn’t even mind all the spiders and lizards id catch and take care of. I still remember catching fish and then deciding i didn’t want to eat them so i put them in my 100 gallon aquarium.
DUDE 100%!!! I have friends who don’t want me to take my geckos out, and I have friends who won’t be in the same room if I got a snake. I even have a friend who’s scared of my chickens, AND a friend who’s scared of my dog . The only animals I have that so far no one’s been scared of, is my hedgehog and koi fish!
I’m a girl, and personally lots of my friends (who are girls) are nervous of snakes and a bit nervous of my geckos. All my friends who are guys have never expressed anything about being nervous about snakes or my geckos. So yeah, there definitely seems to be a pattern! Not sure why……
Its wierd because I’d never keep the animals i do just walking or slithering around like free range chickens . My spicy kitty has way more of chance to inflict injury than any of my others because i keep those behind glass that is escape proof. My hots are never ever free handled, my enclosures are kept sparce (except my spiders) so that i can work safely around them and i know where they are at all times. When its time to clean i slide the screen back and put a clear container inside and then i use my 15" forceps to gently move them to the clear container they can’t climb it and then i immediately secure the lid before i even lift it out. Id imagine you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than being stung. My guests are 100% safe at my home. my 2 snakes are probably one of the most docile species of snake they are slow that’s why they are so threatened in California and Mexico people just pick them up. I am glad that there are lots girls in the hobby.
You, your children and you animals are 1st. Sometimes its gotta be like that. My family comes 1st whether the human kind or animal kind. Sometimes its better to be “alone” and happy than be with somebody and be miserable, plus you have 3 children as i remember so i know ya put them 1st.
. The only animals I have that so far no one’s been scared of, is my hedgehog and koi fish!
. My spicy kitty has way more of chance to inflict injury than any of my others because i keep those behind glass that is escape proof. My hots are never ever free handled, my enclosures are kept sparce (except my spiders) so that i can work safely around them and i know where they are at all times. When its time to clean i slide the screen back and put a clear container inside and then i use my 15" forceps to gently move them to the clear container they can’t climb it and then i immediately secure the lid before i even lift it out. Id imagine you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than being stung. My guests are 100% safe at my home. 
my 2 snakes are probably one of the most docile species of snake they are slow that’s why they are so threatened in California and Mexico people just pick them up. I am glad that there are lots girls in the hobby.