Ideas for discreet BCC enclosure?

[FluffyGerbil]

Okay, this may sound a bit odd but it's kinda necessary. I'll be finishing highschool soon, and the college I plan on attending is an hour away from my house now. So I'll be getting a dorm. Here's where the problem lies:

I suffer from a severe case of a rare disorder called, "PANDAS" which causes me extreme anxiety, depression, and paranoia. My pet boa, a 5' female juvenile boa, has proven to be one of the only effective ways to calm the nerve-racking disorder. Without her I just panic over everything . I don't think I could make it without her living with me.

How can I keep an adult boa secretly in a dorm? She uses a heat pad and no lamp....I was thinking perhaps I could find a way to construct a seemingly normal piece of furniture into a snake enclosure? Thanks a million to any other reptile lovers that can help.

[trailblazer295]

Personally I'd recommend a PVC cage, a black plastic box could be anything. You could put a blanket covering the front and top leave the back vents open for air flow. I don't see how a snake could be discovered, they make no noise and can't damage anything. I'm sure a carpenter could make a cage that looks like a coffee table but that's beyond my skills and knowledge. Good luck man and good job going to college and bettering yourself. I've only been a member a short time but this seems like a really good forum of support.

[prairiepanda]

Do you know what kind of dorms your school has? If you'll have your own private bedroom, like I did, then it should be easy. My dorm(as well most other dorms I've seen) had beds with adjustable height. At the highest setting, you could fit a mini fridge underneath. If you adjust your bed just high enough to fit the enclosure underneath, and use a king size blanket on the bed so that it hangs over the edge and covers everything, you'll be set! Be prepared in case of thorough inspections, though. Keep your luggage around or something to put in front of the enclosure if there's an inspection coming so that they can peak under the bed and only see luggage. My dorm was thoroughly searched because somebody stole a satellite receiver from the common room, but nobody found my tarantulas because I hid them behind luggage under my bed. Like my Ts, your boa won't be making any noise, so you should be good.

EDIT: If your dorm has shared bedrooms, you'll have a bit of a problem. No matter how clever you are, it's not really practical to try and hide something so big from somebody that you're sharing a shoebox home with. Honestly, if I were in your shoes, and the dorm rooms are shared, I'd do the hour commute and leave the snake at home. Sure, an hour is a long time, but you can study during the commute, and you choose courses that are close together so that you don't have to go back and forth.

[Akuma223]

If possible definitely do a commute over a dorm, My brothers girlfriend was poisoned by her roommates and dorms are usually $hit-holes. But if you have to dorm as a requirement then go with a pvc cage and maybe cleverly hide it under your bed or in your dresser. If you have a dresser or cabinet with a front opening then You can keep it in there, and pile cloths (like undies) on it when You aren't there.

[prairiepanda]

If possible definitely do a commute over a dorm, My brothers girlfriend was poisoned by her roommates and dorms are usually $hit-holes.

My dorm experience was fantastic, and I miss my dorm quite a lot! It all depends on how the dorms are constructed and how the school manages them. All of the dorms on my campus were clean, comfortable, and quiet(after frosh week passed, anyway), and everyone had their own individual bedroom even if they had to share a bathroom with someone. It was great!

[pet_snake_78]

Why not just commute and save money over the dorm room? You could get a private apartment but it may be more expensive and some apartments may not allow animals (though my experience is that many will). One other option is to do a contract for deed or rent to own a mobile home or small house. A mobile home would be inexpensive but it's hard to say how secure the surrounding area would be. I do not endorse the idea, but if you must, there's these guys with anti-landlord designs. (http://www.beegerboxes.com/) or something like this but appropriately designed for your snake this ninja rack (http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?166973-It-s-a-Ninja-Rack)

[Aaron_S]

I don't recommend breaking rules.

I would suggest finding a place off campus OR talking to the residence board about it being a medical reason why you have the pet.

[Minkness]

I don't recommend breaking rules.

I would suggest finding a place off campus OR talking to the residence board about it being a medical reason why you have the pet.

Agree 100%. If she is like a therapy animal, then a doctor should be able to write you a note, and the college can't discriminate against a service animal such as a seeing eye dog.

Good luck!

[EL Ziggy]

I agree with Aaron.

[SSSSnakes]

I agree with Aaron.

I agree with EL-Ziggy, who agrees with Aaron.

[trailblazer295]

Is there actual written rules they are not allowed?

[drumcrush]

im planning on living with my parents while i go to college so i can take care of my animals. i dont trust my brother to take care of them, every single pet he has had either died or disappeared somehow.

[Jim Smith]

I'm with Aaron on this one as well. If you try to "hide" your snake in your dorm room, it will become common knowledge within the dorm within a week or two and you will be forced to get rid of the snake and or leave the dorm and still have to pay for the room. Find a room off campus or better yet find another reptile lover and share an apartment. Otherwise, this will not end well for you or the snake.

[Sublimeballs]

I agree with EL-Ziggy, who agrees with Aaron.

And I grew with Jerry, who agrees with EZ, who agrees with Aaron. Couldn't resist; but I agree there should be no issues if the snake is used for coping... Talk to your doc. If that does fail for whatever reason if commute. An hour really isn't that long.

[fishingfool]

You can have your boa regeistered as a therepy anamal really easily people without.problems do it a lot.so they can bring a lapdog everywhere so i asume with bad axiaty and the paper work to back it up walmart wouldn't be able to say no.....that being said they would need to "Test" your boa witch would be 90% stress tests for thr anamal they pretty much want.to make sure any therepy anamal won't lash out in a store at people passing.by