would ball defend itself?

[HMT]

so... my ball python is lost. Usually he can be found near his tank, but this time he was adventurous. I've read all the other threads about losing snakes and finding them, so I'm not asking where to look or anything.

Here's my questions~
I have 5 cats, two of whom are rather small, one just under a year old. At first I was worried that they would kill him if they found him- but now I am worried that the snake might hurt them if they picked him up. (my cats usually carry toys and live animals around the house and bring them to us still living) The cats are all way too big for my python to consider "edible", but I am wondering if he would constrict around their neck if they bothered him? What exactly will a ball python do to defend itself? He's only bitten me once ever, and that was because I still smelled like mouse when I picked him up for feeding time.

Also, I'm 8 months pregnant... should I worry about any diseases or such the snake can transmit to the baby if he comes out of hiding? Lately we've had wild rodents getting into our house through the garage and chimney... found a chipmunk in our living room (near the snake tank) the snake killed and couldn't fit in his mouth just hours after he escaped. I doubt he can fit a chipmunk or flying squirrel in his mouth yet, but it is possible if he is gone for a long time that he'll return with whatever parasites and such that wild animals carry. Thoughts?

thanks,
Heidi

[gonesnakee]

Search Search Search, after handling wash wash wash. As for the dead chipmunk most likely killed by your cats not the snake. The cats will likely try to kill it or will if they find it as cats are killers afterall. The snake may strike at them & bite them, but when it comes down to it the cats will either leave it alone or kill it, Mark

[mykee]

"Also, I'm 8 months pregnant... should I worry about any diseases or such the snake can transmit to the baby if he comes out of hiding? Lately we've had wild rodents getting into our house through the garage and chimney... "
Being pregnant, I would be FARRRRR more concerned with the diseases that wild rodents can bring into a home. Mycoplasma being the big one. Read all about it, I would be very concerned if my pregnant wife was anywhere near a dead (or live) rodent. This is also why they tell pregnant women to stay the hell away from the litter box if your cats are "outdoor cats". I LOVE to catch and "play with" outdoor cats if they're on my property but that's for a different thread...

[Kmef07]

Haha i feel ya there mykee. The only real way i know of that the outdoor mouse could harm your snake is if the mouse had recently gotten into some poision and that would transfer to your snake.

[HMT]

heh, trust me, I've been searching and searching. I realized a window was an inch open, so now I'm thinking maybe the snake escaped into the wild. I'm also very careful around rodents and my hubby is taking care of the cat litter. The wild rodent issue is why I was worried about what the snake might bring back with him, after eating a few.

I know the snake killed the chipmunk because of a few factors- it was in a location my cats cannot access, its legs were squished against its body, and it had minimal puncture wound on the stomach (as compared to my cats, who leave large puncture marks in the back). Plus, my cats always bring me anything they catch...usually still alive... they were just as surprised to see the chipmunk as I was.

thanks for the help

[HMT]

Found him!
:freakedout:

He was dehydrated and trying to shed in a bucket of bird seed...

I'm going to keep a close eye on him for a while to see if he picked up any parasites, but I think he'll be just fine.

[Chu'Wuti]

Hooray! Was he inside the house still? That would reduce the likelihood of parasites.

You are really lucky--cats can kill snakes very easily--Cats are faster than snakes in striking--and do so instinctively. It took my cats a looooong time to stop killing a fake fabric snake I had! I used to have a cat that killed rattlesnakes and ate them. I'm sooooo glad you found your snake alive!

[mykee]

It's pretty unlikely that your ball pythons was dehydrated after only a week, but I'm glad you found him and you will hopefully remedy the situation that allowed him to escape the first time.

[HMT]

well it was 2 weeks, took a while for me to be approved to post..
I also don't think his body was dehydrated...His skin was. I had to give him a bath because he could not shed on his own, its the only time he's actually enjoyed just sitting in water and not trying to escape. After the bath he shed fine.

My cats actually helped me find him... they were looking at the bucket like they were terrified of it, and were jumpy around anything on the floor for the rest of the day. I still have no idea where he was before this, because the bucket of seed has only been here for a few days. He was in the house, but so was the wild chipmunk he caught earlier... still an unlikely chance for parasites, but I'm keeping an eye on it anyway.

My husband went out that day and bought some really good bungee cords, one on each side of the tank. Much better than the bricks. Since I can't lift the lid at all with the cords on, I doubt he can.

[Chu'Wuti]

Cats are great finders, aren't they? ;) I always know if mice have come into our house (happens in the fall before the first really cold spell nearly every year!)--the cats start staring at the wall or at the stove as if it is reallllly interesting! LOL