Trying to convince parents to get a snake tips?

nickipod98 · 08-15-12, 11:00 AM

i am trying to get a pet snake but my parents say i have to many pets(4 turtles,2 fish tanks, and 2 dogs ) any tips

Wildside · 08-15-12, 11:14 AM

Your parents are deflecting because they're scared. When they tell you that rebuttal with "But snakes make virtually no noise, very little mess and you only have to worry about feeding them like every 10 days." Then start showing your mom pictures of the absolute most gorgeous snakes you can find, starting with the ones that come in her favorite color.

alessia55 · 08-15-12, 11:27 AM

LOL Wildside you crack me up.

nickipod98, how old are you? What responsibilities do you take on with the animals you already have?

nickipod98 · 08-15-12, 11:40 AM

i was thinking of getting a tub saving money buying all the neccesties and hide in my room untill i have it with every thing i need and then making a speech about how majestic and docile ball pythons can be then i will say i can adopt one from a herpetological society or i can save up to buy a snake i will also include that i only have to feed it once a week and tghen i will make my case

nickipod98 · 08-15-12, 11:57 AM

Alesia I am 14 I clean my turtle tanks weekly I have proper lighting basking area an substrate I am very responsible I feed my animals every day

snake man12 · 08-15-12, 12:00 PM

Tell them it is easier to care for a snake than a turtle witch it is. Good luck!!

Kaetlinv · 08-15-12, 12:12 PM

i think they parents are more concerned at the amount of pets rather than your ability to care for more. I know my mom doesn't want me to get any more pets, and I only have two cats and two snakes. She's not afraid that I wont be able to care for more - she just doesn't want me to have any more pets.

I would recommend that you approach your parents and politely ask why they really don't want you to get a snake.

If it's because they think you have too many, ask what you could do to show that a snake wouldn't make a very big impact on the household.

if it's because they don't want a snake, specifically, in the house, again, ask what you could to to show that the snake wouldn't make an impact (because of secure containment, etc).

If it's because one of them is scared, you can try to figure out why they are afraid and try to help them with their fear by finding a local snake that you want and seeing if you can handle that snake in a safe environment OUTSIDE of the home so they can experience the snake outside of your parents' home.

If it's for another reason, just try and approach them reasonably. Forcing an issue will get you no where except in the wrong direction. it took me MONTHS to warm my mom up to letting me get my BP Valentine. It actually took housesitting my cousin's snake that his dad was giving him as an early christmas present, and showing my mom that I could care for that snake first.

MDT · 08-15-12, 12:14 PM

Waaaay back in 1976 when my parents said "no flipping way are you keeping snakes", I finally had to just catch one and actually show them they weren't that bad. Granted, it was a lined snake (about 9 inches), but it eased them into the Kingsnakes and boas later on

Btw, while you *probably could* sneak it by, as a parent myself, I'm gonna say that won't go over well. Ymmv.....good luck!

brooksy · 08-15-12, 12:19 PM

If you want your parents to respect you and your decisions then do not get one and hide it.
Like others said, really try to find out the 'why' and then go from there.

Wildside · 08-15-12, 12:26 PM

I don't think she was saying she'd get the animal and hide it. I think what she meant was she could show her parents that she's ready for one. It'd be harder for them to argue with her then.

Abby · 08-15-12, 12:37 PM

I'm having difficulty with my own parents. (I'm seventeen.) They don't want me to have snakes either. I've owned a large amount of birds/parrots and I'm guessing they've just had enough of all the pets I insist on bringing home. I can't help that I'm an animal lover!

Will0W783 · 08-15-12, 12:39 PM

I'm not one to talk about too much responsibility...I don't even want to count the number of animals in my house.....but your parents are simply concerned about you and your animals. You're young and they dont' want to see you so tied down with responsibilities at home that you have no time for fun.

I would think that your best bet is to make a list of all the supplies a snake would need, as well as the cost of said supplies. Then make yourself a week's worth of daily schedules, so you can visualize how much time you are currently spending on pets and how a snake would fit in. Then show the schedule to your parents along with the cost of supplies and potential ways for you to earn the money (chores at home, etc). They might just turn around!

StudentoReptile · 08-15-12, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickipod98

i am trying to get a pet snake but my parents say i have to many pets(4 turtles,2 fish tanks, and 2 dogs ) any tips

If this is the genuine reason, then you basically have to convince them that you can adequately provide the space, time and money to care for said snake. Do you have a job? If not, find a way to earn some cash!

Now...if there is some set rule that you can only have X number of pets, then you may be SOL unless you're willing to give up something.
---

When I was still living with my parents, the general standing rule was I pay for EVERYTHING, and nothing exceeds the boundaries of my bedroom. At some point, my folks acknowledged that I knew what I was doing, how to care for things, etc. and I kinda stopped asking them for permission to bring things home. After all, it was my money and my room.

Wildside · 08-15-12, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will0W783

I'm not one to talk about too much responsibility...I don't even want to count the number of animals in my house.....but your parents are simply concerned about you and your animals. You're young and they dont' want to see you so tied down with responsibilities at home that you have no time for fun.

I would think that your best bet is to make a list of all the supplies a snake would need, as well as the cost of said supplies. Then make yourself a week's worth of daily schedules, so you can visualize how much time you are currently spending on pets and how a snake would fit in. Then show the schedule to your parents along with the cost of supplies and potential ways for you to earn the money (chores at home, etc). They might just turn around!

I don't think the right snake would cut into "time for other things" all that much.

alessia55 · 08-15-12, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickipod98

Alesia I am 14 I clean my turtle tanks weekly I have proper lighting basking area an substrate I am very responsible I feed my animals every day

Here are a few questions your parents might have that you should be prepared to answer:
-If you leave home to go to college and can't take the snake with you (some colleges don't allow ANY pets), who will take care of it? If you can't take the snake with you, your parents will be stuck with 2 dogs, 2 fish tanks, 4 turtles, AND a snake!
-If you go on a vacation, who will feed it? clean the cage, change water?
-Depending on the kind of snake you get, how big will it be? what will it eat? how big of an enclosure will it need? how much will it cost? (supplies are often more expensive than the snake itself)
-How do we know you won't "outgrow" the desire to have a snake?
-How have you "earned" having a snake? Good grades? chores?

Help them understand how serious you are about snakes. Do your research and present it to them. Let them know how much knowledge you have about the kind of snake you want. I took my dad to a reptile expo and became a walking encyclopedia as we went along, and that helped him understand and see my passion (when I was 14). Get books, subscribe to reptile magazines, etc. Get good grades, show good behavior, do chores, help out without being asked to, take charge of all the current animals' needs. Good luck & keep us posted!