I need a favour from everyone with regards feeding live food...

[vampstorso]

I sent all those above links to them. Should help.
I've already bought it up with them, but I'm gonna talk to them one last time about it. Have quite a few good points to bring up.
Worst case, my dad would love to have it. And I'd know he look after my baby.
Thanks for the discussion everyone, will definitely show these friends this thread.
And the additional complications are that it's not just my snake, we paid a third each and it's my mate's enclosure. In their house. Doesn't mean I'll be anymore lenient on them, just makes it a tad more difficult to lock it up.
They do need to grow up though. If they really want to see an animal get killed they can go hunting. Just leave my girl out of it.

if it's on your license, I'd take the snake and go buy a new enclosure, and take it too your Dads...wouldn't be giving them a chance to say they aren't going to do it after seeing pictures...Minds don't change that easily.

 

[mysnakesau]

I agree with vamps. I never thought of that. Don't take the snake shopping, move it to another place where it will be safe. Until you can get another enclosure, it will be quite fine in a plastic tub from Crazy Clarks. Just get the snake out of there.

 

[Scleropages]

If you have any pics or horror stories (or have heard of from a friend) of feeding live food (especially rats) to snakes or even lizards, please post them here.

My mates are dead set they are going to feed my beautiful BHP a live rat, which is an idea that makes me furious. I said that I'm banning them from it but got the response "what if you're not here? How are you going to stop us?"
This makes me incredibly angry as I hate the thought of any harm coming to my girl, and feeding live food against my wish is disrespectful to me and dangerous to my snake.

So, if anyone has anything to say regarding this that may deter these guys, please do. The more stories the better. I showed them the thread with the diamond (?) that was left with a rat for two weeks, but they still aren't convinced. I'm hoping they're just pulling my leg, but if they're serious...:evil:

Thanks for the help everyone!!

She's also a pretty chill, lazy eater, plays with her rat and seems to enjoy chewing on it. Another reason why I don't think live food is suitable :x

Get better "mates" they sound like tools.

 

[damian83]

Stella it sounds to me that they really don't care. This is extreme, but if it was me, my snake would come everywhere with me. How can they call themselves your friend if they don't even have any respect for you or your interests. That is a betrayal of trust. Friends don't treat each other like that. But if taking my snake shopping with me is the only guarantee of her safety then that's what I'd be doing. Would locks really stop them? Locks only keep honest ppl out and they don't sound very honest.

i hope you have it wrapped around your arm or neck in coles when you do your shopping, lol


id hope none of my mates would do anything like that, although most have a fear of snakes so i dont see them going near them

 

[mysnakesau]

No Damien I don't have my snakes wrapped around my neck to go shopping. I did take my male intergrade into Woolies once. I was heading home from the Vet with him and I had to stop at Woolies which had no undercover parking and was a very hot summer day. I didn't want to cook him so I took him with me. He was in a pillowcase inside a basket which I took into woolies with me. But I didn't notice a hole in the pillow case and he happened to find it. When I got to the check out the girl asked me for the basket, but I said I didn't buy it from there. She called her supervisor over, I guess she didn't believe me. At their request I opened the basket and my beautiful 8ft ABONY pops his head out to say hello and tell them that I am not a thief. I was allowed to go. And NO I did NOT steal the basket. :lol:

 

[Nighthawk]

I had a housemate recently move out, and he was a douche. Kept attempting to man handle my snakes and was rough. Now I'm careful who I let near my pets.

Exactly. Me and my husband have long agreed we're not letting anyone flat with us any more. We're still paying off the loan we had to take out to cover *his* debt. Plus our snakes are no longer on our premises, but with our in-laws and their snakes The plus side is, being friends with him and his family for so long, my husband had the joy of passing his personal bills (not the household ones) with his name on it to his parents. That went down well

No Damien I don't have my snakes wrapped around my neck to go shopping. I did take my male intergrade into Woolies once. I was heading home from the Vet with him and I had to stop at Woolies which had no undercover parking and was a very hot summer day. I didn't want to cook him so I took him with me. He was in a pillowcase inside a basket which I took into woolies with me. But I didn't notice a hole in the pillow case and he happened to find it. When I got to the check out the girl asked me for the basket, but I said I didn't buy it from there. She called her supervisor over, I guess she didn't believe me. At their request I opened the basket and my beautiful 8ft ABONY pops his head out to say hello and tell them that I am not a thief. I was allowed to go. And NO I did NOT steal the basket. :lol:

You may not have stolen it, but you guard it well lol

 

[notechistiger]

Why do you consider it your snake? If it's theirs also, you can't stop them from doing anything really. If it is on your licence, tell them to stuff it, and take the snake in my opinion.

 

[Renenet]

Buy them out if you have to and get the snake somewhere safe. If your dad will look after it for you and you trust him, that sounds perfect to me.

Also, I don't know what your living situation is but plenty of people have "sneaky" snakes.

 

[Morgwynn]

Can you offer to buy their shares of the snake? Is it on your license? It doesn't sound like they care about the snake so much as they just want an exciting pet.

 

[jacks-pythons]

iv heard of rats bitting straight away as soon as they get put in the cage. the infection can lead to death. if i was you lock it up and hide the key. if they do it when your not around. slash the car tires to teach a lesson. then again my ways r different to others. haha

 

[Renenet]

I had a housemate recently move out, and he was a douche.

A long time ago I decided that housemates are not worth the trouble. Now that I have Zephyr I hold to that opinion even more stubbornly.

 

[marcmarc]

Buy them out if you have to and get the snake somewhere safe. If your dad will look after it for you and you trust him, that sounds perfect to me.

Also, I don't know what your living situation is but plenty of people have "sneaky" snakes.

Good suggestion on the buy out. These guys probably get some sort of joy from stressing you out over it as well.
Does anyone have the recently posted pic of the Diamond with the top of it's head eaten by a rat? Certainly an arguement closer regarding this. I can't remember who posted or the name of post, zombie rat or something?

 

[StellaDoore]

I'd consider a buy out and then keeping it discreetly. She's worth it. It's frustrating because they're usually decent blokes. I don't know why they've decided to become total a-holes all of a sudden.
And yeah, I've seen that thread =S disgusting.

 

[FAY]

Mmmmm with friends like that....who would need enemies?

 

[Tsubakai]

I'd consider a buy out and then keeping it discreetly. She's worth it. It's frustrating because they're usually decent blokes. I don't know why they've decided to become total a-holes all of a sudden.
And yeah, I've seen that thread =S disgusting.

I'd hazard a guess that they are not usually decent blokes but are in fact tools who are good at hiding the fact most of the time.

 

[MathewB]

If they do go through with it all I can say is that God invented the back hand for a reason, show no mercy

 

[Smithers]

Kick those tools to the curb for sure. Hope you get it sorted quickly and smoothly.

 

[RickLeekong]

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=209260&d=1310615737

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=209142&d=1310541129

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=209174&d=1310549302

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=197628&d=1303918180

wow thats absolutely horrible, it made me sad inside.

 

[Bluetongue1]

It is not possible to say with any certainty but it sounds to me like they are winding you up more than genuinely intent on live feeding. You are obviously highly protective of the snake and I will warrant that you have felt the need to correct them on various occasions about handling or feeding or disturbing or maintenance etc. They have picked up on your high strung reaction and protectiveness as a means of getting their own back.

One photo, one account of injury through a live feed is enough to prove your point. They are not asking for further proof. They are just winding you up. Or if I am wrong there, they are simply ignoring the facts to justify their intended actions.

Irrespective of whether they are just winding you up or not, I would suggest sitting down for a serious around the table talk. You need to let them know it has gone far enough….
“Live feeding is illegal, is personally repugnant to you because of the unnecessary pain and is potentially extremely harmful to the snake. If you guys are genuinely serious about this, then our friendship is over. If you are not serious but intend to pretend you are to continue teasing me then our friendship is still over. You need to know what you are doing is really hurting me. I need to know what is really happening so I know wether you are still friends or not.”

If they are prepared to sacrifice your friendship for their own indulgence, be that teasing or live feeding, then they are not friends but only acquaintances.

You cannot take the snake unless it is on your licence. If it is not, I would suggest trying to get them to buy you out. The worse case scenario would be that you have done your money cold. If it is on your licence then I would investigate your options to borrow the money to pay out the other two and possible purchase the enclosure. As you have recently learned, part ownership in reptiles is generally NOT a good idea.

I feel for you given the situation you find yourself in. Hopefully you can resolve things in the near future. I wish you well.

Blue

 

[StellaDoore]

Hey Bluetongue1, here's hoping you've hit the nail on the head and they are just stirring me up, which is a past-time they enjoy on the odd occasion.
I am definitely going to have a sit down with them, no doubt about it, and have already thought up a lecture almost exactly as you've described it. However, there is additional emphasis on the consequences including locking the enclosure or selling her.
The snake isn't under my license, darn it. And yeah, have most certainly learnt my lesson about part reptile ownership.

Also, I want to sincerely thank everyone who has commented here. The overwhelming support I've received from dozens of APS members is incredible and will all be used to convince these blokes not to live feed. I've even gotten offers from people to house the BHP until things are sorted! I genuinely appreciate your help and concern, despite you never having even met me or my snake; goes to show APS is just one big happy family!
I've received feedback from those guys about those photos, which they agreed was disgusting. And one has proposed that he "won't live feed if you don't take up motor bike riding" and showed me a pic of a brutal accident. May take him up on that...

Thanks again everyone!!