I put this in the Pet forum but I needed some extra info so I'm kinda asking here also. This is Really troubling me and I guess I need some sort of reassurance. Yesterday dh told me he's getting a new pet............a baby Boa snake :freakout. Ok, so I don't have anything against snakes in particular, I can co-habitate with them as long as I don't have to touch them. My first reaction was MY PIGS!:ohno Snakes EAT small furry things, so after much discussion it has established and re-established and re-established that the snake MUST MUST MUST be in an Escape proof tank in a completely different room of the house with the door always shut. Ok, so after that was established, my next re-occuring thought was, NOOOOOO snakes EAT small furry creatures. meaning we'd have to feed it mice. I soooo DO NOT kill animals, and CANNOT watch an animal be eaten a live, or even think about the idea of buying a little dead mouse knowing it was killed for the purpose of it being snake food.:tired I mean, I did not even want to kill the little mice that were running around in my last apartment and just learned to live with them, LOL. HOW in the world am I gonna be able to live with this? Anyone ever own a Boa? Is there ANYTHING else that they can eat besides mice? I mean, can I just go to the store and buy them a steak? LOL Sigh, I need some reassurance or consolation :shrug

I know DB had one for a long time. It got huge, it was too big to feed just mice. :neutral

I don't know of anything else it will eat though. :dunno

I have had MANY snakes and all they eat is mice and rats (when they get bigger). Im like you... i WONT kill an animal so i use to make my brothers feed the snake :D and would be far away until they did eat it. Its really not that bad if you think it is just part of the food chain (though it still seems wrong).

I'm sorry Renee but ewwwww I could NEVER let J get one. I could not stand thinking of a snake living in my house or a mice coming into my house. Good luck! I hope you guy get to decide something that will make you both happy.

After thought here...Instead of a snake has he tought of an iguana. They eat mostly fruits and veggies and the occational mealworm. THey are fun and cute.

I'm sorry Renee but ewwwww I could NEVER let J get one. I could not stand thinking of a snake living in my house or a mice coming into my house. Good luck! I hope you guy get to decide something that will make you both happy.

Im with Shaky, I would have to say..... HELL NO on the snake!!!!

LOL see I don't mind the snake, I'm not grossed out or scared of it, is just the though of what they have to eat that grosses me out. And he's actually rescuing the snake from ending up on the street, which is what the guy at work who's giving it to him was about to do because he didn't want it. So I commend him for rescuing an animal, so maybe I'll find a Snake Rescue in San Diego and nudge him to put it up for adoption ;)

We have a pet ball python, he is great. I never had a reptile for a pet before we got him, and he is actually really great. When we first got him we bought the frozen mice to feed him (all you do is de-thaw that day). Now he is bigger and eats small mice. Ours needs to have his food alive or he won't eat it, but it depends on the snake, some will eat pre-killed and some won't. Either way, you personally don't have to watch him eat anything, just put it in the box with him and check back in about 10 minutes.
The kids love having a snake, and the dog could care less....
But, if you are iffy about the whole thing, don't get it, since when the hubby is gone, you will be left in charge of feeding/caring for it, so make sure you are comfortable first! I don't know how big boas get in captivity, but if size is the issue for it, different breeds don't get as large as others. Like ours at maturity (20 years or so) will be about 5 feet, thats it.
Good luck!
Jenn

LOL see I don't mind the snake, I'm not grossed out or scared of it, is just the though of what they have to eat that grosses me out. And he's actually rescuing the snake from ending up on the street, which is what the guy at work who's giving it to him was about to do because he didn't want it. So I commend him for rescuing an animal, so maybe I'll find a Snake Rescue in San Diego and nudge him to put it up for adoption ;)

OK... actually... you can take it to a private pet store and usually they might take a donation. Def do not let him release it.

My SIL has 2 snakes - I think they only eat mice. Like some said they do have the frozen ones, but many snakes won't eat them - they want them alive. Which means you won't have to kill it, you'll just have to put it in alive. I know, I know, not much better. If it's any consolation, my SIL lives with her parents and my FIL absolutely HATES snakes and he doesn't even know they are there. They are so cute and cuddly though. I would get one if I had any inclination to take care of another being at this point in time.

:goodvibes :goodvibes :goodvibes :goodvibes :hugs

Really all you have to do is put the mice in the cage and walk away. They dont always eat as soon as you put it in there so in alot of cases you wont actually see it.

But if you are leary of that its best to not get it or to find it a new home. Because it will eat mice and rats and will need to be fed!

Good luck!! :hugs

Snakes want the kill. They have it in their blood to do that, so to keep them happy, giving them live food is the best way. It may seem harsh, but its nature.

Ok so i live in australia- and well we have 80% of the worlds deadliest snakes here. Boa isn't on that list.. we have them.. but they arn't that dangerous. I would say if you have small children- to be careful. Constrictors (even domesticated ones) have been known to kill children by the death squeeze. Otherwise- i wouldn't be worried at all. IF they have their venom left with them- the bite wouldn't be too bad.. or they wouldn't be available for sale as pets. Be worried when your dh says- bub im bringing home a queen brown snake. Lol- then leave the house and don't look back.