I am on a bender today.
I am annoyed.
You wanna know the worst part about being a snake breeder?
Let me tell you!
NUMBER ONE:
Soiled things. Dirty, gross, smelly things. And of course, these dirty smelly gross things happen only after you JUST cleaned a tub or tank or water dish or something to that effect.
Perfect example: I just finished cleaning a whole rack of babies. I only use paper with the babies, so it takes a bit more time to clean out each tub, scrub with Chlorhexidine, and move on to the rest of them. I go back to feed off a few straggler rat pups, and HALF of the tubs have fecal or urate matter in the tub, right over the fresh paper I JUST PUT DOWN LESS THAN AN HOUR AGO!
Yes, this is also true of wiping down a tub that has water spilled in it, just to find that after you fill up the water again and put down fresh paper, it gets wet and somehow grosser than before.
NUMBER TWO:
Not eating, or leaving food in the tub that was "going" to be eaten. I HATE finding bodies of food hanging out in the corner of a tub, just laying there. And of course the snake finds itself staring at me, looking at me like "What? That was there.." Why kill it if you are not going to eat it, silly snake???
Grrrrrrrrrr.
NUMBER THREE:
Self-loathing snakes. These snakes are the ones that choose not to be snakes, and don't eat, don't move, don't do anything snakey. You wonder what the heck they are thinking??? These are the problem feeders, the problem everythings! Usually a change of environment is enough to get them to act right, but while they are misbehaving, it is very annoying. Snakes that get skinnier and skinnier, don't seem to drink, don't seem to be interested in anything... Yes, they are having crises. Gotta change it up!
That is all for now, I'm sure I can come up with a few others if I had to think about it long enough.
Have a great not annoying day, my friends!
There's just something about a fresh bowl of water that seems to loosen them up:) I used to clean tubs and then give them fresh water. Not anymore cleaning tubs is the day after project now! I feel your pain Heather.
ReplyDeleteDo you just move the problem snakes to a smaller tub? I have 2 of these not eating and drinking snakes myself. They are very frustrating and annoying :)
ReplyDeletehey,great blog, as usual, but you for got how snakes think it is so funny to deficate and just slide all threw it get poo all over themselve then wait for you to come back and have to wash them and everything down!!!! lol ROB
ReplyDeleteOne of my two biggest annoyances you mentioned: "Oooh, food! GRAB!" [later] "Wait, you didn't eat it? Why were you so excited about it if you didn't actually want it?! ARGH!"
ReplyDeleteThe other one involves a couple of my snakes who love to dump their water bowls. I have to go in, replace the damp substrate, and wipe off the condensation. Then I put in a heavier bowl. Next day (or hour), it's all dumped out again!
Well, you gotta kill it so it doesn't come back and chew on you later right? Right?
ReplyDeleteI don't have problems with dumping water bowls so much as dumping IN water bowls. UGH.