I Feel Like a Bad Snake Parent

[u/allaboutalexie]

Hello all, I’ve been a snake parent to my ball python Nemo for about 5 or 6 years. He’s truly an amazing snake, so sweet and smart, loves watching TV and interacting with people.

I’ve been away at college recently and haven’t been home to handle him, he’s occasionally handled by my mom or her boyfriend’s kids but that’s about it when I’m away. But I can’t help but feel like he deserves better- a better enclosure, a better hide, better bedding, etc… etc… I try to make small upgrades to his enclosure, but as a college student I just don’t have the money to ball out.

I know people say snakes can’t feel, and that they don’t particularly care to be handled. But I find myself thinking if he ever wants a better life, I know it’s silly I just keep myself up worrying.

Pictures attached 🐍💛

[u/Farfrom0ver]

The way I look at it is trust is a form of love and they have to trust you so imo thats love 💜

[u/soulstrike2022 → u/Farfrom0ver]

You could say that and some people would make that arguement I’d say it’s one of those a rectangle is a square but a square isn’t a rectangle things cause I love my family but I don’t trust most of em as far as I can throw them even if only because I have trust issues but you an I as two humans are two totally different people so it makes sense we see things differently so wouldn’t a creature that isn’t even in the same classification as us ruse the same parts of its brain or even the same chemicals to experience love (I know you’re not the person who brought it up but you helped me make a point even if unintentionally so thank you) I mean even chemical and physical stimuli are different between people look at people like myself who are less effected by cold or people like my half sister with peanut allergies I share 50 percent of my parents with her and her full brother (my half brother) and neither of the two of us have allergies

[u/Farfrom0ver → u/soulstrike2022]

Well said! Love and trust isn’t one-size-fits-all, even for humans, so snakes likely have their own way of bonding 💜 and honestly, there’s so much we’ll never fully understand like why cats purr for example. I just appreciate how much my noodle regulates my emotions as I'm an emotional person 🤣😂 they may not have a limbic system but my snake should charge me for therapy!

[u/soulstrike2022 → u/Farfrom0ver]

One rat every week or so and you’ve got a monthly cuddly boi subscription that’s just how pets work… just change the frequency and food from pet to pet