What to do about a weird situation?

Originally Posted by Leighanne

An since you suggested it HHMoore would YOU care to be my one person.

lol, figures you would pick the guy that doesn't really even like BPs
On a serious note, Kristin, I will openly state that I probably do not have the experience with BPs that some of the other people do, BUT I have dealt with them in varying degrees and capacities over the years (though I never kept them myself until almost 2 yrs ago). I also have considerable experience with a variety of other pythons, and understand how ball pythons differ from them.

If after considering the experience levels of some of the other people that have been trying to help you, you still want to work with me on this - I'll do it.
Since I have not kept up with all of the various threads, and don't really want to try to dig them up and search for information, I will ask you a variety of questions to bring myself up to current on the details I feel are important to me. I would prefer to do this via PM, but if you want to post about it afterwards, that is fine with me.

* btw, what's a skimmer?

Skimmers......folks who just skim through a thread and read bits and pieces.

Thanks Cat, you are dead on. You can tell who skims your post and who doesn't, its funny. Like I said though I understand and can't blame people.

Thank You HHMoore. I can copy and paste and post our pms if thats ok with you of course, so theres even more info out there for everybody on picky eaters. Its just easier to stick with one person on a problem that way theres not a lot of confusion, not that I don't want other people commenting, but I want to follow one person, make sense?

I don't know why your surprised I choose you. lol HHMoore and I think everybody here would agree with me you ARE the Python man to go to. See its not like I didn't have people on here I didn't know about. I don't know your specific detailed experience, but I know you've kept Snakes for a long time, deal with Pythons, you've got all the experience and make sense to me. I read somewhere that Balls are the pickiest eaters in the Python family. True?

Wow, I still can't believe your surprised. lol

It wasn't so much that I was surprised, Kristin...I saw my name on top of your list a few posts back . It was more a combination of wanting to make sure you knew that I am not the most experienced or knowledgeable person to turn to regarding BPs, and being struck by the irony that you picked the guy that isn't a big BP fan to guide you. That said, if you are willing to follow my advice even if it doesn't make sense to you at the time (yes, I will try to explain most things), I am confident we can get her going again. I'll send you a list of questions later, after I get some sleep...it may end up being tonite.

Originally Posted by Cat_72

Skimmers......folks who just skim through a thread and read bits and pieces.

* is guilty * Ill read one part, and start responding to that bit, and read the rest after....

LOL HHMoore, what do you need an application? Your a goof.
Heres your app. 1. Have you ever breed Balls? I thought I remember seeing on your site that you have.
2. Ever had a picky Ball?
3. Have you dealt with finicky eaters, if so which ones?
4. Why don't you like Balls? lol Ok, thats it. If you really needed to know you came up with the plan of ONE person to follow which is whats needed and got my light to turn on. I just understand what you have to say frankly.

Example, I always sucked at Math in school. I excelled sometimes and would pass with at least a B and sometimes I flunked that class. The Math class I flunked I had a male Teacher who I would always go up to his desk with questions but just NEVER got it. He was like rocket instructions. Then I had a chick Teacher who was new and after her lesson would sit with me through the rest of class and help me with the homework. I brought home B's and A's for her class. I just got how she taught it. Well I get what your saying, everything clicks when you explain it and if it doesn't like you said you'll explain it.

Most of the people on my list have been with me since the first day I got here. Cat and TripleMoons were, Clay, you and hence I know more about your experience. You make decent sized posts and can actually write clearly, very clearly unlike myself. Its also a matter of who's willing, Cats really busy. The second person on my list was Jen Harrison. I would of begged. lol

An I would of begged because this IS all that important to me! I can understand you not liking Balls, everybody has there main Creatures. Jeff's is Tarantulas, and mine is Snakes! I LOVE a Snake. My first interaction with an exotic was a Snake and theres just NO better feeling then the feeling of some no legged weight slithering through your hands. This is my thing, my club, the Snake people. I mean I really want to be like you guys, do what your doing. I haven't even been to the Zoo in years, no conventions. I've never even touched a Snake like Rick Carew's Aurora. I worship that Snake. Their out there and I can't find them. (Herpers) I am SO jealous of you guys. If I can't get her eating. If I fail at the picky eater thing, then that sucks because there are LOTS of Snakes out there that are picky eaters. I can't just go and find another passion. THIS IS IT! I want a Boa, an ETP someday, a Carpet Python. An knowing myself I won't LET myself go any further if I fail at this and its depressing to lose a dream. So you people have me, Lickity has me. I will do anything.

It won't just be you and me though Harold, thats what the posts are for since your not the "Master" of Balls. The "Masters" can comment and you've got the experience you can say hey Jen or Bill or whoever are right, I like that idea better, do that. I just need a main person to follow and clarify. You have the experience. I don't. You have been a great help to me through this situation already. I already feel the focus coming in.

Its my fault for being flustered and unfocused but those thinking errors take years to correct right now and Lickity isn't going to last that long and I want to keep her. No more watching animals starve themselves and feeling helpless, no more failures. Piccolo was my one failure and I still roll in turmoil about that. I still blame myself. I don't like failing. An thats why I gave in to Seamus saying to give her up. If I really prove to be incompetent about taking care of her then she has to go and I am will willing do it.

It just hurts my feelings when people say give away ALL of your animals. Nobody comes and calls me stupid about Leos. I do QUIT well with my Rodents and my Leos, and even the T's. The Leos came easy and were easy to understand. The Ratties I have Nicole to go to when in wonder and her thousands of dollars of Vet education AND her friend who's a studying Exotic Vet. I hate that girl. Gggrrrrrrr. The T's I have John and if I don't get something Jeff can usually explain if not, or hes not home I post on John's forum. I'm not stupid. I am inquisitive and thorough. I ask stupid questions, so I start at the basics, when I've learned some stuff I'll come up with smarter questions, and the basics ALWAYS have to be gone over. The basics are where you got to first.

Well, are you guys feelin me here?

1. Have you ever breed Balls? I thought I remember seeing on your site that you have. No, I have not - but plan on it next year (a practice run, so to speak)...but I have bred a variety of other pythons (as well as a couple of boa sp, several colubrid sp, some rattlesnakes, and ummmmmmm).
2. Ever had a picky Ball? yes, in my current group, I have a few that didn't want to eat once they got here, and a few that went off feed (and though I've got them eating again it is not with the same vigor as before - still working on that, lol)
3. Have you dealt with finicky eaters, if so which ones? over the years, lots. an imported rock, a couple of yellow anacondas, more balls than I care to think about (these were the ones I referred to earlier - rescues, adoptions that needed some rehab before being found homes, abandoned animals, friends' nonfeeders, the list goes on), WC rattlesnakes, a couple of carpets...more than I can think of offhand, honestly.
4. Why don't you like Balls? honestly, it mostly stems back to before CH babies were widely available, and BPs just were not good choices for people. Most of what was seen was imported adults, or subadults, that just didn't thrive. At the time, I was interested in other things, and found dealing with the balls that came into my world to be more hassle than fun or interesting. Since many of them were already on the decline, they certainly weren't the best looking animals. When I came back into reptiles, I was horrified at how popular they had become. The only reason I have ANY is that I saw, and became obsessed with a bumblebee. I did some research, and bought some animals (most of the normals I have were bought for resale - one group I got stiffed on, and I just never bothered advertising the rest...I really need to do that one day soon, lol)

Hhhhhhmmmmmmm, I think you would more then qualify.

Just as an update - I have asked Kristin to not post a running thread of our PMs & this process at present. Quite simply, I want to minimize distraction for her. I am old, and set in my ways...I have my own way of doing things that may, or may not, follow the sequence and logic the rest of you might use. When I arrive at my step 3, I proceed to my step 4, regardless of what anybody else thinks the best step is. That doesn't mean that I am unaware of the many options, just that this is how I choose to do things. Discussion and conjecture by others that she looks up to and trusts (there are several of you that fit into that category, btw ) could muddy the waters I am trying to clear.

Understanding her interest in helping others that might run into these same problems, she has my permission to post any of it - in part, or completely - at a later time. This will be a new one for me...I have never tried to take someone through the step by step process, especially long distance (usually, I just take the snake and do it myself). I may just learn as much as Kristin does over the next several weeks.
She told me she is nervous about this (I knew I was scary, lol), but hopefully some of what we have covered so far will offer her both hope and encouragement. Keep your fingers crossed, and think happy thoughts.

Oh yeah, you are a scary scary man.

Thinking happy thoughts, and lets hope this all works out!