Stupid things pet owners say and do.

[sschind]

Here's the most recent one I heard. It came from a ball python owner.

"I threw all three mice in at the same time and while he was killing one the other two were attacking it and biting it all over. I thought that was kind of cool."

By "it" he was of course referring to the snake.

 

[LauraB]

Idiot. Let's just toss him in a pool with a few gators. Give him a taste of "kind of cool". Idiot.

 

[John E Dove]

I know hwere you are coming from. I had a lady wanting to purchase a hatchling Cron from me who said she was going to give it the run of the house to keep the mice away.
When I explained why that would not work she told me I did not know what I was talking about. Needless to say I did not sell her the hatchling and she was more than a little upset.

 

[Abby]

I know hwere you are coming from. I had a lady wanting to purchase a hatchling Cron from me who said she was going to give it the run of the house to keep the mice away.
When I explained why that would not work she told me I did not know what I was talking about. Needless to say I did not sell her the hatchling and she was more than a little upset.

Wow, that is outrageous. That might be one of the top 10 stupid things I've ever heard.

 

[hhmoore]

I generally avoid getting into snake conversations, because everybody knows more than I do...regardless of how stupid the stuff they are saying might be.

One example that still ranks pretty high on my personal list is the coworker that was telling me about her friend(neighbor, cousin, whatever)'s pet ball python that waited until it knew everybody was going to be out of the house for several hours, then broke out of its tank & ate the cat & all her kittens

 

[Abby]

I generally avoid getting into snake conversations, because everybody knows more than I do...regardless of how stupid the stuff they are saying might be.

One example that still ranks pretty high on my personal list is the coworker that was telling me about her friend(neighbor, cousin, whatever)'s pet ball python that waited until it knew everybody was going to be out of the house for several hours, then broke out of its tank & ate the cat & all her kittens

LMAO! That is all I have to say about that.

But your first paragraph reminded me of something. A guy came out to buy a Green tree python from me a couple months back, and he asked to see my boas as well. I showed him my pair of adult 100% het Anery boas. Somehow we got into discussing genetics, and he kept INSISTING that two hets cannot and will not produce what they carry (in this case, Anery). I explained to him that from a scientific stand point about 25% would be Anery, 50% hets, and 25% normal (using the ol' Punnet Square method). He started arguing and getting rude with me talking about how he knows how Albino genetics work and that his theory was correct so it had to be correct for Anery too. Since obviously he was a genius genetic expert, I just let it go. Sometimes its better to let someone believe they're right then get frustrated about it.

 

[deborahbroadus]

I generally avoid getting into snake conversations, because everybody knows more than I do...regardless of how stupid the stuff they are saying might be.

One example that still ranks pretty high on my personal list is the coworker that was telling me about her friend(neighbor, cousin, whatever)'s pet ball python that waited until it knew everybody was going to be out of the house for several hours, then broke out of its tank & ate the cat & all her kittens

I told you they were smart, Harald!

All this does is PROVE that BPs are smarter than some people think!!

 

[hhmoore]

Is THAT what it proves?? I had totally misunderstood the message :

 

[MikeAnthony]

I got into a discussion with a coworker about how snakes reproduce and he came off with the 'fact' that snakes don't need another snake to make babies. I was like, uhhh yeah they do. and he said he caught a snake in the wild and had it a whole month and one day there was 6 baby snakes in with the one he caught. I busted out laughing and he got pissed and told me I didn't know squat about how to breed snakes, which is very true, but I at least know they it takes two to tango.

 

[rabernet]

I can't stand stupid pet store employees that believe everything their boss tells them is golden.

I'm in there one day picking out some feeder mice out of the bins and he's telling some customers that "teacup" breeds are produced by intentionally starving the puppies to stunt their growth.

I spoke up and said "NO they don't!" He's like "Yeah, uh huh - I'll bet you a $100 that it's true - John said one of his breeder suppliers told him all about how they do it!"

They also took in a sulcata about six months ago - I don't know how old it is, since I don't keep them - but it was probably 100 lb tort. It's shell was pyramiding very badly and I commented "oh wow, the people you guys got him from didn't provide proper nutrition - poor boy" to which the same employee goes - "oh no - it's supposed to do that! We had a breeder come in and tell us that he's perfect!". I'm like "whatever".

And finally - same said employee tells me excitedly about the piebald ball python that someone had dropped off recently and he had sold for $100 and it was too bad that I wasn't there earlier. I said "I don't believe someone just dropped off a piebald to you guys" and he said "well he did! I don't know how you tell them apart from the normals, but he said it was piebald!". I go - did he say "het for piebald?" and he swears "NO! It was a piebald!! I swear!"

Of course, I mention that one to the owner and he goes "the guy said het for piebald - he doesn't know what he's talking about".

Needless to say - this kid HATES when he sees me coming. He knows I always correct him when he's giving bad information. But he always likes to argue with me and SWEAR his information is good information.

I used to be in there weekly for feeders, but now that I'm breeding my own and have found private breeders who don't price gouge you - I'm only in there just checking on the reptiles.

 

[MDC_Ophiuchus]

I'm in there one day picking out some feeder mice out of the bins and he's telling some customers that "teacup" breeds are produced by intentionally starving the puppies to stunt their growth.

I spoke up and said "NO they don't!" He's like "Yeah, uh huh - I'll bet you a $100 that it's true - John said one of his breeder suppliers told him all about how they do it!"

Sounds like an easy $100 on your part. I woulda taken the bet and ended up with $100 of the little twerp's money.

 

[rabernet]

Sounds like an easy $100 on your part. I woulda taken the bet and ended up with $100 of the little twerp's money.

LOL - I get more pleasure out of watching him squirm every time I confront him on mis-information he passes out.

He is one of those kids that takes certain people's word as gospel without doing any independent thinking of his own.

But then, this is a store that insisted that sexing ball pythons would sterilize them - because John (the owner) has kept reptiles all his life and said so. Besides, did you know that all the baby ball pythons sold in pet stores are males, because breeders don't want the general public to get females? (sarcasm definitely intended - but this was a line fed to me by the staff).

Now that John realizes that he can move out adult female surrenders more quickly if he allows me to sex them, now it doesn't sterilize them. He gets nice breedable sized owner surrenders about 2 or 3 times a year - usually right before college starts up. I usually get them a day or two after surrendered, go straight to my vet for an exam including fecal or cloacal swab, then into QT.

Most I send to a breeder friend of mine, this was one I kept - who gave me 11 nice eggs this season. Not to mention - she's just a really nice animal temperment wise as well.