Vigilante wrote:
It's not a blanket statement but there is definitely an aspect of that kind of pet-keeping that appeals to weird people. You know the type, they like feeding live things to the big bad snake, probably enjoy UFC and 9 times out of 10 have a Scarface poster on their wall. You KNOW I'm right.

On_The_3rd wrote:
I don't know if anybody here follows Mordi's Schnitzel Truck on Twitter, but they posted a week or so ago that the "word on the street" was that this spot is going to open up as a bar ? called "Pet Shop". Anyone have any knowledge of this?

On_The_3rd wrote:
I don't know if anybody here follows Mordi's Schnitzel Truck on Twitter, but they posted a week or so ago that the "word on the street" was that this spot is going to open up as a bar ? called "Pet Shop". Anyone have any knowledge of this?

On_The_3rd wrote:
I don't know if anybody here follows Mordi's Schnitzel Truck on Twitter, but they posted a week or so ago that the "word on the street" was that this spot is going to open up as a bar ? called "Pet Shop". Anyone have any knowledge of this?

Vigilante wrote:
It's not a blanket statement but there is definitely an aspect of that kind of pet-keeping that appeals to weird people. You know the type, they like feeding live things to the big bad snake, probably enjoy UFC and 9 times out of 10 have a Scarface poster on their wall. You KNOW I'm right.

Vigilante wrote:
http://magazine.foxnews.com/love/what ... als-about-his-personality

What type of pet a man owns says a lot about who he is and how he lives his life. When you meet someone who has a pet, it's just not the same as meeting someone who is pet-free. There's a good chance his pet will affect your dating life ? especially if it's a dog or cat, since those tend to become the center of a person's life.

In other words, sometimes you just can't compete with Doug the Dog, whom your new dude has had for years, so surrender that fantasy right now. If you're looking for someone to make their whole world about you, you probably won't find it in a pet-owner ? I speak from experience. From dogs to rabbits to snakes, here is what your man's choice of pet says about him. Use this as a guide to weed out the weirdos before you do something ridiculous like fall in love.

Dog
If he owns a dog, your man is loyal and can actually commit, because owning a dog is as close to having a child as it comes. While other pets can be left for an evening or two, dog ownership doesn't allow for such behavior. But the major problem here is just how obsessed he is with his dog, because if he lets that puppy sleep in his bed every night, then you better get used to his dog witnessing your sexy times.

Cat
Oh, you've found a sensitive fella! And he's not only sensitive, but just loves to send you photos of his cat all day long and post them on Facebook and Twitter. I'm not sure why this is, but guys with cats are prone to such things. Also, although Mitten the Kitten can stand spending a night alone thanks to her litter box, the fact remains that she gets very lonely when her owner isn't there. This means you'll be spending most, if not all nights, at his place. Mitten the Kitten needs him! Why can't you understand that?

READ: 9 Ways To Help Your Partner Love Your Cat

Fish
If your guy has a tank full of fish, he just may be low on the emotions, and is probably even "cold as a fish" in bed. Pets are meant to be cuddled, not watched! Sure, maybe he has some sort of allergy to furry pets, but there's just something weird and "Dr. Evil" to me about a guy who only owns fish as pets.

Parrot
Again, not exactly a pet you can cuddle with, but at least you can pet it and teach it to say things. A fella with a pet parrot is probably the type who's really impressed with himself. How can you tell? Well, he's taught his parrot to say the same pretentious and cheesy lines he'll try on you during a first date. Great.

Rabbit
The reason your man would have a pet rabbit is because he never had one when he was a kid, and now that he's living on his own, he's going to finally fulfill that dream. The rabbit's name is probably something like "Rambo"or "Killer" to make up for the fact that he's a dude who actually owns a fluffy bunny.


Rodent
Whether it's a mouse, a rat, a hamster or a guinea pig, if he has some sort of furry creature that lives in a cage and he's over the age of 15, you really need to think long and hard about whether you want to continue dating him. Why? Let's be honest, owning a gerbil or the like is indicative of some dark, and probably quite disturbing issues. Think Richard Gere on this one.

Ferret
We could technically put this in the rodent category, but something about the sneakiness of a ferret just makes it stand alone. A guy who owns a ferret is probably relatively shady and most likely hiding something. If he takes that ferret for walks on a leash, he's not only a sketch-ball, but he also likes attention ? and not the good kind of attention.

Iguana
Ooh! This guy thinks he's so macho! He also thinks he's still in his fraternity house where he was once the "cool" guy for having an iguana. Although these days he's not as "into" his iguana as he used to be, he just can't give him up. They do have all those shared memories from college after all, including the time Iggy the Iguana got his tail caught in the door during that kegger and it fell off. No worries! It grew back, because that's what iguanas do: grow back their tails. So weird.

Snake
Seriously? A grown man with a snake? Does he drive a Camaro and rock a Metallica shirt circa 1986? Oh, you say he wants you to watch him feed a mouse to his snake on your second date? One word: Run. Run. Run.

Vigilante wrote:
It's not a blanket statement but there is definitely an aspect of that kind of pet-keeping that appeals to weird people. You know the type, they like feeding live things to the big bad snake, probably enjoy UFC and 9 times out of 10 have a Scarface poster on their wall. You KNOW I'm right.

JerseyCityNj wrote:
For any of you interested in herps (reptiles and amphibians) check out the reptile expo in White Plains NY this weekend. I recommend you research what you plan on buying first and not make an impulse buy but if you are only used to seeing common reptiles available this will give you chance to see the more exotic and less common morphs and species. They sell snakes, amphibians, tarantulas, the supplies, snake racks, cages as well as frozen feeder mice in bulk cheaper then if you were to buy at a pet shop. Stick with captive bred and ask a ton of questions to the breeders they enjoy answering them if they are good breeder. NY Reptile Expo
Also pick up Reptile Magazine if you are into this hobby.
Reptiles Magazine

I_heart_JC wrote:
Quote:

brewster wrote:
Sadly, Israel kept his pet beardies and monitor in much too small terrariums.

He also overcrowded the rabbits and kept his ferrets in filth. And on sunny days, the birds in the unshaded window would sit with their wings outstretched and mouths open.

Their Facebook page suggested getting a 50% discounted animal as a gift for your child or girlfriend. Pets should never be an impulse-purchase, let alone a gift for someone who wasn't planning on caring for it.

I'm always sad to see a small business close, but Village Tropical was the kind of pet store I'm encouraged to see is on the decline.

Vigilante wrote:
I love busting your chops but you know, deep down, that I am right. There is definitely a subculture of weirdos, men mostly, who love to watch animals kill other animals. There is no doubt that they derive some kind of creepy pleasure from it and I wouldn't doubt that it gives some of them wood. It's not unlike the dudes who watch UFC and enjoy watching one animal exert "domination" over other animals. In the wild there are male monkeys that will anally rape other males to exert dominance. I definitely see that in the personalities of those who collect snakes and reptiles and those who watch UFC, boxing etc. Sorry if I hit a nerve.

Vigilante wrote:
I love busting your chops but you know, deep down, that I am right. There is definitely a subculture of weirdos, men mostly, who love to watch animals kill other animals. There is no doubt that they derive some kind of creepy pleasure from it and I wouldn't doubt that it gives some of them wood. It's not unlike the dudes who watch UFC and enjoy watching one animal exert "domination" over other animals. In the wild there are male monkeys that will anally rape other males to exert dominance. I definitely see that in the personalities of those who collect snakes and reptiles and those who watch UFC, boxing etc. Sorry if I hit a nerve.

Vigilante wrote:
I love busting your chops but you know, deep down, that I am right. There is definitely a subculture of weirdos, men mostly, who love to watch animals kill other animals. There is no doubt that they derive some kind of creepy pleasure from it and I wouldn't doubt that it gives some of them wood. It's not unlike the dudes who watch UFC and enjoy watching one animal exert "domination" over other animals. In the wild there are male monkeys that will anally rape other males to exert dominance. I definitely see that in the personalities of those who collect snakes and reptiles and those who watch UFC, boxing etc. Sorry if I hit a nerve.

Vigilante wrote:
I hope you all have the proper permits.

Vigilante wrote:
http://www.anapsid.org/nyburm.html

This genius probably enjoyed watching the terror in the chicken's eyes. He got to experience it too! By the way, I hope you all have the proper permits.

According to the New York Times, 19-year old Grant Williams of 365 East 183rd Street Bronx died as the result of an attack by his 13 foot long Burmese Python which may have mistaken him as food.

The victim was found at about 1:30 PM on October 9th by a neighbor lying in a pool of blood with the snake coiled around his torso in the hallway of his apartment building. He was pronounced dead at Jacobi Medical Center. An ambulance crew removed the snake from the victim and it was taken to the Bronx Zoo.

According to the report, Williams and his 17 year old brother, Lamar, purchased the snake at a local pet store known as Pet City about five months ago for $300.00.

This attack may be a feeding related incident as a live chicken was found nearby, still in the box. Williams was apparently getting ready to feed the snake, out of its cage. Pythons, like other snakes, have an acute sense of smell. The detection of a food odor such as a chicken and the proximity of Williams to the snake evidently led the snake to mistake Williams as its prey or food.

This case, like others including cases seen by the undersigned in the E.R. indicate that prey items such as rodents, chickens or rabbits do not have to actually scent a human in order for a snake to attack them. The mere presence of the food in the vicinity can set off a sort of feeding frenzy. Therefore feeding snakes, especially large ones capable of inflicting significant injury or death, should be done with extreme caution.

HerpMed strongly recommends that owners of large boids feed them only in their enclosures or cages. Under no circumstances should such snakes be fed in the open or in a unrestrained manner. The mere presence of food in the vicinity can set off an attack as has been demonstrated countless times, often with tragic consequences.

Food should be inserted into the cage quickly and carefully, preferably using long-handled tongs such as barbecue tongs. It need not be alive and should be pre-killed to facilitate handling. It is important that a snake in olfactory contact with food or prey not be permitted access to its human caretaker. Feeding a large boid is not the same as feeding your dog or cat.

Large boids should not be allowed to free-roam. They can unpredictably attack anyone in the household or escape by pushing out a window or screen with relative ease. Anyone considering the acquisition of such an animal should have the space and funds to house it adequately and safely without resorting to allowing it free roaming privileges. Such snakes should not be handled before or after feeding for several days and then only if there are no olfactory stimuli to provoke a feeding attack. In addition such animals should not be handled unless two or more people are present capable of removing the snake should it attempt an attack. Many jurisdictions prohibit the keeping of such animals without proper permits or licenses. Doing so is not only a legal violation, it is a breech of the public safety -- your own, other members of your family and that of your neighbors and friends.

Questions, suggestions, comments for these guidelines are solicited. Please contact me.

Please feel free to republish this page or disseminate this information as widely as possible among the community of reptile hobbyists and keepers.

Vigilante wrote:
Nature is nature but to recreate it in your home so as to derive pleasure seems like the practice of a chronic masturbator.

brewster wrote:
Sadly, Israel kept his pet beardies and monitor in much too small terrariums.

On_The_3rd wrote:
This stinks, I go there once a week to buy mice. Any reptile owners on the board who can recommend a place within walking/biking distance from downtown that sells live mice? I've tried the mail order frozen mice before and those are a no-go.

Vigilante wrote:
http://www.anapsid.org/nyburm.html

This genius probably enjoyed watching the terror in the chicken's eyes.

Vigilante wrote:
Nature is nature but to recreate it in your home so as to derive pleasure seems like the practice of a chronic masturbator.

brewster wrote:
I remember biking home as a teen from the pet store with 2 mice for my boa in a box marked: "I'm going to my new home!"