Wednesday is going home.

[helen99]

I've accepted that I'm the wrong owner for my boa constrictor Wednesday. I really like her - she's a beautiful snake. However, I believe she needs someone with carpentry skills and a lumberjack's build. This would not be me.

I didn't want to just take her to the pound and become one of those idiotic snake owners who threw their snake away because they were too dimwitted to realize how big she was going to get. In fact, I did realize exactly how big she would get (she's several feet shorter than she could have been). I just didn't realize how puny I was by comparison.

I put ads in several forums and called around to various vets and pet shops to see if there was anyone who was interested -- nothing. Then a few months ago I decided to call the people I bought her from. Oddly, I'd kept the little refrigerator magnet they gave me when I bought her. I usually don't keep those, but I kept this one for some reason. I figured that they obviously love boas, and might have friends who would be interested in keeping her and who were competent at handling large boas.

So... I called Silly Serpents. I left a message with them that she was available, and that I was looking for a new owner for her who would give her plenty of room and was strong enough to handle a big snake. I told them that if they or someone they knew could take her, to call me. I never heard back from them, so I thought maybe they'd moved or they weren't interested.

However, several months later (today) I got a call from the owner of Silly Serpents; he left a message asking if she was from a reptile show seven years ago. (Seven years ago?? has it really been that long?) I called him back and told him Wednesday was indeed from the reptile show seven years ago and that she was still available.

"That's the one I thought she was," he said. "I definitely want her back. I sold all of the babies from that hatching and ever since that time, I wished I'd kept them. Those were the most beautiful boas I'd ever seen. I have boa enclosures - she'll have plenty of room. I have experience and can definitely handle her -- I love big snakes". When he learned that her name was Wednesday (named after Wednesday Addams), he laughed and said that he liked that name -- but that for some reason he couldn't quite convince his wife to name their daughter Wednesday... The exchange convinced me that this was indeed the person who should have her.

I scheduled with him to come by on Saturday at 9:00 am - I'm giving up leaving for WV on Friday night (as is our habit of late) - so it must be a momentous occasion. I told him to come as early as possible since I want to get out of town as soon as possible...

I think this is the right thing. She'll get the slither room and owner she needs. Good times for the Wednesday.

Comments

[netdancer.livejournal.com]

Respect to you for being both responsible and caring.

[helen99.livejournal.com]

Better late than never. I should have done this years ago. I was like the alcoholic who would say "I'll quit tomorrow". "I'll build Wednesday the kind of enclosure she needs this year". Never happened.

[jolantru.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

[helen99.livejournal.com]

:)

[rebelfilms.livejournal.com]

thats so good to hear she is going to a good home. :)

[helen99.livejournal.com]

Well, better his place than mine, at any rate. Her new owner is going to take her home in a snake carrying bag and put her directly into the boa enclosure. He probably has a basement where he's built huge enclosures and such. He has experience with Retics, so Wednesday will be easy for him - she's sweet-tempered... when she's not hungry.

Ahhh the joys of owning a snake

[daughterofodhin.livejournal.com]

I miss mine, but when mine died due to hurricane stress I decided not to replace her. (I had a Ball Python). Mostly due to the fact that I was 37 and the idea of having to pass on a snake to a loved one later in life, (Like the birds you so often hear about) wasn't going to go over to well.

She sounds like she will have a fantastic home. Now if I can get the idiots of Florida to stop dumping them in the Everglades, I would be even happier.

Re: Ahhh the joys of owning a snake

[helen99.livejournal.com]

Probably a good choice. But then, there are those who get a long-lived pet intending to keep it for life, only to have the bird die of some mysterious illness decades before its lifespan is over.

This is what happened with Dr. Pepperberg and Alex, her African Grey parrot who was the subject of her life's work. I think Alex died of stress. They're pretty bonded to their person, and she had to go to conferences all the time and leave him in the lab.