When is it really "too many pets"

[kittyhazelton]

People think I'm nuts when I start listing off the critters I have.
Not including the reptiles currently in UVRG rescue/foster (as these are not mine permanently, and account for about 2dozen various snakes, turtles, and lizards) I have:
burmese python
black milksnake
american alligator
sulcata tortoise
argentine tegu
argentine boa
Chaco Golden Knee Tarantula
125gal saltwater fish tank
2 cats
dog
2 chinchillas
Indian Ringneck parrot
2 Doves
and most recent new addition: Blue and Gold macaw.
My monthly bill to the pet store is astronomical, I make a decent amount of money though and they're all well-fed and healthy. Yeah, I don't have much of a social life outside of "zookeeping" but honestly I'd rather spend my time with the animals. I would say my time spent with the animals is probably equal to that of people I know who have young toddlers.

I guess for me I would say that the line for "too many pets" is when one's ability to provide adequate care, and meet the basic needs of those animals declines, when someone's ability to reasonably meet the needs of those animals is just not possible.
Any other in-house "zookeepers" out there? And what sort of creatures are in your keep?

 

[Wiggles92]

I don't think that you have too many animals considering that they're all well cared for and you are still able to get by as well.

 

[cichlid_fever]

Not as many as you but!
4.9ball pythons
1.1 crested geckos
0.0.0 caiman lizard
1.0 Blue tongue skink
1.0 boston terrier
125g freshwater tank
75g freshwater also.
0.1 wife
2.0 kids....My close friends call my house the other local zoo! Lol i also prefer the company of animals then most humans.If i had the room i'de have more pets also!!It's only to many when you cant care for them!!

 

[mhill90]

1 American Pitbull Terrier- Emma
1 Staffordshire Bull Terrier- Atreyu
1 English Mastiff Mix- Roscoe

2 Cats- Ace, Chubbs
1 Sudan Plated Lizard- Thor
30 running FISH tanks
1 indoor koi tank
30 turtles

And possibly taking in a guinea pig tomorrow.

 

[snakeguy101]

an adult iguana
a mata mata turtle
3 large fresh water fish
2 adult mangrove snakes (these should count double because they are so fricken difficult to work with)
2 adult eyelash vipers
a texas indigo snake
a FL pine snake
a temple viper
2 sub adult monocled cobras (one albino, one normal)
a beaded lizard
a gaboon viper
a copperhead
3 death stalker scorpions
a Brazilian pink bird eating tarantula
a Tanzanian tailless whip scorpion
a cat

I also live within spitting distance of a zoo and I routinely have people coming to my house to see my collection as opposed to going to the zoo since I have about 3x the reptiles that they have (and mine are cooler)

 

[Wiggles92]

I guess this is the "List your animals" thread now?

1.0 Cat
1.0 Guinea pig
1.1 Gerbil
1.0 Amazon tree boa
1.1 Burmese python
~96,000 gallon freshwater pond (native monsters)
55 gallon saltwater aquarium (eel and co.)
20 gallon long freshwater aquarium (natives)
4 gallon freshwater aquarium (betta and co.)
3 gallon freshwater aquarium (betta and co.)

The gerbils and guinea pig are my sister's, but I listed them anyway since I still live at home where they are. I used to have way more critters (dozen chickens, four ducks, a dog, two other cats, a pigeon, a swan, and some others), but they either died of old age, predation, or were given to friends when the others got eaten by predators.

 

[ShaneOSullivan]

I don't have enough to list, but I do have a question. What does, "1.1" or "1.0" mean? How does that numbering system work?

 

[Mavrick813]

I've got:
180g Freshwater
38G Freshwater
29G Freshwater
20G Freshwater
20G Saltwater
2 Parakeets
1 Hamster
5 Ferrets
3 Dogs
1 Cat
2 Ball Pythons
1 Eastern Corn Snake
1 Sulcotta Tortoise

So To answer your question. Nope not too many at all

 

[snakeguy101]

I don't have enough to list, but I do have a question. What does, "1.1" or "1.0" mean? How does that numbering system work?

it is a shorthand system for the sex ratio- male.female.unsexed

so if you have a sexual trio (1 male, 2 females) that has laid 8 babies that have not been sexed you would have 1.2.8

 

[Fat Homer]

an adult iguana
a mata mata turtle
3 large fresh water fish
2 adult mangrove snakes (these should count double because they are so fricken difficult to work with)
2 adult eyelash vipers
a texas indigo snake
a FL pine snake
a temple viper
2 sub adult monocled cobras (one albino, one normal)
a beaded lizard
a gaboon viper
a copperhead
3 death stalker scorpions
a Brazilian pink bird eating tarantula
a Tanzanian tailless whip scorpion
a cat

I also live within spitting distance of a zoo and I routinely have people coming to my house to see my collection as opposed to going to the zoo since I have about 3x the reptiles that they have (and mine are cooler)

No herps for me, but i have to admit, after reading Snakeguys list, i wish i could bring my DSLR over just to take pics of his collection...