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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To insist that DSIL keeps her exotic pets in her room

26 replies

Ullena · 07/02/2013 16:15

My DSIL is coming to live with us temporarily whilst she house hunts. She will pay for her food and utilities, and we have agreed to drive her wherever she needs to go if she can't get a taxi.

Background: DSIL has some issues, can be hard to live with, and likes me because I always call her on it and expect her to wise up. She has been living with her parents until now. DPIL are over the moon as it means they will now have a spare bedroom where their grandchildren can stay over...

Anyway. DSIL has some exotic pets. Spiders, scorpions, snakes, small lizards. AIBU to insist that she keeps them in her own room whilst staying with us, and refuse to allow them to be brought downstairs?

It's mainly the snakes; she takes them out to handle them and carries them around. Two are python types, the others are smaller; corns and so forth.

OP posts:
ChocolateTeacup · 07/02/2013 16:18

Ofc YANBU she is lucky you are allowing them in your home!

Original poster
Ullena · 07/02/2013 16:21

Cheers, just wanted to be sure I was being fair! I don't mind the snakes but our cats would just think "wahey, dinner!"...and we can guess how that would end.

OP posts:
NatashaBee · 07/02/2013 16:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheVermiciousKnid · 07/02/2013 16:23

Of course you're not unreasonable! I wouldn't have a problem with the lizards and might be able to tolerate the (big) snakes, but spiders and scorpions! Shock Just having having them in the house would be enough for me!

ChaoticisasChaoticdoes · 07/02/2013 16:24

YADNBU They wouldn't make it into my house.

Original poster
Ullena · 07/02/2013 16:29

The mice are going in the freezer with the dog meat, she will have a mini fridge in her room to defrost them in Smile

Ah yes...the crickets. And the locusts. Oh dear lord, how did I forget those little guys? And some of them always escape too. Cats will have a field day...

OP posts:
BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 07/02/2013 16:31

YANBU - I wouldn't let them through the front door.

I really don't understand why anyone would want a spider for a pet! Still, horses for courses and all that but no, def not for me and not in my house....

Original poster
Ullena · 07/02/2013 16:31

I wonder if she still has the goliath...

OP posts:
BadgersRetreat · 07/02/2013 16:31

there is NO WAY the spiders would be allowed in my house so no, YANBU at all

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 07/02/2013 16:32

As someone has already mentioned reptiles tend to carry salmonella, so if your DCs are handling them make sure they follow proper hygiene.

Original poster
Ullena · 07/02/2013 16:36

No DCs here. Although one of my nieces adores the DSIL's little band of exotics and always wants to visit her aunty's snakes and spiders. Thankfully DSIL is very fussy when it comes to caring for them. Hygiene is big with her.

OP posts:
sooperdooper · 07/02/2013 16:40

I think it's fine, and remind her as well that it's actually for her pets benefit too, or they'll end up as cat food :)

Original poster
Ullena · 07/02/2013 16:51

Lol, more worried the cats would get swallowed!

OP posts:
Midori1999 · 07/02/2013 17:51

It would take quite a large snake to eat a cat, its far more likely the cat would kill a snake tbh, but DSIL may be assuming the animals would be in her room anyway?

Her room is probably safer as air fresheners or anything similar you use can be poisonous to reptiles and arachnids.

Original poster
Ullena · 07/02/2013 18:38

She likes to carry the snakes about with her sometimes. I have told her not to bring them downstairs and she has agreed to this Smile

One of the pythons is definitely big enough to manage two of our cats (the two runty ones), but yes, we don't want any of the pets involved being harmed.

OP posts:
Inertia · 07/02/2013 19:49

I'd be insisting that they lived in a room in somebody else's house TBH.

If you are willing to let her keep them in her room she should be bloody grateful.

Scootee · 07/02/2013 19:55

Hell's fucking teeth!!!

Errr I don't know what to write, I am so horrified!

ZZZenAgain · 07/02/2013 19:58

garden shed. Might speed up the house hunting.

You are kind, I don't think I would take all that on

DeepRedBetty · 07/02/2013 20:00

Yanbu. Apart from anything else, even the cleanest reptile/invertebrate enclosures smell!

Was so pleased when I discovered that children under five aren't meant to be in contact with reptiles and thus was finally able to persuade dp to rehome his snakes.

MyCarHasBrokenDownAgain · 07/02/2013 20:10

Am I the only weirdo that would love all those* in the house, as long as someone else was taking care of them? Grin

  • Apart from the spiders, you can keep those!!!
enjoyinglife · 07/02/2013 20:43

Yanbu. I am also concerned about your open offer of taxiing her about. I predict a future thread about being an unpaid taxi....

Original poster
Ullena · 08/02/2013 13:06

Having learnt from bitter experience, I always insist on petrol money up front and 24 hours notice for long journies that are not emergencies...

OP posts:
blackeyedsusan · 08/02/2013 13:14

any spider out of her room would be hoovered...

Original poster
Ullena · 08/02/2013 13:19

They are too big for the hoover. You know, those huge hairy ones?

OP posts:
Inertia · 08/02/2013 13:37

You know, it sounds as though she takes the piss already. What's the betting that she'll give the animals free run of the house even though you've explicitly said no to this.

I'm thinking that taxis are about to suddenly become hard to come by as well, given that you've agreed to drive her if she can't get one.

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