Why snakes?

One of the most common questions I'm asked is, "Why snakes?"  Many people don't understand why I, and others, would choose to own a scaly reptile instead of a cute furry puppy or kitten.  The reasons are many.  I will list some of them here.

• Snakes don't require as much attention.  True, temperature and humidity levels must be monitored and maintained, but this can be done easily with thermometers/hygrometers, allowing for easy reading of the temps/humidity levels, even in a hurry.  Snakes do not require the attention and affection your dog or cat requires.  In fact, they are quite content if you leave them in their safe, secure habitats for weeks at a time.  They don't need love, they don't need to go for walks, and they don't expect you to play with them. (I'm telling you right now, if my snake dropped a rawhide bone in my lap, I would throw it for him!)
• Snakes eat, on average, once a week.  Compare owning one snake to owning one dog.  My snakes eat once a week or so, while my dog and cat eat every day.  I spend about as much feeding three snakes as I do feeding one dog and one cat every month.  If your snakes are eating frozen/thawed prey, the food bill is even cheaper.
• Most apartment complexes will let you keep multiple snakes.  The apartment complex I live in restricts us to one dog and one cat.  However, they have no restrictions on animals that are kept in cages.
• They are easy to care for.  This ties in with the attention point above.  On average, I clean my snake enclosures once a week.  I 'spot check' for waste, wet shavings, and other issues every time I take them out, which is usually 1-2 times a day for a few minutes at a time.
• Snakes are cheap once you get past the initial investment.  For a person on a budget, snakes are a great pet.  We've already discussed feeding, which can run anywhere from $3-$4 a week for a full grown ball python.  Many snakes are fine being kept on newspaper or something similar.  I prefer aspen shavings or cypress mulch, both of which are fairly inexpensive.
• Space.  Depending on the type of snake you own, you can keep one in a small apartment with no problem.  One ball python can happily live its life in a 20 or 30 gallon aquarium.  Many people with multiple snakes use rack systems that allow them to stack their snakes on shelves, similar to the three or four drawer Sterilite shelves you can purchase at Wal-Mart.
• Snakes are quiet!  Your snake won't bark when somebody knocks on the door, and he won't paw at your face, meowing in your ear to wake you up in the morning to give him breakfast.  They will hiss if startled or frightened, but with many snakes that isn't a regular occurrence.  There is always the exception, though!  Some people have very "hissy" snakes.
• Snakes are odorless.  Snakes generally don't stink.  The only time I smell anything other than the smell of the aspen shavings or the cypress mulch (I enjoy the damp, earthy smell of the cypress), is when my snakes leave waste for me to clean up.  Once that is disposed of and the enclosure cleaned, the smell is gone.

That's everything I can think of for now.  I will be doing a 'cons of owning a snake' feature as well.  The only way to properly educate people is to give them all the information available!  Please chime in via the comments if you can think of more pros!

Rick