Sometimes we think government regulators are out to get our hobby. But the more I talk with them as individuals, the more I realize some of them simply don't understand how we feel about our pets.

That word -- "pets" -- pretty much sums up the issue, in fact. While I was at the National Reptile and Amphibian Legal Symposium, I had a conversation with one of the US Fish and Wildlife representatives, who had listened to my impassioned comments on general pet owner issues relating to the addition of species onto the Lacey Act. It turns out she was flabbergasted to hear that we reptile people see these animals as our pets, and not as a commodity.

As government regulation and a bad economy combined to threaten the reptile community, we as hobbyists, breeders, and keepers did a pretty good job of talking to our legislators about the financial impact of bans and restrictions. That was a pretty smart thing to do, particularly with more conservative lawmakers who are very attuned to the plight of small businesses.

But we've done a terrible job of talking about how we feel about our animals, and that's hurt us.

Most people who own reptiles keep them as pets, not as a business. It's their beauty and personality, not any prospect of financial gain, that make them important to us.

In my conversation with the regulator, I could see she was really struggling to understand. So I changed "Burmese python" to "cat," and gave her the same scenario. She instantly realized where our passion and anger over the rule change came in. Just in an instant, the realization of leaving behind a beloved pet made all the world of sense.

Reptiles may not be dogs and cats, but to those of us that love and keep them, they are as dear to our hearts. That's something we need to keep talking about.