"Cats and rats, sure," I respond as I place the succulent back on the shelf before returning to prepping the meat. "I use them in spellwork all the time. Along with the occasional bird, or a wild dog maybe. But I don't really have much use for them as pets. The one time I've tried, the dog died the first time I left him alone. Not even ten minutes, and the stupid thing ate through half a pot of deadman's beard.
"Snakes aren't that stupid," I say simply. "They eat the mice and the rats that wander in, but they never get into anything that will kill them. And around here, that's damn near everything. And it's so much easier finishing a spell that calls for a snake when you have a handful of them already slithering around somewhere. They aren't exactly a hot commodity for the trade ships to bring in, you know?"