Public Aghast as Kittens Fed Alive to Snakes - Page 4

stkkts · 08-07-03, 04:58 PM

we dont OWE anyone anything. We make choices. And one choice we have made, and continue to make, is to not feed kittens, or CHILDREN, to another animal. But that is because of SOCIETY. They tell you what is right and wrong. Acceptable and unnacceptable. It is all in your upbringing. thats life.
Alcoholic parent -> higher chance of alcoholic offspring
Abusive parent -> higher chance of abussive offspring
Dog eating parent -> dog eating children

Your upbringing molds who you are.

Oliverian · 08-07-03, 04:59 PM

I keep garters and ribbons as pets, and wouldn't feed them to anything. Some of you would. Its all a matter of opinion.

I used to keep guppies as pets, and now that I have fish-eating snakes, the extra guppies are snake food. Its the same thing as the kittens. There are too many, and many will be put down/culled anyways, so why not make their deaths useful in some way? Again, its all a matter of opinion. We could debate this all day, saying whether it's right or wrong, but in the end, there will still be the people against it, and the people for it.

Exactly as some of you have already said, why does a cat or a dog have more of a right to live than a rat or a bunny? That is hypocritical, no matter how you put it.

IMO, and it is just an opinion, it is fine to feed a kitten to a snake, just as much as it is to feed a rat. The snake needs to eat, too, and different prey items add a variety to the diet. BUT, I believe you should definitely ask the kitten owners if you can feed them to your snakes. It's dishonest to not let them know your true intentions.

But feeding live kittens is cruel, just as cruel as it is to feed live rats. They have nowhere to escape to, and their last few minutes are filled with terror. Not to mention the obvious risks to your snake by feeding live.

If the kittens are going to die anyways, why not give the snake a free meal? Makes sense. ~TR~

Jmail324 · 08-07-03, 08:07 PM

I'm completely against feeding kittens to snakes. Not because they're cute, but because it is unnecessary. Rodents and rabbits are readily available and relatively cheap. It was mentioned that in the wild, much cuter animals get eaten, but our snakes are not in the wild. They are captive. My reptiles are fed pre-killed rodents, and live in a controlled environment. They are guaranteed a meal. They dont have to settle for whatever they can get. The excuse that it helps with over-population just isnt good enough for me.

Scott Wahlberg · 08-07-03, 08:41 PM

Cats are Pests and I see nothing wrong with people doing this. If people spayed and newtered they're cats this would not even be a situation. Cats and Dogs are consumed as a source of food every day in third world countries and they think nothing of it. Atleast this way some good is becoming from their existence and they are not just being euthanized at th etax payers expense. How is a mouse really diff then a cat anyways ? IMO know one creature has a right to life more than another!! The only reason people feel this way is b/c cats are cute and cuddly and Rats are not. As long as people go about obtaining these cats legally and are not stealing them out of there neighbors HOUSE then I think they should be able to do what ever they want with them, if the cat is in your yard and crapping in your flower bed i'd say it's fair game then.
Just my 2 CENTS...............Scott Wahlberg

Yve · 08-07-03, 09:46 PM

hmmm...feeding anything live to a snake for cheap thrills is wrong. Feeding a live cat for any reason is worse because of the damage its claws would do. feeding a dead kitty instead of a rodent is unacceptable for the majority of people because they're a common pet that most see as cute and cuddley. A better reason would be that it is not close to a snakes natural diet, although maybe people could argue that in terms of nutritional value. Don't get me wrong, I love all animals, I own two cats, a dog, snakes and millipedes. However, I've always been amazed as to how 'MUCH' people think cats are soo soo sweet, harmless and cutsy patutsy compared to other animals.. here's some information from my local humane society about kitties.....
-there are estimated to be 5,000,000 cats in Canada
-it is estimated that they kill nearly 150 million wild animals per year(birds being a main one)
-a cats hunting instinct supersedes need for food
-one pair of cats under good conditions can produce 7000 offspring over a 7 year span (this is including their offspringing breeding and so on) think of how many deaths they may cause!
regardless.....
i don't think a cat has any more feelings than a bunny, or any other poor creature staring into the eyes of death. Its just that people have been taught that certain animals are expendible and others are not.
lets make this .04cents.....cats are domesticated..they don't NEED to go outside...ours are fixed, indoor cats and perfectly happy!..

Oliverian · 08-07-03, 09:53 PM

As for the people who were feeding live kittens to their snakes... are they stupid?

Quote:

because of the damage its claws would do

.. Exactly. The snake is seriously at risk here. Need I say more?

wyz · 08-08-03, 07:43 AM

Wow ! reading all these posts really made me think.
My position didn't change dramatically, but at least I now feel less of a freak for once thinking (hypoteticaly) about feeding cats to snakes.

Come to think of it, if the SPCA were to humanely kill them by CO2 (like responsilble rodents breeders kill their rodent) and then sell them frozen, I think I would buy them. A lot of people bring cats to the SPCA without thinking further... the think they will be placed in nice home.. sorry but that's not the reality, most of them end up in the oven.

Knowing that, many more pet owners would get their cats fixed so they can't reproduce. What we do to rats is even worst, we breed them for the only purpose of feeding them to our snakes, so why not take something that is going to die anyways.

I don't like feeding live mice to my snakes, I find that really hard to watch, so it would be the same for a cat, it's not something that excites me.

If this would become legal, maybe people would think twice before getting rid of their cats and would be more responsible towards them. It's easy to bash herp owner, but are we really the monsters they think we are... ?

WYZ

HerpHannah · 08-08-03, 08:08 AM

thats sick
y not just feedin the snake 2 rats???

marisa · 08-08-03, 09:33 AM

Yeah wyz I agree and really like your post.

I feel a good idea would be to use a CO2 method (or whatever wont affect the "eating value) and start putting these dumped cats down and donating them to one of the many large snake recues all over North America. One on hand the rescues would be getting helped out, on the other hand the public wouldn't like the thought of this and would get off their butts and start spaying those cats!

I also think birth control needs to be developed for cats that is cheap and easily obtained. I would gladly buy it each month and feed it in food on my porch for any stray females that come around. This would really help the cat problem IMHO.

Although the whole feeding cat thing, cruel or no, is dependant on the nutrional value of cats as a meal for snakes. They may be too fatty. I have no idea though.

Marisa

Lisa · 08-08-03, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by marisa
I also think birth control needs to be developed for cats that is cheap and easily obtained. I would gladly buy it each month and feed it in food on my porch for any stray females that come around. This would really help the cat problem IMHO.

The problem is dosage, if you just put it out then you don't know what's eating it, male or female. and how much of it.

As for the people that think that because the cat comes into your yard you can do anything you want with it you are mistaken. There's generally laws protecting said animals from that sort of thing. You want to keep cats out of your yard then get a dog that chases cats.

eyespy · 08-08-03, 09:44 AM

Rodents, rabbits, etc. that are raised specifically as feeders are given diets that will increase their nutritional value. Unwanted, abandoned, neglected or abused cats are often starving, full of parasites, and possibly sick. While most viral diseases are species-specific, there are a number of bacterial and fungal infections that will happily jump the gap.

Why take those risks, on top of the claws?

Siretsap · 08-08-03, 09:46 AM

What if the cat is dead? Let's say you get a litter and some aren't alive because the mother couln't remove it from the sac? Or let's say a vet co2's them? (if they would we never know). I wouln't mind feeding a dead cat or dog to my snakes. BUt I wouln't feed them live, just like my mice and rats, they are dead when I feed them. But I also don't put them in the microwave!! lolol idiot

Lisa · 08-08-03, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Siretsap
What if the cat is dead? Let's say you get a litter and some aren't alive because the mother couln't remove it from the sac? Or let's say a vet co2's them? (if they would we never know). I wouln't mind feeding a dead cat or dog to my snakes. BUt I wouln't feed them live, just like my mice and rats, they are dead when I feed them. But I also don't put them in the microwave!! lolol idiot

When vets put down an animal they don't use CO2. they inject a drug. also for a vet to put down an animal it is quite expensive, it's not cost effective. if you're taking an animal to the vet to be put down it's because you usually love the animal enough to put it out of it's misery.

Siretsap · 08-08-03, 09:55 AM

Lol, I take wild animals that are in badshape, and I don't necessarely like them. I just take them to the vet, he does what he wants with it. You know, we all have our opinions, and I respect that, I do not see a problem in feeding dead cats or dogs. It's not worse than feeding a mice, rat, pic, chick, or any other living creature. The dead cats and dogs (and the thing on the side of the road that has tire marks on it and is smelly) they are all turned into cat and dog food in the end. SO waht is the big deal?

rwg · 08-08-03, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jmail324
I'm completely against feeding kittens to snakes. Not because they're cute, but because it is unnecessary. Rodents and rabbits are readily available and relatively cheap...

Your bias is showing.

Feeding them rodents is just as unnecessary since cats and kittens are also readily available and relatively cheap (free).

I wouldn't do it. I've had pet cats and dogs. The larger the mammal, and the more capable it is of emulating or truly expressing emotion (I dont really know which they do), the easier it is to sympathize and anthropomorphize. Yeah, it's cultural bias, but one that I'm clearly not free of. I've always had pet cats and/or dogs, and I very much identify with them.

I dont think there's anything wrong with it though. Animals are animals...rats, cats, mice, rabbits, goats, and baby snakes all have as much right (or lack thereof) to life.

The other issue...I think it's wrong to take an animal from someone who is trying to place that animal in a "good home" and feed it to your pet without being open about that. I've heard many times in these forums "here's a pic of my new corn hatchlings, and no, you cant have any to feed to your coral". How would you feel if you gave your babies to a fellow herper to raise, only to find that he fed them to his own collection? This isn't even about the animals...it's about respect for other people and their feelings.