Just Realized I Have a Moral Problem with Feeding Live

[Zoe]

live prey has more nutritional value then something that has been killed who knows when and frozen for who knows how long.

Well sure, if you buy junk that's been frozen for 6 months. But fresh killed and recently frozen is still fine. Oh, and just btw, my snakes all constrict like psychos when they strike. Maybe its because I yank the tail a few times to put up some sort of resistance for them. But yeah, I do agree, that snakes need to constrict.

WTF...are you kidding me?? I think the snake would rather deal w/ the dangers of its NATURAL surroundings that spend its life in a glass enclosure. But for our own enjoyment we keep exotic animals.

Following this logic, you would rather live in trees, killing things with sticks and eating raw meat and bugs, constantly under watch by cougars and whatnot? Oh, and no need to get vulgar :S

Besides f/t, whats the difference between the snake killing its prey or someone pulling its tail to break its neck or wacking it on a hard surface.

There are two major differences. The first is the danger to the snake, which is obvious. The second in the rodent itself. Obviously if you don't care if it suffers or not then this difference has no importance to you. But I don't believe they should die in pain, just because you anthropomorphize your snakes.

Get a dog, cat, bird..etc. I mean we as humans eat meat...and millions of animals are killed each year so we can dine on the best beef...chicken etc. So whats the difference...

As stated, it happens in the wild that animals kill each other. But in the wild prey also has a chance of getting away. I don't think they have that in captivity, do they? And about slaughter houses... what, you think I want to go there and watch just for fun? Of course not! I am completely against the way they are killed! I do eat meat (not much of it, mind you), and I assure you if I could afford a farm and could breed my own cattle they would die humanely.

Of course the wellfare of my snake comes before that of the rodent. If I cared more about the rodents and owned rats, well that would a little weird :P. But I do care about the rodent as well.

I guess all of this has to do with whether or not you care about the rodents, because you are obviously aware of the dangers of feeding large live rodents (a step in right direction, no?)

Zoe