feeling guilty about feeding - Page 2

kazz · 01-04-18, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by launimals

Does anyone have tips or tricks to get over this?

1. you can buy a snake who eat eggs only.
2. you can phone to chicken farm and take a non hatching chicken. Not everyone chicken can hatch and they die. Farmers throw them to a trash. But if they freeze them you can use them as a food.

CameraSkunk · 01-04-18, 09:48 PM

I just got my first snake this week on the 1st. A beautiful Sand Boa. You'll love him or her. As for feeding I understand the feeling. However as you said this is Nature and best to think of it as food. At the very least in the case of your snake, nothing goes to waste like when we eat beef or chicken. The snake utilizes nutrients from every part of the food that it is fed.

As one person mentioned there are other snakes that you can get that do not feed on rodents but they all come with some manor of feeding on protein of some sort.

Garter snakes for instance will feed on little fish. (If you go this route do your research you have to watch out for thiaminese i think is the word. Some fish contain a chemical that can cause deficiencies in the snake.)
There are egg eating snakes, though at times it can be hard to find appropriately sized eggs for the snake. Asian markets help with this sometimes.

StevenL · 01-07-18, 01:48 PM

Seeing the destruction mice and rats do living in the country here in the Midwest, I've never had any "feelings" for a rodent other than how to dispatch of it. I'm fully prepared to be tagged cold hearted but that can't be further from the truth. I'm just a realist and have a full grasp on this thing called life. Have a mouse chew wiring up in your house or have your vehicle not start because a rat gnawed the wiring harness up, it gets pretty easy to feed them to a snake. Now rabbits and squirrels are quite tough for me to feed to a snake. I get pretty jealous because I'm not eating them.

I have been to a lot of slaughter houses over the years and I won't describe the process. I know too many people enjoy their Big Mac's and 12 ounce Ribeye's, don't want to ruin that for anyone.

The one post about feeding snakes eggs. I've been to a lot of those operations too. I will refrain from details on that also other than a layer at the end of her egg production life cannot walk and Campbell's Soup is a staple we have all enjoyed for years.

kazz · 01-08-18, 08:39 AM

StevenL, nobody catch mice or rats at house to feed snakes. So it's just not comparable about rats as home pets and rats who destroy a house.

StevenL · 01-08-18, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kazz

StevenL, nobody catch mice or rats at house to feed snakes. So it's just not comparable about rats as home pets and rats who destroy a house.

Well Kazz I do respect your opinion but a rat is a rat. But with your analogy then it should be no problem allowing a "pet" rat or mouse having free range in your house uncaged. Since it is a pet, I'm sure it will not chew holes through the walls nor will it disturb any food in the pantry. I bet it will even let it's self out at night to go pee.

A snake has to eat and that should be thought of long before entertaining the idea of owning a snake. Then to get a snake and put yourself through emotional stress because you are feeding it rats and mice I just don't understand. They do have pets that require no food and no care, they are called pet rocks.

jjhill001 · 01-09-18, 09:23 PM

I remember back before I had a regular access to FT animals I had to kill them myself (as humanely as possible). That's why if you pick up an old care book you'll see recommendations to feed pre-killed or frozen thawed rodents. Nowadays you just see frozen rodents recommended because they are available pretty much anywhere.

It's not an easy thing to kill an animal, particularly an animal that can be considered by some to be a pet (I personally like mice/rats more than hamsters).

It is certainly understandable to have trepidation about it. I recommend going to petsmart or somewhere that sells frozen thawed mice and just open up one of the boxes and look at a dead mouse. If that's something you can deal with then you should have no problem. It also helps that you see it in a little food box in a freezer.

That said, it's important to remember that these animals are bred for this specific purpose. They are killed as humanely as possible and as long as you have a snake that's already eating frozen thawed rodents you shouldn't ever need to offer live options.

Scubadiver59 · 01-10-18, 12:17 PM

When I feed live, I always say..."For those of you about to die, we salute you." Kind of what Hollywood always puts in movies that have gladiator fight scenes.

kazz · 01-10-18, 01:09 PM

I think all ppl who feed alive snimals are sadistic. They just enjoy when someone is suffer.

btw I have bought unhatched quails 3.7kg for 3.7$

DJC Reptiles · 01-10-18, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kazz

I think all ppl who feed alive snimals are sadistic. They just enjoy when someone is suffer.

btw I have bought unhatched quails 3.7kg for 3.7$

Don't you feed live fish to your carpet? Telling someone they are sadistic for offering live food items is not only, judgmental, but cruel and repugnant. Do you not eat meat? Are you a vegetarian? Snakes prey on living rodents, that is the nature of life. I do not believe most of anyone enjoys the pain and suffering of the rodent, but when snakes do not eat frozen thawed, then it is the owner's responsibility to provide their pet with what it needs. You can judge someone for feeding live prey, that is your right, but, when you accuse all people who feed live prey of being sadistic, that is where I take offense. I take this as an insult, and even though I do not feed live, I understand with those that have no choice. Clearly though you don't care.

kazz · 01-10-18, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Don't you feed live fish to your carpet?

nope. those fish was frozen.

Quote:

Snakes prey on living rodents, that is the nature of life.

Nature it's when live rodent has a chance to not be eaten.

Quote:

I do not believe most of anyone enjoys the pain and suffering of the rodent

Sadistics don't tell you they enjoys roden't suffering bc of morality.

**EL Ziggy** · 01-10-18, 05:14 PM

If a snake eats f/t there's really no reason to feed live. Most of us feed f/t because it's easier and more humane but whether you feed live or f/t the prey still has to be killed and I doubt it's a completely painless experience for the prey. All life is sacred imo but I also understand that animals, humans included, eat other animals to survive. There may very well be some folks who get a "thrill" out of feeding live but I believe that's a very small minority of keepers. Most of us care about not only our animals but all animals. To call anyone who feeds live sadistic is way out of bounds.

DJC Reptiles · 01-11-18, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kazz

nope. those fish was frozen.

Nature it's when live rodent has a chance to not be eaten.

Sadistics don't tell you they enjoys roden't suffering bc of morality.

Sadistics are a very small minority of people in the reptile community, and I advise you to not call all people who feed live animals sadistic, that is way too far. And yes, in nature a live rodent has the chance to not be eaten, but this is not nature. If someone were to pick up a pet snake, and forbid, the snake does not eat f/t, then they must feed live, and it is their responsibility to do so. Most keepers who feed live maybe started out feeding live, but were then able to switch to f/t after a short while. Keep in mind some snakes will only take live, and as painful as it is to watch, you have a responsibility to your new pet. How do you think meat is prepared for humans? Probably not humanely. Does that make everyone who eat meat sadistic, absolutely not.

kazz · 01-11-18, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJC Reptiles

Does that make everyone who eat meat sadistic, absolutely not.

Ok I need to say ppl who enjoy feed alive are sadistic.

StevenL · 01-11-18, 06:40 PM

I rarely feed live due to safety for my snake and convenience for me. Being raised in small town USA and living outside of a city, I've always understood real world when it comes to survival for man or beast. I can watch a fox eat chickens and not cringe. Watch a Red Tail Hawk snatch a squirrel from a tree branch and marvel at it's skill navigating danger to reach it's meal. Do I enjoy it? No. Do I despise it? No. Does it bother me? No. I have butchered deer, cattle, hogs, etc. It is called life. To paint anyone as sadistic for feeding live prey then have to be told to rephrase your statement is pretty sad. But hey, it is your opinion and I can live with that. I'm a bible thumping Midwest Christian and to forgive is my middle name. Give me a 20 ounce steak medium rare and I could care less how it got killed getting to me. And furthermore I know I don't have to worry how much Vitamin B1 it contains. Pass the steak sauce please.

kazz · 01-12-18, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Give me a 20 ounce steak medium rare and I could care less how it got killed getting to me. And furthermore I know I don't have to worry how much Vitamin B1 it contains.

it doesn't matter bc thiaminase is destroyed by temperature while cooking