Hamsters, Gerbils etc.

[djc3674]

Pigs are also a domesticated animal, and have a much higher intelligence than both of the above mentioned. That being said, they are also accepted as prey items for large snake...

I tend to disagree, my pug is pretty damn intelligent. I cant see how a stinky farm animal can be smarter than a dog. hehe Although, I have heard that pot belly pigs are pretty smart. Also, they are not to kept as a domesticated animal nearly as much as cats and dogs.

Seriously though, how can someone justify feeding a dog to a snake? A pig is different, especially the farm raised ones. They are raised and harvested for our consumption. I LOVE BACON!!! lol
So feeding a pig to a snake seems to be much more acceptable.

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Yes, in a sense i agree. However, pigs are very inteligent creatures and they just dont seem to know how to use their inteligence. Pigs arent kept as much and people do not work with them and try to figure them out so they dont learn as well. In another sence, dogs and cats have been raise to be close to humans and they are almost like a brother(or sister) to humans. We take them in like family. How many people do that with a pig?

[Gezt]

Ferrets are pretty smart too. If fed alive im thinking they could kill a snake. Ive seen a ferret beat up an average sized dog. (a wuss dog but a dog none the less).

Not to mention there about 300 dollars.. Talk about an expensive meal.

[Gezt]

"Yes, in a sense i agree. However, pigs are very inteligent creatures and they just dont seem to know how to use their inteligence."

Haven't you read animAl farm? lol

[brandi]

Ferrets??? Ferrets are in the weasel family... you know, same as a mongoose? They're built for killing snakes and lizards!

[Oliverian]

Hey guys, you wouldn't even have to worry about bites if you weren't feeding live. I would think a live ferret in a snake cage is an accident waiting to happen.

-TammyR

[Linds]

Originally posted by CHRISANDBOIDS14
However, pigs are very inteligent creatures and they just dont seem to know how to use their inteligence.

How do you figure they don't know how to use their intelligence? They obviously must or they woudln't have beat out other animals in tests and trials.

Originally posted by djc3674
I tend to disagree, my pug is pretty damn intelligent. I cant see how a stinky farm animal can be smarter than a dog.

There have been many *scientific* studies on this. Both dolphins and pigs outrank dogs and cats in terms of intelligence. Pigs are becoming incresingly popular as pets, and can be trained to do much more than dogs and cats. Do you even have any experience working with pigs, or are you just basing this opinion on the fact that you deem them to be stinky farm critters? Dogs and cats will always (in N. America anyways) be defended as food simply because they have never been seen as more than companions, not because of their level of intelligence, and of course the warm and fuzzy aspect has something to do with it

Originally posted by djc3674

Seriously though, how can someone justify feeding a dog to a snake? A pig is different, especially the farm raised ones. They are raised and harvested for our consumption.

It's just our culture and the mentaility and traditions we have been raised with. Go to some other places where they would find it disgusting that we eat cattle. Some places in the world acts and dogs are raised for food much like we raise pigs and cattle.

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Well what i meant is we dont watch pigs use their inteligence, its not known as much, i guess, we dont know how to use their inteligence. Maybe thats it? Im not too sure what i mean, i know pigs are not stupid and smarter than dogs(definetly smarter than my dog, lol, but hes funny), i just, well, it doesnt SEEM like pigs are as smart even though they are, i know someone with a pet pig, and it is quite inteligent.

[C.m.pyrrhus]

An animal is an animal in my eye. I feed rats premarily because of the ease of breeding, price and over-all the nutritional value. Personally, I am not a huge dog and cat lover, and see no problem using them as means of food, either for human or pet consumption. I would never use them for this reason myself, but in light of it all they are just another animal. To say that they are 'better' than pigs, horses, mice or birds is a personal observation to each person. In N. America and other cultures, they are concidered to be a 'higher' lifeform. But, when it gets down to the nitty-gritty...they are just animals like any other. Be it a pet to you or just another lifeform that exists, that is all they are.

[Oliverian]

Pyrrhus, very good post. I agree. Most people just don't think of them as food, as they've been brought up to think they're pets. If we were all brought up raising chickens as pets, I bet we'd be pretty grossed out at the thought of eating them too.
-TammyR