Rant: Feeding Live to Reptiles

[little_grey_bantam]

So I wanted to rant a little before I left...

I bring mice to school for people to feed to their snakes, because I truly believe, "you are what you eat" especially on your pets.
I think if you decide to take an animal's life into your hands, you should offer it the best you can afford (then again, I add this, because I know some people can't help but "rescue" animals even if they can't afford it, but are doing the best they can at the time - just an example and exemption and blah blah blah).

So this one lady always purchases mice from me every week, whether or not her snakes are eating.
One day she says to me "I don't know why I'm purchasing these mice, because none of my snakes are eating! These guys are just running around in a bucket/bathtub (I couldn't remember which)."

I just sorta gasped and just thought, if you don't need these, why not care for them properly???? It's a waste of money to feed these mice crap and feed them to your snakes.

This was the same woman who has a snake that isn't eating. So while I'm helping her out, I give her a free African Soft Furred Rat (ASFR) because Ball Pythons will usually take those, because in the wild, that is their native prey. She comes back next week ranting... "Oh that mouse you gave me bit my snake! I was so mad it bit my snake! So I gave it to my other snake and told the mouse that if it wanted to bite something, bit this!"

By NOW, I am ticked off. DESPITE these animals being fed as feeder mice, they still DESERVE respect. I breed my own mice so I can watch and monitor what they eat and how they are handled and raised (with love and care AND respect). I just wanted to in ALL honestly slap her. If SHE were a creature being FED to another animal on purpose (or in the wild) would she NOT fight for her life? I was a little ticked thinking, this poor creature not only has to be fed live, but when it is doing its best to "survive" it is condemned as being a "bad animal" because it doesn't want to die.

While I promote feeding frozen/thawed or pre-kill, I know some snakes won't take dead; BUT you shouldn't stop trying, because really, do we need to see the blood, gore and suffering? But the above statement just got to me, I just pretty much

and

myself. I explain to people to feed in a more humane way, but people always think they know better.

A buddy of mine feeds his snake live and I told him his snake could be bitten someday and injured pretty bad. Nope, one day he comes in and says I can't bring a rat, because he tried to feed one last week and it bit the snake and now the snake is "shy." Well NO Crap!

To me it just seems rude.
I hate hearing people's reasons for feeding live, especially this one:
I like my snake to hunt, because it's a natural thing to do! What snake eats frozen/thawed in the wild? Etc. etc.

Well, sir/ma'am, living in an aquarium (which is for FISH btw), slithering around underneath a light bulb with not much to do is by far FAR from being "natural"
If you want it to live a natural life, why not just leave it in the wild? (This does NOT mean setting your snakes free...).

I just don't get it..

Sorry for my ranting...

And of course, I do my best to help these guys out, but what do ya do?

 

[dntd]

Sometimes I feed live .sometimes I dont. I dont pre kill pinkies,any rat with eyes shut, all others are a potential killer to my reptiles and get dispatched humanely then fed.

 

[chooniecat]

I understand how you feel thats why I would never DEAL animals to ANYONE else. thats why if I trap a pregnant cat I don't let the babies be born(I have it done quickly, spay of mama,euth. of kits)) because I have adopted out kittens only to discover the person let that kitten grow up to breed. my point would be guess you have to either NOT sell feeders live(pith them yourself quick) or not at all. just like our food animals, they need good care til the end.

 

[KellyHM]

I make the lady at the reptile store kill my rats before I bring them home. I can't stand to do it myself, but also can't bear the thought of them dying slowly.

 

[Boyd]

sorry, live feeder here. her comments may have been heartless, but can't knock our pet's feeding habits if you are supplying the food. None of your business once you make the sale in my opinion.

 

[Iowa Roo Mom]

I have to feed live. My snake was not CBB, and it refuses to eat dead mice. I am aware of the risk to the snake, and am willing to accept it. Yes, she's been bitten, but so far, nowhere near her mouth so no mouth rot (knock on wood).

If that is a risk I have to take, just so my snake will eat on a regular, or semi-regular basis, (with the exception of brumation of course) then so be it.

As far as respecting the life of the mouse? I respect that it is the circle of life, and the fact that if it does bite my snake, it was only doing to instinctively.

 

[redhen]

Stop giving her the mice if you dont think she cares for them properly.....
See how easy that was..

 

[fancbrd4me02]

I can understand why you would be upset, especially if you thought the woman has been feeding the rats to the snakes and instead is keeping them in subpar living conditions. It's wrong to treat the rodents like puppy chow in a bucket. They need proper food and housing until they are eaten by the snake. I wouldn't sell rats to that woman anymore. She sounds like she could become a problem for you.

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
AND I agree with Boyd. Once you sold the mice to her, your business with the mice ends there. Sure a mice would bite, to fight a chance to stay alive but a good snake will persist the mice in order to eat. They do the same thing in the wild.

The zoo sometimes would "knock a mouse" not to kill it but to stun it a bit which it would still be alive and most of their snakes take them on readly.

If she does not want mice biting her snakes maybe newly hatched chicks will fit the bill.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

The woman involved the OP by telling her how poorly she was keeping the mice.