Feeding live rats (somewhat gruesome story beware plz)

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Originally Posted by gmcclurelssu

i don't think he was referring to the exact species, just the fact that they eat live prey in the wild.

if it wasn't for the absurd cost for rats where i live, i would prefer to feed live. *most* of the time, your snake should eat live just fine unless there is something else going on, incorrect husbandry or shed cycle for example.

after your situation, i completely understand your choice. that must have been pretty graphic. although, i don't think you should abandon live prey altogether. :twocents:

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If her snake will eat f/t like all the rest of her snakes then why shouldn't she go to f/t? You will find lots of opinions on here about it and my snake is just as healthy eating f/t as he would be if I was feeding him live.

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Originally Posted by gmcclurelssu

i don't think he was referring to the exact species, just the fact that they eat live prey in the wild.

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Thats exactly what i was talking about. It is not natural for them to eat dead prey, and i dont think it is fair to keep them captive AND feed them dead prey.

Also i think that is halarious just because i have no compasion for rats. Not because she didnt eat it. I just picture it funny that a rat with no eyes was running around. Maby im just evil:cool:

Nature is gruesome, ever watch discovery channel or animal planet?

If you can get your bp to take frozen then go for it but I am finding it hard to switch some stubborn snakes over and if they refuse to eat its just not worth it to have them sit there and not grow lol.

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Originally Posted by djansen

If you can get your bp to take frozen then go for it but I am finding it hard to switch some stubborn snakes over and if they refuse to eat its just not worth it to have them sit there and not grow lol.

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thats why i dont condone f/t feeding. Its hard to get them to do it because it is going aganst their natural instincts, and they just dont like it. Its not really fair

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Originally Posted by spokism

Thats exactly what i was talking about. It is not natural for them to eat dead prey, and i dont think it is fair to keep them captive AND feed them dead prey.

Also i think that is halarious just because i have no compasion for rats. Not because she didnt eat it. I just picture it funny that a rat with no eyes was running around. Maby im just evil:cool:

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This is a family friendly forum, so perhaps in the future, keep these types of comments rated G.


Sorry to hear about the poor rat. I really don't like to feed live either, but my snakes are my pets and must be fed what they will take, and a majority will take FT or live, but a few just wont.

It does sound like this was just a fluke accident, but I would have been just as torn up about it too. I hate to see an animal suffer. :(


My advice is to gas the animal before you attempt to feed her. Prekill is just about the next best thing to feeding live. I strongly believe that time and patience will help switch her to eating prekilled rats and in time perhaps FT.

I understand the arguments against f/t it's just, like I said before, I have rats and my breeders really are my pets just like my snakes are. So yeah I do get somewhat attached to them as much as I might try not to. The way I see it if I can get them eating f/t why not? It saves me having to worry that either the rat is going to hurt the snake or that the snake is just going to "hurt" the rat and then let it go like happened last night. I mean if the snake strikes at a f/t rat, constricts, and then lets it go so what the rat is already dead.

I know this is all part of having a predator in your home and 100% of the time my snakes come first to me but I am going to do everything I can to not have to feed live.

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Originally Posted by spokism

thats why i dont condone f/t feeding. Its hard to get them to do it because it is going aganst their natural instincts, and they just dont like it. Its not really fair

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How many snakes do you have? Most of my animals take FT AND live. I can honestly say that if the UK and Europe can feed the vast majority of their snakes FT or Prekilled, it can't be so hard. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

My advice is to gas the animal before you attempt to feed her. Prekill is just about the next best thing to feeding live. I strongly believe that time and patience will help switch her to eating prekilled rats and in time perhaps FT.

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Thanks Connie, I'm trying to find a fill valve for a paintball CO2 tank so I can set up an actual CO2 chamber. I've used the vinegar and baking soda method on crawlers and it works well but I have yet to try that on a larger rat and it would just be so much easier if I'm going to just do one at a time for a PK feeder.

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Originally Posted by spokism

thats why i dont condone f/t feeding. Its hard to get them to do it because it is going aganst their natural instincts, and they just dont like it. Its not really fair

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Stan has a great feeding response - strikes and coils and has yet to miss a meal and he has f/t. Never had a problem with it.

i see where you are coming from. They are your snakes and you will feed them the way that you will. As long as your :snake:ies are happy and healthy.

The f/t thing is just my opinion. Good luck. Just as long as the stay healthy and happy:):)