Do you ever feel bad feeding live?

If you feel bad feeding your snake...you shouldn't own it. Give the snake to someone who will feed it and go buy a goldfish.

I guess it shows my noobness, but I got bit by the rat the first time I tried. I don't care much for them to die. They gotta die to feed my snake. It's the full measure of their creation :). Just like cows are here to feed me hamburgers and steak, and supply milk for me and my family. Just the food chain of life.

I feed live...i like the feeding response that live rodents bring out in my snakes. rodents are part of the food chain and snakes eat them ...that's the way it is. Eyeball

I feed live every 5-7 days, and all the points people have made I agree with, it is nature, it is the snakes survival and I don't have a problem feeding but I don't look forward to it like I once did when I had 1 snake.

I haven't got a chance to feed my BP yet so I wouldn't know but I really doubt it will bother me, as few things do. I feed my Piranhas live food and although its a fish and not a rodent it has never bothered me. Maybe its from all the hunting I did when I was younger, I don't hunt now because I simply felt my big gun up against a little deer or squirrel didn't seem like sport.

I posted in a similiar thread so no details here but way back when (like 20 years ago) when I had my first Burm live was all you fed snakes.

Then one day Bogart decided he didn't want to eat the live 7 pound New Zealand white buck rabbit so after keeping it around for a few days (intending to try feeding it to him again in a week or so)...it ended up becoming a family pet for 2 years before dying from cystitus. Thumper turns out was litterbox trained and everything. He was great.

I tried to remain calloused to it all knowing when I got him (the snake that is) that this is what he ate. I knew it going into the hobby. Like someone else posted here one time when he was younger he got a bad wrap on this rat and the thing let out a blood curdling squeeling constantly for what seemed like an eternity. That was kinda nerve-wracking for me though I didn't interceed and just let nature take its course.

Now with F/T's there is no way I'd ever go back to live, particularly when the RTB we got had a good sized gouge from where he was snagged by a live rat as that was what he was raised on. Gopher now eagerly accepts F/T's though it took some phsysiological doin' on my part!

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Originally Posted by Jerhart

If you feel bad feeding your snake...you shouldn't own it. Give the snake to someone who will feed it and go buy a goldfish.

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I don't see any problem as long as the snake owner is willing to feed live. They don't have to be comfortable with it, but as long as they are willing to there's no issue. I really like pigs; I feel bad when they die, but it doesn't keep me from eating bacon for breakfast.

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

Feeding live is only the second worse thing when it comes to owning snakes. Having to kill the rat yourself to assist feed or because your snake is a dumby and didn't grab the rat right to aviod injury..that the worse part..

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yes i agree but found out that if you gas the little suckers with c02 they just die in a matter of seconds.it might sound cruel but i know many people do it that way.circle of life and all that jazz.:D

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Originally Posted by bammer838

Here is my situation, my wife wants me to part with my ball pythons because she "does not want their blood on her hands" even though they are mine. I have to move them all (38 of them) over to a friends house and maintain them there. Im torn and upset. I hate the fact I pay for everything and cannot keep them at my own home. My daughter can keep her 4 ball pythons according to her mother, but I am cruel for keeping my own.

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I Wouldn't Listen To Her.

I do feel bad feeding live. I dislike seeing any animal die, and I've never had a ball python refuse a F/T rat or asf, so feeding live has been unnecessary as well.

Second, most of the ones I buy were fed F/T before they come to me.

If I did buy one who was very very stubborn about only eating live, I would do it. I put the snake before the rat. However, I wouldn't enjoy it, and would try to turn it to f/t as soon as possible.

I don't look down on people who prefer live, so please don't look down on me for feeling bad for a small animal who I have to witness dying.:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Crazy4Herps

I don't see any problem as long as the snake owner is willing to feed live. They don't have to be comfortable with it, but as long as they are willing to there's no issue. I really like pigs; I feel bad when they die, but it doesn't keep me from eating bacon for breakfast.

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Sorry, couldn't help but quote this. I raised pigs (don't know if everyone else has or if you have) and even though they are cute as little piglets, they get ugly the fatter they get. ^^ But they are incredible smart, and have tried more then one time to flip my father on to his back as he cleaned out their water dish. Along with knowing to avoid the steel crate. Until it came to the last one, when she willingly went in, and then looked for the others when she got to the farm where they all humanly euthanized. Okay, sorry again.


Anyways, I fed the girl today. And even though the mouse was just adorable, it's the way of life. I don't mean to sound crude, but whats the difference between feeding the snake mice in captivity, or the wild ones catching their own food? -shrugs- Though I would never be able to kill the mouse myself, I wouldn't be able to stomach that. And I didn't even watched her eat, just strike it.

I've been forced to feed f/t ever since I moved back to Alabama. I prefer feeding live but I can't find any were to buy them

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Originally Posted by j_h_smith

But turn that around. This guy has 38 snakes. I'm sure he didn't go out and buy all 38 at one time. Now all of a sudden, the wife says the snake HAVE TO GO. I see you removed the part in your reply about if he talked to you like that, you'd be out the door. Well, how do you think this guy feels? He's got a nice hobby going on, then his wife says he HAS to get them out of their house. No request, but a demand.

That's where the situation went bad in my view. She doesn't want their blood on her hands or something like that. What a line.

Jim Smith

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Thats what I'm saying. Its one thing if the snakes are brand new and she just cant get passed having a snake in that house, but that clearly isnt the case..

After living years with animals, you cant just turn around and say they have to go.. But our daughter can keep her 3. :colbert:

Its kinda selfish of her in my opinion. These arent just animals, they are pets.. They are family members.

Yes, I would feel bad. Thats why I feed F/T since day one.

I cant bare to hear the little screams as they are being devoured.. Its like a bad song you cant get out of your head.. Except this one makes you sad lol.

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Originally Posted by AcePythons

sometimes I feel bad feeding live since I have had rats as pets before.

I feel especially bad feeding the chunky, cute lil baby rats. I pull them out of the bag and they are just so freakin adorable, but I know that if they aren't going to my snakes, they are going to someone else's anyway...

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I've had rats as pets too, so frozen is hard enough. I don't know how people do live. I wouldn't be able to look at my Stanley the same way ever again. Haha

How does feeling bad about feeding your snake mice/rats mean you shouldn't own a snake? Get real. I feel terrible for the mouse everytime I feed my Ball Python. I get attached to the mice I breed. It's very tough picking one out.... It's almost like they know they are going to be eaten a few seconds after aI take them away from the others.

I am not just a "Ball Python" guy. I LOVE animals in general; not just snakes. I own Hamsters and a Bunny as pets so feeding off smaller rodents like mice and rats is pretty sad for me to do. But I have no problem doing it because thats what snakes eat and I care about their well being just as much as any other animal.

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Originally Posted by Jerhart

If you feel bad feeding your snake...you shouldn't own it. Give the snake to someone who will feed it and go buy a goldfish.

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I dont feel bad feeding them, just kinda think "aww :(" when I hear the little "EEEKKK!" but then it's over and done with and I'm over it.

I still haven't switched to f/t yet...I'm so terrified of defrosting incorrectly. I'm a germaphobe as it is....I have arguments with my BF all the time about how long we have to keep leftovers. (I say no more than 2 - 3 days MAX and he's like..."Psshh! A week is good!" .... I want to slap him haha)

I'm just afraid of the bacteria or if I put them in too warm/hot of water that they'll "cook" ...

I think it stems from my very first attempt to defrost a VERY large rat for my red tail about 4 years ago. I put it in a bag and then put it in some WAY too hot of water... my tiny little apartment I was in smelled like cooked rat for TWO WHOLE DAYS...I was more than tempted to take my dog and myself to a hotel until the stench was gone.

OMG *barf!!*

So yeah...that is why I haven't switched yet haha.

not at all. if i have a snake that i need to feed live to i have no problems with it. Its either feed the snake live rats\mice or the snake dies.

Lol, when I go to my buddies house and we feed his snake live we blare the song "Me against the world" by Tupac Shakur as we lower the rat into the enclosure

I know, we are terrible LOL :rofl:

Curious as to how most people kill their mice. I'm a scientist and do a lot of mouse work. Gas is commonly used to kill them but personally i prefer cevical dislocation (neck break). IMO it is very quick and painless and easy to do if you know how.

Also, what type of mice do people use? We have several strains of which the white mice are the most easy to handle. They pretty much just sit theuir like they've been drugged or smoked to much weed. I'm not sure if a snake would go for one of these since they don't move much

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Originally Posted by stormshadow

Curious as to how most people kill their mice. I'm a scientist and do a lot of mouse work. Gas is commonly used to kill them but personally i prefer cevical dislocation (neck break). IMO it is very quick and painless and easy to do if you know how.

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From what I gather, full decapitation is the most humane way to kill a mouse... but that is obviously not practical for killing feeders.

I could NEVER do YouTube - Reticulated Python striking a (LIVE FEEDER) rabbit.

I think I would do live just to get the experience because it is the way of life and every snake should experience it at least once, you know? To live like a real snake not in captivity for once. Eventually I would switch to frozen.

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Originally Posted by Jerhart

If you feel bad feeding your snake...you shouldn't own it. Give the snake to someone who will feed it and go buy a goldfish.

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Is there an emoticon with a little smily stirring a big pot? :D

its interesting that roughly only 16% (ratio of 4:25) of people feed f/t food on their snake.. and i'm one of the 4. :|

I once asked someoneHow am I gonna feed my Burmese when he gets bigger? The answer I got was..How much do you love your snake? And that what it comes down to. I just have to make sure there is absolutely NO bonding time with the prey before the feed.

I have never fed any of my snakes F/T. They are held captive... Its bad enough they cant be wild, don`t take away the hunt for them, too. I`m just sayin`

would feeding the snake f/t make them less 'aggressive' to attack humans?

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Originally Posted by kiddomarc

would feeding the snake f/t make them less 'aggressive' to attack humans?

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Wow, there's so much wrong in such few words.

Jim Smith

Hi,

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Originally Posted by kiddomarc

would feeding the snake f/t make them less 'aggressive' to attack humans?

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Well generalisations suck (in general :P ).

But generally.......

Ball pythons are not aggressive snakes and know the difference between you and a meal. :)

People talk about "cage aggression" if you feed in your snakes home enclosure but, with BP's at least, it is so incredibly rare that the chances of it being an issue are tiny.

As to what you are feeding it really doesn't make a difference either.

I feed all my snakes F/T and regularly see feeding responses you wouldn't believe. :rolleyes:

Now, all that being said...

We try and establish a routine when feeding the snakes so they know food is coming. This increases the chance of them eating regularly but also means you have to know the rules just as much as the snake does.

I try and feed on a regular schedule (5 days for hatchlings and 7 for adults ) once the snakes get used to this then they do know when food is likely to be offered.

If you have any work to do in your snakes enclosure on feeding day make sure to do it before you put the food out to pre-scent the area. Once you have the smell of food in the air the only interaction you should be having with your snake is offering it the food to eat.

It really is best to offer F/T from tongs - I only started doing this lately and it has really helped keep my heart rate down and avoid SFE's ( Stupid Feeding Errors :P ).

Always remember - 99 times out of 100 if you get bitten by the snake it is your fault not the snakes. we're supposed to be the responsible, smart side of the interaction. :oops:

If I stick my hand in the tubs on feeding day the snakes will be a lot more responsive - but they calm down once they realise this isn't food arriving.

If I stick my hand into the tub on feeding day while the scent of warm rodent is wafting all over the place theres a fair chance I will get bitten - and it serves me right. :rolleyes:

In fact once the smell is in the air I have to watch how I open the tubs and stand well back to avoid low flying snakes. :rofl:

The tongs are reeeeealy handy at that point. :gj:

Also remember snakes stay in "feeding mode" for a bit after they have finished eating so respect that and let them settle back down. This is my main problem with feeding outside of their normal enclosure - you end up handling the snake a lot more during feedings than my normal way and all that means is there is more opportunity for things to go wrong.

Oh and remember to leave the snake alone for 48 hours after the feeding to digest its dinner in peace. :D

If you take the time to plan ahead and pay attention you should never have to worry about being "attacked" by your snake in mistake for a meal.

Now if you pee it off of course and get bitten then that's all on you. :P


dr del

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Originally Posted by dr del

Well generalisations suck (in general :P ).......

dr del

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thank you so much for the explanation, and i'm doing exactly what you told me :D

Not since the first time I was bitten by a rodent, lol.

Only time I feel bad about live is if the snake does something stupid...

The other day my normal hatchling latched onto the head of a crawler rat and didn't coil for like 3 minutes. She just sat there...latched onto the rat's head...as it squealed. Finally she coiled, killed and ate it. First time she's ever not coiled instantly...

I only feel bad when the rat, or fuzzy is really cute and squeaks over and over. I can't deal with the squeaking but once it's over it's over. I do watch tho just to make sure the snake doesn't get anything done to it by the rats. I have to protect my herps. ;)

No i dont feel bad, bps eat live and do just fine that way. I fell mildly bad when the mouse is so adorable :( but i mean what are you going to do, snakes gotta eat

I do feel bad, but I try to not to look at the rat that the store picks out. I just tell them get me a small rat, about this big, and then they check it out for me in his little box. I also get my grandmother to drop the rat in. She just gets so excited when Abuja strikes and gets 'em!

The way i see it, it's the natural order of things in the snake world. Its the food chain, now don't get me wrong there isn't anything wrong with killing the rat before feeding to avoid injury to the snake. You just need to have the guts to do it and not think about it as you are killing a rat omg, your feeding your snake so it doesn't go hungry.

I don't feel bad as far as my snake having to eat, but as stated by others I do feel bad with the rat pups because my snake is such a lazy eater that it takes him 30 minutes to actually kill it. I have to keep my dog away and I usually have to leave the room too because it sounds like a little baby crying. That being said he gets fed rat pups every other feeding and pre-killed mice the other times.

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Originally Posted by malpatches

I don't feel bad as far as my snake having to eat, but as stated by others I do feel bad with the rat pups because my snake is such a lazy eater that it takes him 30 minutes to actually kill it. I have to keep my dog away and I usually have to leave the room too because it sounds like a little baby crying. That being said he gets fed rat pups every other feeding and pre-killed mice the other times.

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How old is he? Maybe he isn't experienced enough to dispatch of one properly yet?

EDIT: For some reason the front page says this was commented on today... No idea why when I looked up after posting the comment was like 4 years old haha!

Yes and no. I hate mice, they bite me, so no I dont feel bad there. I do sometimes feel bad for rats.Ive had some sweet pet rats in the past. But Ive known sweet cows too and it doesnt stop me from eating them.
Now mine all eat frozen thawed so Im lucky for now.But Kismet would only take live at first.

No. I don't feel bad.

Conversely, I don't take great joy in it like you see on some Youtube videos either.

It's just way the world works. If snakes ate carrots, I'd feed them that, but they don't.

Rats and mice were my first love. Well...my second. Toads came first.

I loved snakes as a child, but I never would get one because of the whole mouse and rat thing. I only considered the few worm eating snakes, none of which were available in pet stores near me. My first BP was a rescue that I either had to take or she would have died. I felt bad feeding her mice, but I did what I had to do.

My snake collection grew and I got older, and I grew a pair and got over it. I used to breed BEW rats and now tricolor mice, and I have not even a second thought about culling he ones that aren't useful for my breeding project or have health problems and need to be euthanized and feeding my snakes with them. I've become so efficient at quickly killing them presumably with minimal/no pain. I feel bad for rats and mice that die from the "thump" method but don't actually die, and end up slowly perishing. I dislocate/break the necks of mine, the probably more "humane" way. Probably. Who knows how much the rodents actually feel after such head trauma. The biggest issue is that thumping can not work as well as intended, should you do it not quite hard enough. I'm weak, I personally don't like those odds.

Actually, and for the most part, no. I do feel every living thing has a right to live. When you think about all the destruction and disease mice and rats have historically brought about its a simple easy thing to get calloused. Crop and agricultural destruction, infestations, rats biting little babies in their cribs while they sleep. Diseases like the bubonic plague all make it easier to feed live. I have a spiritual side that is always in opposition with that thinking. Anyway I have just one more of my bps that have to be converted to f/t but she is going to prove the most difficult. Peace.:gj:

Yes and no, I'm an animal lover, and I hate seeing any animal suffer, on the other hand, if the rat doesn't suffer, the snake will... And I just love snakes a wee bit more than rats.

I've never fed live, luckily I haven't had to. I just don't think I could do it. I would have to find my snake a new home if he ever started to refuse f/t for a long period of time. I would try braining, scenting, rubbing the mouse in ivory dish soap, anything, but live. It just breaks my heart.

I am a lot more okay with feeding mice/rats that are f/t. It really seems no different than buying a frozen steak for myself. The feeder was created and born in order to be fed. I also buy from f/t suppliers that kill the mice/rats by gassing CO2 slowly. So they just fall asleep to never wake up.

Being suffocated to death, having their eyes bulge out and their little bellies get full with dribbles of urine from their bottoms is truly saddening. I cannot for the life of me understand how people enjoy to watch an innocent animal be tortured and killed like that. Yes, it is the circle of life, but we are also defying the natural way of the ecosystem by producing captive bred/hatched snakes, so you can't exactly say it is the same as if the snake was in the wild eating a rodent.

Frozen/thawed for the win. If your snake is about to starve to death and you have tried everything under the sun, supervised live feeding might be the only way to go.

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Originally Posted by malpatches

I don't feel bad as far as my snake having to eat, but as stated by others I do feel bad with the rat pups because my snake is such a lazy eater that it takes him 30 minutes to actually kill it. I have to keep my dog away and I usually have to leave the room too because it sounds like a little baby crying. That being said he gets fed rat pups every other feeding and pre-killed mice the other times.

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Why don't you try killing it yourself to save all that poor suffering !! I've read that fresh killed are readily accepted by many .

My ball python has always been fed f/t. It's safer and I dont feel guilty at all. Unless your snake refuses to eat f/t, I think it's better to stay away from feeding live prey.

How do you know they used the gas?

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Originally Posted by SoSo

How do you know they used the gas?

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There's not really another practical way to kill many rodents at once other than poison, which makes the animals unsafe for snake consumption. For small numbers sometimes cervical dislocation is used, but gas is just easier.

I have some that eat f/t, some that eat only live, and some that don't really care. It would be silly for me as someone who wants to maybe make a career out of this to have a breakdown or refuse to keep snakes that didn't eat f/t, so I'm not bothered by it. This from someone that raises their own feeders, by the by.

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

Dont worry about "defrosting incorrectly". Really, there is nothing easier.

Dunk the rodent in warm water. Let it sit until defrosted thoroughly. If it's a large rodent, dump out and refill the water once chilled.

Some people defrost in bags. There really is no need to prevent water from touching your rodent. I mean really, it's water.

I never feel guilty about feeding live, but for me it isn't necessary. I've never had a snake that refused F/T.

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Keeping them out of the water if more to preserve the smell on the rodent. When I first started I'd run a little guy under the fosset till he was warm enoug to feel live but this also de-sented them and somtimes made it hard to feed and then I switched to a hair dryer on low. (Takes forever and burns fingers) :P but works great.

i hate rats, so it's not an issue.