I'll admit it.

I know most of you aren't bothered by your snakes eating live mice, and I'm typically not the person to really mind feeding live.
But I've never had to feed a live pinkie before, and I'm watching a friend's snake for him, he requested that they be fed live only, and holding the pinkie in my hand, and knowing it was absolutely helpless was just heartbreaking. I mean, at least adults have a chance to dodge, pinkie just lie there and take it because they can't run.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with feeding live pinkies, I just can't do it again.
Never again, I just can't.


Any advice? In case I have to do this again in the future, maybe some helpful things to keep in mind?
I told myself

"He's got to eat, too"
but still felt horrible afterwards.

Honestly as a snake keeper you just have to learn to block it out.
Or don't bother keeping snakes.
I love my rats, they are wonderful animals but my snakes have to eat. That's all there is to it.
I used to feel bad about it when i first kept snakes but I've outgrown those feelings. It'll just take time and you'll just block it out eventually.

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something has to die for another thing to eat. besides it's something you have to get over when you own snakes, imagine having to take a mouse's brain out when it's the only way your snake will eat.

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Originally Posted by mues155

Honestly as a snake keeper you just have to learn to block it out.
Or don't bother keeping snakes.
I love my rats, they are wonderful animals but my snakes have to eat. That's all there is to it.
I used to feel bad about it when i first kept snakes but I've outgrown those feelings. It'll just take time and you'll just block it out eventually.

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When I first started keeping, I'd just throw them in and run out of the room.
But when I found out it can be dangerous leaving them unattended with live, I had to stay there and then I blocked it out.
But like I said, this is just with pinkies, I'm sure if I had to do it more often, I would stop caring, but right now, it slightly bothers me, even though it seems silly to most keepers.

It's not something I'd starve my snakes or get rid of them for.
In fact on the outside, you couldn't tell I was disturbed by it, but in my mind I was like.
"I feel horrible"

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Originally Posted by JaGv

something has to die for another thing to eat. besides it's something you have to get over when you own snakes, imagine having to take a mouse's brain out when it's the only way your snake will eat.

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this is what I did when I had to supervise my snakes.
It really helped, I guess it's just the helplessness that bothers me.

Wait till you breed your own and have to watch one of your first born get eaten. It hurt but "its the circle of life"

It gets easier after time. Just think of it as your snake eating. Our daughter who loves animals, in all forms (rats included) knows her snakes have to eat. She will snuggle and play with the rats, then when its time for feeding plop them in the tub. It's just the circle of life.

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Wait till you breed your own and have to watch one of your first born get eaten. It hurt but "its the circle of life"

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This made me start singing the Lion King song.... I just had my first 2 litters drop a week ago and I never thought I would become so attached to the little critters. But I am raising them up a bit and as soon as they hit that 30g point they are facing off with a snake... After all that is why I started breeding rats.

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Originally Posted by DrDooLittle

It gets easier after time. Just think of it as your snake eating. Our daughter who loves animals, in all forms (rats included) knows her snakes have to eat. She will snuggle and play with the rats, then when its time for feeding plop them in the tub. It's just the circle of life.

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Haha that's so cute, but I know a lot of people who disagree about the circle of life thing because they're captive snakes and captive mice.

But it is the same, wild snakes eat wild mice, captive snakes eat captive mice.

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Originally Posted by Navy

I mean, at least adults have a chance to dodge, pinkie just lie there and take it because they can't run.

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I can dodge around banging my head against walls in an inescapable box while a giant serpent tracks me down or lay on the ground helpless, yet oblivious, until embraced in the grip of death. I choose the latter 9 times out of 10, thank you very much!

I guess I'd rather feed off a pinkie, who is basically a fetus that is born to the world helpless and has basic instincts and feelings( feed, breathe, feel temperature differences, balance etc.)
Than to feed a weaned rat that has begun to learn, eat on it's own, play with others, and join the social ranks of the colony.
To me feeding older rodents makes me feel worse.

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