How do you feel when feeding mice, rats, etc.?

I want to see how people feel when feeding their snakes mice, rats, bunnies, ASFs, etc.

How do YOU feel when your feeding your snake a (F/T, PK, or live) mouse or a rat? Personally, to me, I don't really feel anything. I don't like rodents, I'm not scared or freaked out by them, I just don't like them. I don't find them cute, I just see them as snake food when I'm just about to put it into the snake enclosure.

In general I feed frozen, but when I feed live I don't feel bad at all. Although.... I do regret feeding rats.

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Originally Posted by Oxylepy

In general I feed frozen, but when I feed live I don't feel bad at all. Although.... I do regret feeding rats.

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I feel the same way, but I really have no regret. I understand what needs to be done when feeding live (had to feed live to my boa when she was a picky eater), so I don't have any regret because the snake needs to eat and that is what it eats in captivity. I feed F/T to all of my snakes, and still I don't even mind. All I do is take them out of the bag, drop them into hot water, and wait. After they are finished thawing out, I just pick them up and feed them to the snakes.

I feel kinda bad when I feed ASFs now because I produce them, raise them, and while theyre fuzzies and hoppers Ill play with them... but a snake's gotta eat.

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Originally Posted by pavlovk1025

I feel kinda bad when I feed ASFs now because I produce them, raise them, and while theyre fuzzies and hoppers Ill play with them... but a snake's gotta eat.

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Yeah I see what you mean. I think of a snake eating a rodent the same way we eat cows, pigs, and chickens. So, when I think about that, I know a snake has got to stay healthy and that means eating what it needs to be eating, and we also need to stay healthy by eating meats too. Though, we eat our meats in a more brutal way than a snake eats a rodent, IMO.

I only feel bad about 2-3 week old rat pups. They're painfully adorable :(

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Originally Posted by Hulihzack

I only feel bad about 2-3 week old rat pups. They're painfully adorable :(

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Well, that I can see that it is sad, since I had to feed those to my Dumeril's boa. I never really watched it happen, only a couple of times.

I guess having a snake is a trade-off. You feed off a little rat pup (loss) but with that you gain a healthy snake (benefit).

It doesnt really bother me to feed my snakes. I mean it does suck when there happens to be a cute rat, Ill usually feed that one to my picky eaters so if it doesnt get eaten I can keep it a little longer or introduce it to my breeding colony if its a girl. Other than that I just think about it as a way of life.. Its all about the food chain. It's like asking me if I cry as I eat a cheeseburger...

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Originally Posted by Hulihzack

I only feel bad about 2-3 week old rat pups. They're painfully adorable :(

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I have to agree with that... and it's the reason I ended up with two pet rats (who now live with a friend), when they were rejected on the first go-round. :oops: When mice are rejected, on the other hand, I'll just keep them until next feeding or offer them to my piggish snakes (Pedro & Toby). I also have to admit, it's one reason I primarily feed mice instead of rats - along with the fact that my second-biggest snake ONLY likes the mice. But yeah, rat pups are ridiculously cute... and the adults sure have personality, don't they??

Bottom line, however - I only care for a second, but forget about it when my snakes are happily eating. :gj:

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Originally Posted by Lewdogg3

Other than that I just think about it as a way of life.. Its all about the food chain. It's like asking me if I cry as I eat a cheeseburger...

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LMAO... that's like the standard answer I give people, when they ask if I "feel bad" feeding my snakes rodents. I ask, do you feel bad eating meat or offering your cat/dog chicken? Just because it doesn't look like an animal, doesn't change the fact that it IS one. :P

P.S. I voted for the middle option, even though I don't really care... but that one pang of sympathy counts for something, I suppose.

I have been feeding rats to snakes for ten plus years, so I am used to it. I don't think its sad.

I don't feel bad when I feed live nor does it upset me that my snakes eat rodents. What upsets me is people thinking its humane to stun or prekill a rodent by whacking it against a hard surface. Thats the only time I really feed bad for the little critters.

They are part of the process...I do stun my mice and rats, but for the record I only feed live to those who refuse frozen. The only one is my Pastel female but she is a little thing so trying to get her some weight on her before switching to frozen as she refuses frozen right now.

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

I don't feel bad when I feed live nor does it upset me that my snakes eat rodents. What upsets me is people thinking its humane to stun or prekill a rodent by whacking it against a hard surface. Thats the only time I really feed bad for the little critters.

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I tried this before. My snakes look at me like I'm a crackhead when I present them a recently killed or stunned rodent. They'll take f/t or live entirely fine, though.

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Originally Posted by Hulihzack

I only feel bad about 2-3 week old rat pups. They're painfully adorable :(

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Tell me about it. I was going to feed one of these off a couple of weeks ago...her name is now Maggie & she watches TV with me at night.

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Originally Posted by MuzeBallPythons

Tell me about it. I was going to feed one of these off a couple of weeks ago...her name is now Maggie & she watches TV with me at night.

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You're dating a rat?

It's just the nature of the beast.

I have no problem with the feeding. It's culling the rat pups that's starting to get difficult but I'm very very new to rat breeding.

I do not want to say that I hate rates and mice but I dislike them very much. But it does bother me to feed live (to my BPs that will not take F/T) prey to my snakes. I just tell myself it is all part of the cycle. I have been keeping snakes for as long as I can remember and I think it will always bother me.

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Originally Posted by Oxylepy

You're dating a rat?

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Lol...good one ;)

No sense of sadness, more like an afterthought that the passing was the least difficult as I can administer (CO2 or cervical dislocation for mice, CO2 only for rats)

It is what it is. Even my kids understand it. They each have a pet rat, but then they all have their favorite feeder rats too. And on feeding day, they each take out their favorite rat and put it in the feeding bucket. Uh huh, it pays to be favorite.

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Originally Posted by MuzeBallPythons

Tell me about it. I was going to feed one of these off a couple of weeks ago...her name is now Maggie & she watches TV with me at night.

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LOL... mine were named Oscar & Felix. :D

Mice I have no issues with at all. They're stinky, annoying, and hyperactive.

I adore rats, so they're a lot harder to feed off. So long as they don't show any sort of intelligence I don't mind as much, but I currently have an unplanned pet rat thanks to her making a barrier in the snake's substrate. :rolleyes:

When I was little, living in the Philippines, we used to get these mice come into the house. And man, my mother - one of my fond memories of childhood with my mother - would go psycho! I mean, she's this super OCD mom who has to have everything sausage-and-span clean etc. So, when she sees a mouse she yells at everybody to "take your positions" and we would come armed with rubber flip-flops. Even our doberman gets to be part of the troops. And we would barricade the mouse, on our hands and knees flip-flops in hand. My mother would get the broom and poke at where the mouse is - usually under the fridge or the piano - and the minute it comes running out there we are ready to whack its head with a flip-flop! We would whack and whack until the critter is dead... I mean, I never thought about feeling dejected for the poor mouse - especially since my parents had to come up with a lot of money to replace the piano strings when a mouse ate the darned things.

But now, man, I didn't realize how much I really hate feeding these little furries to the snake. Especially the ASFs when they look more like my sons' pet hamsters than mice. I have now completely delegated the task of feeding the snakes to the boys. I don't want to have to see it. Nope. Don't have the stomach for it anymore. But, I still smile when I reminisce about my mother, the flip-flops, and the poor mouse...

I am going to sound very cold hearted with my feelings when I feed my snakes. But first let me say that I do have 3 pet rats that are just pets nd will be nothing else ever. When I am feeding my snakes be live or fresh killed, I breed all my own rodents, I feel nothing at all. I guess over the years you become numb to it and just don't care anymore about the "food" you keep. I do not like it nor do I dislike it I just do not care about the rat/mouse/asf I kill and feed off. Just who I am.

I've always said if i could feed my snake a big mac I would, but it doesn't work that way. but I don't feel bad, i breed my rodents for that one purpose so yea.

Feeding pickles is an "eh" moment for me. Its the food chain. I eat beef. I would happily keep a cow as a pet, (wouldn't eat it) and still eat beef. It's nature, and I don't feel bad. (I did until I heard about rat bites) Keep on breedin, little rodent kind. I salute your sacrifice. :salute:

Ive seen so many horrible things in my short life that feeding off a mouse or rat is almost soothing compared.

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

Ive seen so many horrible things in my short life that feeding off a mouse or rat is almost soothing compared.

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This is the most depressing post I've seen all day :(

Figured I'd take a break from cleaning the apartment to give my input :P

I love all animals. Cute or ugly I care about em. When I first got snakes, I felt kind of bad for the prey, in a "it sucks to watch the life leave an animals eyes, but it's life, and it's what's gotta happen." This was when I fed live. It's one of the million and a half reasons I got a snake in the first place, was it would help me deal with death. If I couldn't stand watching an animal die, I couldn't stand my intended career where I will witness people dying. It didn't take long for me to get over it. I know it's the circle of life. It probably was just the first couple times that I fed that that I felt kind of bad, and I'm not talking the "I shouldn't be doing this" kind of bad, just "that has to really suck.."

Like I said, I'm fine with it now, feeding f/t obviously, for almost two years now. Their food is regarded as such; food. I definitely find more pleasure in watching my snakes eat on F/T than live, since it is more about the technique and strength of the strike vs watching a living animals brains squished out through its nose. Makes me smirk when Lelu strikes and I hear a big crunch. She's muscular as heck, and doin what she does best. :D My baby is growin up so fast... *tear* :rofl:

I used to get sad, especially when it was a rat I liked. But now, after a good 4 years of feeding them off I just drop in a live rat (or do the zombie rat dance with an f/t), wait for the strike+coil and move to the next snake.

Feeding day has actually become my favorite day of the week, it makes me happy to see my snakes feeding and thriving.

I didnt vote. I feel much worse feeding and euthanizing rats than I do our ASF's. The rats are friendly and we breed for colors, a project in itself. The ASFs bite me every chance they get and just don't breed consistantly anymore, so I only feel a pinprick of remorse.

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Originally Posted by MuzeBallPythons

Tell me about it. I was going to feed one of these off a couple of weeks ago...her name is now Maggie & she watches TV with me at night.

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:rofl: you know once you name them thier yours for life lol. I had a couple of these , Pumpkin and Merlin .;)

I just have my son properly put our feeders to rest (I will omit out how this is done for the sake of you rat lovers and animal rights activists). Once this is completed, I just lay them in the enclosure and they get gobbled up. I feel nothing.

I feel bad if a rat is killed "just because." If it's dying because it's going to be snake food, then no, it doesn't bother me. I mean, I don't kill off a bunch of rats just for the thrill of it; if I kill off a bunch at once, it's because they are going in the freezer to be snake food at some point.

Bottom line: I don't like for anything to die in vain, but if it serves a purpose for the animal to die, I'm OK with it.

I feel pretty descent feeding my rats. The come up and eat out of their little hopper all cute like. They normally go run after, and I go "awwwwwwwww!"



.........what......what are you guys looking at me like that for.....



.....OH!! RIGHT, right...how I feel when I feed them off. I knew that..
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Who has two thumbs, and is bored out of his mind? Thiiiis guyyy. *thumbs to chest*

I can feed them off without any problems, but that is a bit of a conflict as I really like rats.

I think they are one of the sweetest and most ideal pets a person could have. I have put pet rats into way too many friends' houses, and always recommend them as pets for younger children.

My partner has done portraits of our rats, they all have names, and we are both deathly allergic to them, but we put up with it and just have to keep our numbers down.

I have driven two hours to drop off a retired breeder that is going to be a pet rather than put it down.

But that being said, if a rat is in pain, sick, or suffering, no matter how much I love it I can put it down in a heartbeat. We usually have a nice last meal of saucisse, cheese, bacon bits, and fancy breads first mind you...

They are an amazing animal and I cannot say enough nice things about them. Even my feeders are bred for color and genetics (even though I feed them off).

One of the best things about having snakes, has been getting to keep rats. :D

ASFs, not so much. Although, since I changed their housing around mine no longer bite, I can handle them, and do think they are cute, but I NEVER get attached to them.

Same with my mouse colony. They are GREAT mice (and I used to loathe the dirty beasts) but I do not consider them pets. I am just lucky to have a nice colony that breeds lots, does not bite, and never eat their young or spray.

Bruce

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...ceandbelle.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...ASFinatube.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...andtheASFs.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...teringASFs.jpg

Sorry this thread was lacking PICTURES!!! :D

Bruce

PS: In that last picture Melinda is not dead, she is just seriously wondering how this became her life.

I was kind of upset the first time I had to feed my BP, butttt, then the mouse bit me. That changed a lot about my view on feeding mice to snakes =]

They are still cute but I just look at it as the 'circle of life'

OK so I'm the odd ball. It kills me! I keep thinking it will get easier but it never does. I have learned not to get too attached to the "food". But, I dread feeding day every week.

And, yes I do eat meat. That's why I don't have a pet cow.

only reason it kida bothers me is cause my rat murphy so i kinda feel bad feeding his kids to my snakes but he forgives me when i hold him ;)

I think its sad in the mildest of ways, but whenever i feed live i just think of it as what they do in the wild. its a dog eat dog world and its the way the creator of snakes and reptiles made it.

Is it bad if I get excited when I feed live.. like I did last night?:weirdface

The problem when you breed rats or mice and you feel bad for the extra fluffy/cute ones, is that your breeding Colony gets a whole lot bigger that you want it LOL

I do not feel bad feeding off male rodents because I know I cant keep any. I do feel a little bad though when I play with them before I feed them off:oops:

I don't like killing another living creature but it is nature. I chose to keep snakes and it is my responsibility to feed them what nature intended them to eat.

I eat cow chicken and turkey, I don't see a problem with feeding animals i love an abundant feeder. I wont feed live though.

i dont feel anything when i feed my BP mice or rats, i think they are smelly pests and to tell you guys the truth, i am happy that snake are on this planet to help greatly reduce the mouse/rat population. I dislike rodent in general

Do I occasionally feel that pang. Yea, occasionally I do. But I agree that it's part of the deal with snakes.

When I feed live I prefer not to watch, I know what is happening but I just don't need to see it. I do get pangs especially when it's a prekilled guinea pig or bunny. Sometimes with a hamster I'll get a pang as well but not if it is a bitey little bastard LOL. But not with mice or ASFR, I don't like them and don't think they are cute at all.