A question of morals

So, I went to the pet store today to get Hayden and Brutus some mice. The lady went into the back to get them, came back out and said, "There's a pregnant one in there. Be sure you give the mice to your snake one at a time." Mom and I both say, "No. No pregnant mouse. Go into the back and switch it please." The pet store lady refused and went on her way to get us a tag and double box the mice. We're gonna call and complain about the lady tomorrow.

Point is.. I have a problem feeding Hayden a pregnant mouse. It just seems so wrong to me. Does anyone else have a similar problem?

Also, does anyone know anything about birthin' mice?

I see no reason to complain about her, I've fed pregnant mice before. Honestly there might have been a limited number of mice left back there or some other reason.

For mice care I'd head down to the 'feeder' forum. There are some great posts there that could help you.

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Originally Posted by resisted

So, I went to the pet store today to get Hayden and Brutus some mice. The lady went into the back to get them, came back out and said, "There's a pregnant one in there. Be sure you give the mice to your snake one at a time." Mom and I both say, "No. No pregnant mouse. Go into the back and switch it please." The pet store lady refused and went on her way to get us a tag and double box the mice. We're gonna call and complain about the lady tomorrow.

Point is.. I have a problem feeding Hayden a pregnant mouse. It just seems so wrong to me. Does anyone else have a similar problem?

Also, does anyone know anything about birthin' mice?

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Find a 10gal tank set it up with a water bowl or bottle(hangs on side) buy some rodent block and keep the babies raise them up for food for your snake.Then buy a male mouse and breed your own mice and stop buying from that place! :cool:

the only thing i'd complain about is the fact that she blatantly refused to do what you asked her to do, which was get another mouse.

I've fed my guys prego mice & rats.

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Originally Posted by nathanledet

the only thing i'd complain about is the fact that she blatantly refused to do what you asked her to do, which was get another mouse.

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I agree with Nate,tis why i said start breeding your own mice and keep your money:D

A lot of people look at getting preggies as lucking out... that way you can just keep her and her babies and have a whole lot of mice to feed, all for the price of one plus food to keep them alive.

I do agree though, she should have switched the mouse or told you why she couldn't...

Id say keep her and raise the babies. I do think it was wrong of her not to switch though. Personally if it had been me, and they wouldnt put her back, i would have sat the box down and walked out of the store. They cant make you buy anything you dont want.

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Originally Posted by nathanledet

the only thing i'd complain about is the fact that she blatantly refused to do what you asked her to do, which was get another mouse.

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Ditto. If you didn't like the mouse for whatEVer reason, she should have happily switched it out for a different one.

That being said, I don't have any moral or ethical qualms about feeding off a pregnant rodent.

I used to intentionally pick up one pregnant mouse a week and set her up in an enclosure to have her babies. Actually, I had an accidental birth (I have no CLUE how I missed that one being pregnant) and that went well, so rather than breeding myself, I'd just get obviously pregnant ones, and in about a week, have babies. Took about four-five weeks for them to get up to any size worth feeding, and they were rather stinky, so I gave up that practice.


I have fed pregnant females before, I just draw the line on taking mothers from their babies (which can be hard sometimes, because there will be very young hoppers, not quite weaned huddled together in the tank with adults). If I notice a female has prominent nipples and isn't preggers, I put her back in the tank (I am able to pick through the feeder bins).

I'm starting to breed rats, on a VERY limited scale right now (as in 1.2 at the moment). Even a "little" contribution will help towards my weekly feeder bills.

My pet store will put a pregnant one in once in awhile. Last time I asked why they would do it and they said they had eatin their first litters so they just sell em off as feeders.

i've picked up pregnant mice before... always save them to birth.

but... i have a rule... no cute mice allowed (as then the kids want to keep them as pets LOL) so now when i go into the petstores i frequent... they come out and say, "got you the ugliest mice we could find" LOL

Oh yes. I can't do cute mice.
NO broken patterns. Either solid white, solid black or solid brown. No splotches or pinto mice, then I want to keep them.

ahhhh it's nice to have company :hug:

Yes. The 'Say No to Cute Mice' club. :rolleye2:

Then again I'm the same person that buys two of everything so they don't get 'lonely' (two cans of corn, two pens, two skillets.....).

Personally I don't like to feed off rodents close to giving birth. Seems a bit of a waste to me to not allow the birth and raise the litter therefore getting more feeders and a small kindness to a breeding female. What bothers me is any employee of a store refusing to give good customer service. It's your buying dollar, and your decision as to what you want to feed your snakes. I would complain to management based on that fact. It could have been some half-dead, sickly rodent...would you have been expected to buy it because some employee says you must. In the end the pet store is there to serve your purchasing needs and the employee should have respected your decision.

I'm probably going to be the odd one out saying I would not want to feed a preggo mouse to my snakes, nor would I want to keep and raise feeders as my own. As I get attached.

I would demand that she change the mouse out, or just have left right then and there if she wouldn't. Then again, I don't feed live so I don't have to deal with petstore people.