I need some moral support here people

[b8byjenny]

After many unsuccessful weeks of offering F/T to our baby BP my boyfriend has decided to try live next. I am VERY sad about this being as I'm normally the girl buying up all of the "feeder mice" at the pet stores to "save them."

So I'm needing lots of comments about how it really isn't cruel, and they really don't suffer, and its nature taking its course, and our little one really needs to eat, and and and....

I just feel so bad for the poor little mouse

[SatanicIntention]

Hopefully you realize that the mice do not suffocate or die some horrible, awful death. When the snake constricts, the blood stops flowing, most importantly to the brain. After 8-10 seconds, the mouse is unconscious and from then on, feels nothing.

I know I would definitely want to die by constriction than having to die in a car accident. Fast death vs slow death.. hmmm..

So! It's really like fainting is to us. It's not all that unpleasant, maybe a bit weird feeling.

The main thing is to get her eating and get her happy about eating. After a few weeks of consistent meals, you might try switching her to f/t again. All of mine eat live mice(43 Ball Pythons, and a Short Tail Python). It makes me feel better to know that the mice were very well cared for before they were fed off. I give them wholesome food, clean, plentiful water, clean and soft bedding to sleep in, treats to eat, pecan branches to chew on. I know they at least had a good life while they were here, and know they are as healthy as I can make them.

Does that help any?

[spix14]

What all have you tried while attempting frozen? How long has it been since the snake ate? Might not be necessary.

[pythontricker]

Hopefully you realize that the mice do not suffocate or die some horrible, awful death. When the snake constricts, the blood stops flowing, most importantly to the brain. After 8-10 seconds, the mouse is unconscious and from then on, feels nothing.

Wow is that really true? If it is its really enlightening!

[b8byjenny]

Hopefully you realize that the mice do not suffocate or die some horrible, awful death. When the snake constricts, the blood stops flowing, most importantly to the brain. After 8-10 seconds, the mouse is unconscious and from then on, feels nothing.

I know I would definitely want to die by constriction than having to die in a car accident. Fast death vs slow death.. hmmm..

So! It's really like fainting is to us. It's not all that unpleasant, maybe a bit weird feeling.

The main thing is to get her eating and get her happy about eating. After a few weeks of consistent meals, you might try switching her to f/t again. All of mine eat live mice(43 Ball Pythons, and a Short Tail Python). It makes me feel better to know that the mice were very well cared for before they were fed off. I give them wholesome food, clean, plentiful water, clean and soft bedding to sleep in, treats to eat, pecan branches to chew on. I know they at least had a good life while they were here, and know they are as healthy as I can make them.

Does that help any?

That DOES make me feel a little better...I didn't realize it is compared to fainting. I just have these awful pictures in my head of the mouse shrieking for its life as its eyeballs pop out of its head and guts go spilling out everywhere.

Thats true that yours have a good life while they are here. Does it ever get hard to part with them?

[b8byjenny]

What all have you tried while attempting frozen? How long has it been since the snake ate? Might not be necessary.

My boyfriend is on the forum as well, sneakerpro. The BP really is his so he's been handling all of the attempts...I'm not really sure how to describe it besides we thaw the fuzzy mouse in a bag under warm water then place it under the black light on the screen top of the cage to pre-scent and allow it to warm then we dangle it by its tail with bamboo tongs. What else do you want to know?

We have had slyder for about a month and he hasn't ate yet so we have no idea when the last time was that he ate.

[b8byjenny]

Is it possible that slyder has never had a meal? He is still VERY small and we did buy him from a petstore so who knows where they get them from. The petstore had him for just a few days before we bought him and they said they only feed on thursdays so I'm pretty sure he didn't get fed there.

[elusivereptiles]

It doesn't really bother me and here's why:

In the wild what is the snake going to do? It's going to kill similar prey to what you are offering it. I realize that it's a bit more "unmoral" to offer the snake food the way that we do, but that's life. Have you ever seen 2 male adult mice that share a tub together.. they fight, sometimes to the death. I don't see the difference in them dying while fighting each other, or if my snakes eats it for a meal. Another sad reality is most humans are carnivores not all but most. And those of us who are eat beef, pork, chicken, etc, and even though you might not physically kill the animal yourself, someone else did, and now you are eating it for supper. Same concept in my opinion, except the snakes do the dirty work and also enjoy the meal.

[spix14]

Worst case scenario, it's possible he hasn't eaten yet. Not likely though. There are other things you can try to get him to eat though. How often are you handling him? Did you let him settle in before you started handling? What are your temps and humidity like in the cage?

[frankykeno]

After many unsuccessful weeks of offering F/T to our baby BP my boyfriend has decided to try live next. I am VERY sad about this being as I'm normally the girl buying up all of the "feeder mice" at the pet stores to "save them."

So I'm needing lots of comments about how it really isn't cruel, and they really don't suffer, and its nature taking its course, and our little one really needs to eat, and and and....

I just feel so bad for the poor little mouse

Jenny, what Becky told you is backed up by scientific studies (which I do have links for if you want them). Constrictors like your snake do not kill by slow strangulation of their prey. That would put the snake at a much higher risk of injury from it's prey and Mother Nature isn't that dumb. Death is quick and clean. Likely one of the cleanest and quickest kills of any predator on earth. I feed multiple snakes each week, from the smallest BP up to mature female ones. I raise my own rats and by some standards, totally spoil my breeder rats by naming and retiring my adults rats.

If it were an inhumane, drawn out kill where the prey suffered unduly, I would not do it dear.

The simple fact of life is rodents are born, designed perfectly by nature to be the live food for these snakes. Humans may want to feed f/t for various reasons and many snakes will adjust to that, but it's not guaranteed. Sadly pet stores don't bother to mention that to folks like you. You are faced with a decision now to try live feeding in order to get this snake a meal or to be so upset by live feeding that your snake goes hungry. It's not a fun decision for you but one that may well be necessary if this snake continues to refuse to eat in the manner you wish it to.

Before you try a live feed, please read threads here about the proper way to do this. It is not just a matter of tossing in any rodent to any snake. Like all things, it's a process and if done correctly minimizes risk to the snake and promotes a fast, efficient and humane end for the rodent.

Lastly dear, "saving" feeder rodents is never going to work. They are bred to be fed off, they aren't bred for pets any more than a beef cow is going to be a pet dog. More are just produced and quite honestly don't often live in a particularily nice manner at big rodent breeders or overcrowded pet store feeder bins.

Don't be sad, sorry or embarrassed that you do care about the rodents. I think that respect for the prey that sustains our snakes is just another way of being a responsible keeper who makes the right decisions by thinking about how it all works out for the snake and for it's prey animal.