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.