A somber thought on feeder animals.

[Soterios]

Tonight I fed some of my ball pythons. This being an event I perform often.

I never enjoy feeding live prey, but for some reason tonight... it was a lot harder to do.

As I watched the mouse struggle, and then take it's last breath, I found myself apologizing to the animal. I pride myself a gentle man, and here I was condemning another creature to death.

The logic in me can justify this knowing I am keeping my animals healthy....but sometimes, the heart protests.

And it was quite a protest tonight.


...sorry for the downer post, sometimes typing things out helps.

[stormwulf133]

I am happy you feel this way. It is a good thing believe it or not. I go through the same thing when I must feed live prey as well. It means you AREN'T one of those snake keepers that give us a bad name.

[Oxylepy]

Personally I avoid watching these things. Also I never understood why so many people think its cool or interesting. In my book it's me feeding my snake, about as interesting as putting dog food in a dish, but a lot more morbid.

I hear about people who think its the coolest thing ever and it kinda weirds me out, like hunting for sport.

Mind that when I was like 15 I thought it would be cool to shoot a bird or a squirrel with a pellet gun, missed all the squirrels but managed to shoot a bird that was flying. I went over and watched it as it feebly tried to get back up, then as its intense breathing gradually slowed. I was staring into its eye as it died and I watched the change from a living animal with synapses firing in absolute agony to a still, lifeless form, and I could see the transition, its eye went from vibrant and glossy, to dull and faded.

Yeah, after that I put down the pellet gun and went back inside to cry.

[CoolioTiffany]

Feeding live is a trade-off. Your offering a live rodent to a snake (loss) but gaining healthy snake (benefit). I feed live to my Pastel Ball python since she's a live eater, and I love animals a lot, but I just don't really care for the feeders. I know the animal doesn't want to be eaten, I know it wants to live, but I gotta do what has to be done. I care for my snakes a lot more than a rodent, and if it takes a rodent to keep my snake healthy you bet I'm in for it. Not because I don't like rodents, because my snake is 100% dependant on me for everything.

I find feeding live kinda cool. (Here's the answer to the second post) I like to see how snakes ambush their prey. I'm a total python girl, and I like to watch the entire ambushing process. I like seeing a happy Ball python ambushing prey to make it satisfied and not hungry. I like knowing my Ball python is getting healthy from eating what it needs to. I like knowing my Ball python is no longer hungry. I like seeing the snakes' strategy with catching its prey. That is why I like seeing a snake eat a live rodent. It amuses me. Not because I hate rodents, because I like seeing a happy snake finally getting a meal and getting larger and healthier.

[WingedWolfPsion]

Life feeds on life. The food that nourishes us was once alive. The fact that others do the killing for us changes nothing.
Pythons kill their prey quickly--in most cases, much more quickly than merely suffocating it would accomplish. It is an uncomfortable and frightening, but probably not excessively painful, death. I don't think cattle entering into the chute are happy about it, either.

It's good to honor the animals that feed our pets, or us, but there is no reason to feel guilty about it. This is the way nature has evolved--it's what they are, and it's what we are. There is nothing wrong with it.
Let your feelings become respect for the animals that die to feed your pets (and yourself, unless you are a vegetarian--and even then, plants are alive too). Prey animals deserve respect and compassion, but predators still require them in order to live, and that's right as well.

Don't distance yourself from these things--buying a ham at the supermarket is so much easier than putting a bolt into the head of a live pig, but the act is exactly the same, make no mistake about that. The pig is just as dead.

Sometimes I think that modern society is not only becoming a bit 'soft', but also losing touch with reality--I think all folks should have to butcher their own food at some point, in order to really understand what life is. Becoming a vegan just avoids the issue, as if plant life were somehow worth less than animal life.

Anyhow, consider all of that, as you gently slice into a nice juicy steak.

[pavlovk1025]

I like my rodents, as my entire stock is now animals that I have produced. It doesnt hurt my feelings to feed them off. They are kept for a purpose and that is to feed my snakes. What does piss me off though is to watch a litter get eaten by its own mother.

[Oxylepy]

Dont get me wrong I'd kill for me to eat and if my snake needs live prey I will get it for them, but watching an animal die is pretty hard, in fact watching anything die is hard. And it should be, you shouldnt relish death, and you're right you should have respect for the animal that is dying, but its still a sad thing to see.

I actually made a joke to my bio teacher when he was telling us about his nightmare of the zombie apocalypse that its always a good idea to have pets around when you need food.

[BabysMomma]

This is something I've been asked about a lot by people who know I keep reptiles. "Doesn't it make you feel bad?" and questions of that nature. All I can say is yeah, it does make me feel bad. Loving ALL animals really seems to be a prerequisite for loving traditionally 'uncute' animals like snakes and lizards, and I do love mice and rats. My aunt has pet fancy rats that I feel are just the sweetest girls in the world as they snuggle up in the sweater of whoever's holding them. It's because I love all animals that when Baby looks up at me for food, and I know I'm responsible for making him dependent on me for food, I just have to swallow my sorrow for the rat and hand it over.

"The Circle of Life" from The Lion King, is a really big help.

[ballpythonluvr]

I have felt bad for feeding live prey several times. I once had a baby rat that one of my BP's didn't want to eat so I ended up buying baby formula to keep it alive only to end up feeding it off later. I am an owner of a snake that eats rodents so I learned to accept that and move on. I have been very lucky with my newest female BP. She eats f/t prey so I don't have to sit there and watch the process of her eating.

[steveboos]

Yeah i love Rats, they are my favorite animal besides ball pythons and dogs. I love how sweet they are and how affectionate they can be. That being said i understand the circle of life and feeding my snakes is just that. The rat doesn't know any different and they have had a good life up untill now. While being bred they were with family and had a lot of buddies, hundreds of friends. Now unfortunately their fate is to be my snakes dinner. Actually right now i have a "hold back" of sorts since by bigger female wouldn't eat, so now i have another pet rat to play with! That is untill she finally eats it