i dont know how you can say that feeding live is a last resort. i chose to feed mine live prey cause thats what they want. and i honestly am way to impatient to let frozen meals thaw out for my snakes to eat and then dangle it for them to eat... every time i throw a live prey item in the cage my snakes eat, if they dont after 10 minutes then the prey is removed. no harm no foul. everyone makes their own decision on what to feed their animals, but just cause you do it your way does not mean it is the ONLY way. to each their own