LAWL Apparently we're all sadists.

[kitedemon]

The only creatures capable of sadism are humans. I don't know any snake keeper or feeder rodent breeder whom enjoys causing suffering to rats. All I know of make great effort to provide a healthy life for the rodents and euthanizing is done in a quick painless method. Personally I check the frozen rats very careful when I get some from a new supplier. I have once found evidence of damage before death occurred (broken leg that was very bloody then frozen) I have never purchased from that supplier again nor will I. The quality of the life and death matters to me. I think I can say that all the keepers I know feel the same. In that precludes Sadism.

The young fellow who held you conversation made up his mind and used the first word that seem to describe what he was feeling the word kinda fit in his mind. I think he wanted to say you keep the company of snakes so you must be in league with the devil. That would get him laughed at by his friends and fellows so substitute sadism. There is no point in arguing with someone who has a closed mind it is a waste of time. I find it sad to see a closed mind in youth but the damage is done and all that is left is to morn. Fanatical belief in anything has caused more woe in our world than almost anything else I can think of.

[Redneck_Crow]

Boy do I know how you feel.. Rick's (my husband above) aunt went completely off the deep end on us when she saw we had a snake, started literally preaching about it being a satanic animal. Wouldn't listen to a word we said and was getting really nasty about it.. I was in shock, course, I wasn't polite in my responses by the end of the discussion.. Some people are just rude and too thick headed to sway away from their ignorant beliefs.. (not implying her religious beliefs are ignorant here, just that her looking down and scolding us is ignorant, wanted to clear that up)

Circle of life, as my mom always says.

A satanic animal?

I figure that God made the snake and chose what the snake's menu was going to be. Personally, I think that He did us a big favor. All through history rodents have spread disease to mankind and taken the food we need to survive.

Snakes have no doubt saved millions of human lives by keeping the rodent population from expanding unchecked. My own father was terrified of snakes but he wouldn't kill them or allow anyone else to harm one on our property because he knew that they benefited our farm. Our barn had several resident black rat snakes who grew immense in the course of performing their rat patrol duties. One of them looked to be well over 7 feet long.

[python_addict]

should have said unless your a vegetarian i wouldnt say anything

[JLC]

I figure that God made the snake and chose what the snake's menu was going to be. Personally, I think that He did us a big favor. All through history rodents have spread disease to mankind and taken the food we need to survive.

Indeed!!

[karabear24]

Oh, I agree whole heartedly.. They were made for a reason.. Just like with spiders, I'm terrified of them, however, I don't like messing with them if they have a web or something outside our door or whatnot, because they keep the skeetos and bug population in this apartment down. Specially when we live in the basement apartment and its bug galore.. The creepy little things benefit us..

Same with snakes, they keep the rat/mouse population down.. Just because we choose to have them as a pet, doesn't mean its alright to starve them. They can't fend for themselves, we sure as ....... can't feed them hotdogs, or carrots, so what are we to do? Circle of life.. I respect it.

[karabear24]

Furthermore! I would rather keep as many snakes as I can handle comfortably, and keep them safe and happy, healthy and fed. I understand they do okay in the wild, but they still get injured and sick.. It makes me feel like I'm doing -something- good if I can look at my snake and see her grow and be healthy. She isn't injured because I keep an eye on her when she feeds.

In nature they do fine, but they do even finer (go me) in captivity..

my .2

[Kinra]

I love how people think snakes are evil because they eat rodents, but personally I think they are the better of a lot of animals. Snakes eat their prey whole, they don't leave anything behind like some animals do. I've never heard of a snake eating its prey alive, like some big cats will do. And unlike house cats, an extremely common well accept pet, they don't play with their food. If I was a mouse and had to choose between death by cat and death by snake, I would choose snake every time.

[Quacking-Terror]

I love how people think snakes are evil because they eat rodents, but personally I think they are the better of a lot of animals. Snakes eat their prey whole, they don't leave anything behind like some animals do. I've never heard of a snake eating its prey alive, like some big cats will do. And unlike house cats, an extremely common well accept pet, they don't play with their food. If I was a mouse and had to choose between death by cat and death by snake, I would choose snake every time.

I use the house cat example all the time too.

[CustomChevyGuy]

I'd invite him to my church...my pastor has had several snakes, some beautiful ones too! Lets just say, it would be an interesting conversation!

[Redneck_Crow]

I use the house cat example all the time too.

Now there is an evil animal! We had several who would catch mice, eat half, then leave the uneaten half beside your bed. Even step on half of a mouse with your bare feet on a cold morning?

I have.