What goes down with killing and constricting?

[Emily Hubbard]

I just have to say that I really don't think there is any psychological benefit to the snake to eat live. The vast majority of f/t eaters still strike and constrict, therefore they don't really know that it is already dead. Mine eats strictly f/t and she gets into "hunt" mode as soon as I start defrosting and she smells it in the room, and when the prey is dangling from the feeding tongs, she is in full on predator mode and she is SERIOUS when she strikes, often the tail will break off in my tongs she hits so hard. In my opinion, the only time a snake should be fed live is if it absolutely refuses f/t or pre-killed (and some do), or if it is some way more convenient for the keeper, as in they breed the rodents themselves. But it is for sure a more complicated process. Rats are mean. They can bite you, they can bite the snake, even kill the snake if you walked away for a few minutes and the rat got the upper hand.

If your family cannot tolerate rodents in the freezer, then you may fall into the "more convenient for the keeper" category. I am glad my girl takes f/t because feeding live would bother me. I mean, if I HAD to for the snake, I would, but I would rather not. It doesn't bother me AT ALL in a natural setting, I love watching snakes kill things on nature shows, or even in the wild. But to me, nature is a game with winners and losers, and sometimes, the rodent looses. But when you put a rodent in a box with a snake, the deck is kind of stacked. I don't think it is morally wrong for the people who feed live to do it, AT ALL, but for me personally, I would feel like I sentenced an animal to death without it having a fighting chance. I would rather pull one out of the freezer that was killed quickly and painlessly rather than giving it a terrifying death. Just my two cents. It is ultimately up to the individual keeper, there is no wrong answer. My point is, don't make stimulation for the snake your only reason, which it isn't, it's a freezer issue. I am just saying that the snake will be mentally fine if you feed f/t, and the benefits are, in my opinion, far greater for everyone: snake, rat, and you.