Quote Originally Posted by piedmad View Post
Some interesting and varied replies guys, thanks. Just like to say, i dont quite get this "zombie dancing". I'm lucky if I actually get it in the tub before they smash it. I suposse we find it "strange" most of you guys feed live because live feeding over here is seen as not neccesary unless thats all they will take and its kinda frowned upon if anyone feeds live just because they can, plus we can be prosecuted in some cases if they think the prey animal has suffered in any way.Also no pet shop by law can sell you a live vertebrate for a live food item for another animal. I also dont buy the "its what they eat in the wild" as they dont get water bowls with nice clean water in the wild either, or a nice clean heated tub/viv to live in, in the wild. Any 1 live prey can seriously damage your snake in 1 second or 1 hour, personally i have no need to take the risk of potentially harming my animals. Not saying live feeding is wrong, just it really is not neccesary most of the time, but if you are happy to feed live, thats all that matters really. But thanks for your replies makes things a lot clearer.
I guess I will never be moving to England like I have considered, crazy that its illegal to sell live feeders. It seems common practice here in Germany, or at least with the group of breeders I know, to feed live. My monitor gets live, my snakes get live, my cat gets frozen thawed chicks, because, well, feeding live to a cat would not be so nice, since they play with their food. I would waste so many frozen thawed if thats what I fed. Some of my snakes will take 2 or 3 mice or rats one week, then only 1 the next or none. Now that its winter half of them are not eating at all. I still offer, and what then, that animals life went to waste when I have to throw it in the trash because it was not eaten. I think that is far more sad than the little a rodent might suffer while being constricted and eaten.