Well, you're right! While yes, I think your reply was just a tad on the harsh side, I can not say that I would have worded it any more "pleasent", knowing me, I probably would not have been that nice.
It is rather annoying that people don't stop to use a shred of common sense about life and the natural food chain.

Me personaly, I LOVE rats and mice and would be more than happy to have some as "pets" but I gaurentee you, although the mice I feed my snakes, even though they are F/T are still "cute", they're FOOD. Even if I fed live, food is food and pets are pets. I'm not going to feed my two kittens to my snakes but by God if I had a litter of rats or mice, the babies would be snake food, "cute" or not.

One of my daughters tried to pull the "ohhh Mom, that mouse is so cute! Why did they kill it? I wish snakes didn't eat mice" So I told her "Brandi, do you like Ketzel (my MBK)? Do you like being able to hold her and help me clean out her container? Would you prefer she starve to death? Do you still want that corn snake you've been dying for, for the past year?"
To which she answered: Yes, yes, no and yes.
I reminded her that she's fed Ketzel and Ambross (my bull snake) many times before and never had a problem with it and just because they're eating larger mice now shouldn't make a difference. As well, if she's going to have her *own* snake, she *better* get use to it because that's just what snakes eat. They *can't* eat salad or pizza, or fried chicken... they eat other animals, that's the way it is... get use to it. "Now, drop the mouse in Ketzel's container then we'll discuss those cheese burgers you like so much and we'll see if you feel sorry enough for the cow that died in order for you to have that burger in the first place that you'll never eat another burger in your life and only eat split pea soup ". Needless to say, she hasn't really "felt sorry" for the feeders since then and when she does, she reminds herself "food is food and pets are pets and this is food, not a pet".