Not prepared for the noise!!!

[Ginevive]

I have found that some rats squeak, some don't. I just ignore it/drown it out with background noise.. not hard since I am a music addict and always have music playing.
Predation is not pretty per se, but it is nature's way.

[JoshJP7]

I'm like all of you... Love all animals but nature needs to take its course... I dont kill animals if it can be avoided... Ive been known to turn off the shower to save a daddy long legs and hoist him to safety... Just how I do... Now if a mosquito wont stop biting me or a fly wont leave me alone when im eating Ight they might get it... As far as rats and snakes... eat em up fellas! If they were in the wild thats what would go on so its not like were doing anything inhumane... Constrictors are meant to crush and suffocate... millions of years of evolution at its best!

[LadyOhh]

I live on a cul-de-sac and the area is VERY quiet.


I HAVE TO put music on, as you can hear the animals squeeking from outside my house in the street. (My snake room faces the street)

It's something that we as Herpers have to deal with.

I have to say its not my favorite time, but it happens.

And yes, the larger rats seem to scream more and longer...

[WingedWolfPsion]

Humane? Some wild animals eat their prey in chunks while it's still alive, how is that humane? Nature doesn't worry about what's humane. It's entirely up to us whether or not WE do.
I think there's a line between feeling bad about having to kill something to feed a pet (which seems a pointless thing to feel bad about, to me), and absolving oneself of all responsibility for a death because the pet did the killing. But, your mileage may vary.
If the screaming bothers you, don't feed live.

[JeffFlanagan]

Sometimes it makes me sad. The worst was when a couple of rats were playing right before I fed them off. Food shouldn't play.

I'm no vegan, and I understand that life feeds on life, so generally I'm fine with it.

I am unfortunately breeding for cuteness because it's easier to feed off a plain rat. Soon they'll all be too cute to feed off and I'll have a problem.

[JASBALLS]

My new BP "Lucy" has been home for about a month now. I got her to take FT with the second attempt but I think it was a fluke. She had no interest in FT the next feeding and I tried everything. I began to worry about her feeding, having heard all the horror stories, so I decided to get her a live baby rat. And swith back to FT after she was on a good feeding schedule.

Well that rat never even hit the substrate!!! I was a bit surprised at how fast and violent the strike was. But I was really not prepared for the horrible noise that poor rat made as Lucy squeezed the life out of it. I must admit that it was both tragic and magnificant all at once. Does anyone else have compassion for the food or is it just me?

I always hated rodents, Until I fed my first snake... I really like them now! The sound they make is awesome!

[HABU]

i feed fresh kill whenever possible. rabbits are the worse for attachment. you have to feed them quickly, they are too cute after a while.

[andy6432668]

I hate rodents I love to watch my snake strike and kill them even if they scream then shallow them.

[Sunny1]

I try to stay detached from my feeders. I get the mice about a week or so early, set them up in their tank, and basically only check to make sure that they have food and water. This has been working for me so far with the mice. I did get attached to a couple of baby rats (that are still living with us) and couldn't feed them off, but that time I broke the rule of no handling the feeders (but they were too cute!!! We couldn't help it). So if we make the move to rats eventually, No Handling for me. The mice so far haven't been bad as far as squeaking. Maybe a little squeak, but doesn't last but a second or two...

I am just glad (like in Habu's post) that I probably won't ever have a snake big enough to eat rabbits. That would be something I couldn't personally do. I would get too attached just by having them in the house. Oh and talking about hearing something squeal, you should hear a completely spooked rabbit!!

[FIREball]

Ill find out Friday when I switch my 07 girls from mice to rat pups. I tried f/t rat pups with no success so Ill do live a couple weeks then try again with the f/t.