I need some moral support here people

[frankykeno]

I'm sorry, I feel bad for the rats I feed my snake, because I don't like the screeching noise they make, but it has to be done. What else is there to say? "The rat doesn't suffer", I would think if it's a fast death or not, the rat is picked up, thrown in an unknown environment and then attacked by a snake.

There's a lot more that goes into responsible live feeding then "picked up, thrown in". I feed a lot of snakes a lot of rats. Most if not pretty much all of the rats have no concept of what that snake is about to do to them. They've been bred in captivity so long that most of them have no strong prey reactions left in them. I've watched rats literally walk up and sniff the snake's nose - not seeming to have the instinct left in them that says "that is a predator there".

Those squeels you hear aren't sighs of relaxation. To say the rat doesn't suffer is only half right. May not suffer when they are caught, but they surely suffer before hand.

What suffering "before hand"? Please explain what you mean about the time between being "caught" and "before hand". As far as squeels I hear, I can tell you that a snake used to taking live prey, being offered the right size live prey on a consistent basis does not give the rodent much chance to make much noise. It's a rare thing here to hear anything from the snake tubs other than WHUMPPPP as the snake hits, efficiently contains and immediately constricts it's dinner. The rats don't have a chance to squeel a great percentage of the time and in fact if Mike and I hear any squeeling we're concerned the feeding is not going as well as it should.

So really there's nothing to say except, do it, or get rid of the snake.

Helping a new owner is, in my opinion, worth the keystrokes and involves a lot more (especially when it comes to safe live feeding) than just "do it, or get rid of the snake".

[West Coast Jungle]

Feeding live rodents to snakes is something that should be considered prior to getting a Ball Python. Many BP's will never eat FT or even prekilled. The reality is it is unnatural for them. They have heat receptors to measure body heat of their prey even in the blackest of darkness. Some can be condition to eat them but that is usually an established snake with a good feeding response. I prefer live because I can analyze the health of the rodent and I know it is fresh. My concern with frozen is I have no idea if the thing was healthy? how it died? and if there has been any decaying, maggots? prior to packaging, all very scary.

We live in a world where our meat comes packaged nicely in plastic, well folks just because we didn't kill it doesn't mean it didn't die for our consumption. We can eat millions of things other than meat, snakes only eat one thing, rodents, and if was running through your kitchen cabinets you probably wouldn't have any problem killing it. But put it in a cage and everyone gets all emotional.

Thats my take on it.

My wife doesnt like to watch the rodents die and I can appreciate that. I dont enjoy it but I look at it like farming. If I raised chickens or pigs(for consumption) I would have to kill them when it is time to sell the meat. You have to shut off the emotions and turn up the logic, its just the way it is and someones gotta do it.

[littleindiangirl]

OP, I'll be honest with you, I don't like to watch my snakes eat live. I'm a sucker for all animals, and I do go in against my feelings to watch them eat. Luckily, many of my snakes will take FT, but I that also does not me stop whatsoever from feeding them live.

I actually have a harder time gassing rats then watching snakes eat live. I don't know why that is, but it's true.

Somewhere, my fascination for snakes, the way they move, the way they watch us and watching them eat gets me over that initial gut wrenching when the rat get's wrapped. I simply love snakes and I enjoy seeing them live and thrive and watch them in their natural element. It's almost entrancing watching them eat, such a process, but I do not get any sort of pleasure from the intial kill.

It's just a part of life for me, and I imagine over the years I won't even bat an eye when feeding live.

[b8byjenny]

OP, I'll be honest with you, I don't like to watch my snakes eat live. I'm a sucker for all animals, and I do go in against my feelings to watch them eat. Luckily, many of my snakes will take FT, but I that also does not me stop whatsoever from feeding them live.

I actually have a harder time gassing rats then watching snakes eat live. I don't know why that is, but it's true.

Somewhere, my fascination for snakes, the way they move, the way they watch us and watching them eat gets me over that initial gut wrenching when the rat get's wrapped. I simply love snakes and I enjoy seeing them live and thrive and watch them in their natural element. It's almost entrancing watching them eat, such a process, but I do not get any sort of pleasure from the intial kill.

It's just a part of life for me, and I imagine over the years I won't even bat an eye when feeding live.

Thats a new take on it that hasn't really been touched on in this thread so far and I can appreciate what you are saying. As I have said, slyder is not "mine" so it really isn't up to me to say F/T or live but I do know that until he came into our lives I had no interest in snakes. Now look at me....I joined a snake forum! I love just sitting and watching him for hours on end, even the slightest movement calls for an announcement to my boyfriend! I am glad that there are people out there that can empathize with how I feel and I hope that with time I will learn to be as comfortable as you are.

[greghall]

THEY DO WHAT THEY DO,rats & mice are cute my kids have them for pets after my boa would'nt eat one know its a pet I call it the luckiest rat alive. one of my kids don't like it but I explain its what they do & teach them about nature & how life works as with death its a fact not pretty but still a fact.

[b8byjenny]

THEY DO WHAT THEY DO,rats & mice are cute my kids have them for pets after my boa would'nt eat one know its a pet I call it the luckiest rat alive. one of my kids don't like it but I explain its what they do & teach them about nature & how life works as with death its a fact not pretty but still a fact.

I think that is very honorable.

[Texas Dan]

Feeding live rodents to snakes is something that should be considered prior to getting a Ball Python. Many BP's will never eat FT or even prekilled. The reality is it is unnatural for them. They have heat receptors to measure body heat of their prey even in the blackest of darkness. Some can be condition to eat them but that is usually an established snake with a good feeding response. I prefer live because I can analyze the health of the rodent and I know it is fresh. My concern with frozen is I have no idea if the thing was healthy? how it died? and if there has been any decaying, maggots? prior to packaging, all very scary.

We live in a world where our meat comes packaged nicely in plastic, well folks just because we didn't kill it doesn't mean it didn't die for our consumption. We can eat millions of things other than meat, snakes only eat one thing, rodents, and if was running through your kitchen cabinets you probably wouldn't have any problem killing it. But put it in a cage and everyone gets all emotional.

Thats my take on it.

My wife doesnt like to watch the rodents die and I can appreciate that. I dont enjoy it but I look at it like farming. If I raised chickens or pigs(for consumption) I would have to kill them when it is time to sell the meat. You have to shut off the emotions and turn up the logic, its just the way it is and someones gotta do it.

This is pretty much what I was trying to get across right here, I just didn't say it as nicely. It all boils down to, moral support shouldn't be a problem here, because when you purchase a snake, you KNOW it eats rodents.

So I'm not sure why I'm being ragged on, I'm just telling it like it is.

[LadyOhh]

Seriously.. What about Chickens with Fingers...

[Texas Dan]

Seriously.. What about Chickens with Fingers...

You've never seen a chicken with fingers? Psssh...

You've never seen foghorn leghorn? There's a chicken with fingers..

[JeffFlanagan]

I love my rodents as much as I love my snakes, but it's just nature that the snakes eat the rodents, and the rodents I breed wouldn't even get to exist if they weren't being bred for the snakes.

I give the rodents a good life right up until the end, and eat meat myself, so I've gotten over feeling bad about feedings.