It's a good point for discussion.

Quite honestly, for our family feeding off live prey is second nature. Even young Michael understands that the rats that we breed are for snake food or the snakes would die of hunger. The problem can arise though, in this situation, where the parent animals are pets and therefore are cared for at a different level of attachment by the children. Kids are kids and let's be honest, kids love bunnies, especially ones they've named and loved and watched have babies.

For me, faced with this situation, I'd either quietly feed off that bunny or dispose of it or allow the children to bury it (if that is their wish). Death needs dealt with, as do a lot of issues with children, in ways that are appropriate for that child, at that time under a certain set of circumstances. It's just one of those things, at least to me, that you can't generalize about at all. It's going to be such a unique situation that what works for one kid isn't likely to work for another at all.

I don't think it's "sanitizing" anything to consider the feelings of a young child who may well be very confused why Fluffy's baby died and may not be able to fully understand why that baby animal is now a snake's dinner.