This so reminds me of a life long debate my parents had. My father was a hunter, and a darned good one. He didn't take his shot unless it was a kill shot and it was extremely rare for that deer to run more than a couple of steps. A fast, very clean and humane ending to his (and my) mind. He never supported shooting for trophies or shooting at something not intended for the table.

My mother would cook that venison beautifully but always refused to eat it, instead choosing to cook herself a porkchop. She "felt bad" for the "poor deer".

His point to her was this....

That deer lived it's life, it bred, it ran around, it ate well. It was dispatched quickly and for a specific reason - to provide food. It wasn't wasted or disrespected. It served it's purpose. That pig her porkchop came from also served it's purpose but it never knew anything but a crowded feed lot, never was allowed to breed, went off to a crowded, stressful killing floor where it likely was driven in with many other pigs waiting for slaughter (granted slaughter houses are run better than in his day). He was always astounded that her pork chop didn't make her "feel bad" for the "poor pig".

Growing up listening to this parental discussion every hunting season formed my view on responsible hunting and on the respect we meat eaters do owe those animals - wild or domesticated - that grace our dinner table. I never knew a time where there was a disconnect from a living creature to the Sunday roast on the table.

Taking that into snakekeeping, the rats I raise are a respected part of things here. They live, for a rat, a darned good existance. They never know hunger or thirst. They live in quite spacious enclosures that are cleaned very regularily. They have other rats to socialize with. Their end comes very quickly from one of the fastest, cleanest killing predators ever seen on this world of ours. Not a bad deal if you're a rat and naturally pretty low on that food chain Mother Nature figured out long ago.