# You ever feel bad?



## Verneph (Jun 24, 2011)

For your feeder insects, I mean.  I know it seems like a rather odd question, but I'm being serious here.  I tend to like to stick up for the little guys, and insects and arachnids are some of those little guys.  I swear I am the only member of my family that will make the effort to actually put a "bug" outside rather than just kill it outright.  It's part of the reason I got into T's.  

I know it's just part of nature and my T's have got to eat, but every time I go to feed a cricket to either one of my T's I always feel a twinge of guilt in my gut. 

I actually had one cricket escape somehow and get out of my spider's enclosure (no clue how it pulled that off, but I called it the "Epic Cricket").  I decided to let that one go because, clearly, it deserved it.  

I know it seems stupid, but has anyone else experienced this?

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1


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## skar (Jun 24, 2011)

Not really dude... I used to feel sorry for the rats I fed to my snake but I get
amped to feed my T's - Specially the A. brock .
I see crickets eat each other and anything so... guess I c them as entertainment !

Reactions: Agree 1


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## demonanjel117 (Jun 24, 2011)

Unfortunately I havent had the chance to feel bad as the T I kind of ended up with doesn't eat. Least not since I got him. But I probably would feel bad after awhile since its one thing for an animal to catch prey in the wild and another for it to be given the prey.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## OphidianDelight (Jun 24, 2011)

I would have a lot to feel bad about if I cared about every insect, mouse and rat I've offered as food.  So I don't!


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## Alexandra V (Jun 24, 2011)

I don't feel bad, per se, because of the whole circle of life thing. I just do my best to give them a good life before I feed them off, and i know i did what I could. I'm also a believer in fate, and that everything happens for a reason, so i just kind of see it as that feeder being meant to go when I feed itoff.


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## BQC123 (Jun 24, 2011)

Nope. My feeders are very well cared for. They are not lacking anything, and have a pretty good life, much better than in the wild. They end up being eaten just like nature intended, just live a little better until then.


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## thruthetrees (Jun 24, 2011)

I feel bad also... Especially when I have to cut the food up for slings :O Or, when the cricket/meal is twitching for the first hour of being eaten... I still get way too excited about feeding time though  And, I guess I "justify" it a bit by making sure all the feeders are "happy" while being raised... 

I'm glad you started this thread, I was wondering if anyone else felt bad too...

Reactions: Agree 1


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## madamoisele (Jun 24, 2011)

Yes, I do.  Then again, their fate in nature is to be eaten also.


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## vickywild (Jun 24, 2011)

Kinda, but look at it this way..if the crickets weren't being used as food your spiders wouldn't be eating...so it's either a dead cricket or a dead T.

I dunno how I'd handle feeding rodents to snakes though. Dead I'd manage but alive..eek.


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## pavel (Jun 24, 2011)

Not really.  I look at feeder crickets the way I do cows, pigs, chickens, etc.  These are animals raised to be food.  I do feed the crickets well, however, before they become a T's meal.


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## webbedone (Jun 24, 2011)

Life of luxury with a quick and rather painless death in the end, if anything we should all hope to go out that way ourselves!


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## compnerd7 (Jun 24, 2011)

Verneph said:


> I swear I am the only member of my family that will make the effort to actually put a "bug" outside rather than just kill it outright.  It's part of the reason I got into T's.


Same here. I will go out of my way to get a bug or spider outside. But, I've made my family understand there importance, so instead of killing them they just call me over hah..

I use to feel bad for crickets and mice especially mice. That was about 200,000 crickets ago and 200 mice later, I have no feelings for them, because of what a lot of ppl here have said, they live a life of luxury then come to a quick end. I do like my roaches, I think they're cool so I have a little bit more pity for them, but then again they are roaches haha so I feel nothing.


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## arachnahoe (Jun 24, 2011)

I think you are over thinking things... do you feel bad biting into a hamburger too?


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## compnerd7 (Jun 24, 2011)

arachnahoe said:


> I think you are over thinking things... do you feel bad biting into a hamburger too?


I do. only when its not been cooked right or made out of tofu


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## Verneph (Jun 24, 2011)

arachnahoe said:


> I think you are over thinking things... do you feel bad biting into a hamburger too?


Hm, not exactly.  I mean don't get me wrong, I don't believe it's immoral to feed these creatures to T's.  That's how the circle of life works.  I guess it's just seeing the cricket helplessly trying to get away from my T's kind of bothers me, similarly to how if I actually saw the cow getting slaughtered prior to consuming my hamburger it would bother me.  

But I do see your point.  I don't consider it cruelty or anything.


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## AmbushArachnids (Jun 24, 2011)

Didn't you know the roaches enjoy being eaten by beautiful tarantulas? :?


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## Verneph (Jun 24, 2011)

AgentD006las said:


> Didn't you know the roaches enjoy being eaten by beautiful tarantulas? :?


Yes, I'm sure being slowly devoured is what every roach strives for.


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## compnerd7 (Jun 24, 2011)

AgentD006las said:


> Didn't you know the roaches enjoy being eaten by beautiful tarantulas? :?



I think it would be an honor to die for a T, they take their duty seriously:razz:


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## akpropst (Jun 24, 2011)

No experience with feeding T's yet, but with my African Plated Lizard I don't feel bad at all. I take very good care of my Dubia and they live a pretty fat and happy life up to the end, which happens in roughly 2 seconds lol. With feeding her pinkies, i've only felt bad once when the pinkie wet itself in pure terror when she grabbed him and squeaked a bit. But, such is life, no sleep lost over it.


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## AmbushArachnids (Jun 24, 2011)

They do.  But seriously, I dont think they have the compacity in there brain to suffer. There are many more things to fuss over if you want to consider all the suffering in the world.

And lets say for the sake of arguement.. 

Once upon a time i had a 300 lb metal object fall 10 feet and smack me on the hand. The initial adrenaline made it more numb than anything. It didnt hurt very much until 20 mins later. The body and mind are a powerful tool to combat pain and stress. People break there arm and it looks really painful but most the time people only feel half of what you imagine. Just saying.


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## Verneph (Jun 24, 2011)

AgentD006las said:


> They do.  But seriously, I dont think they have the compacity in there brain to suffer. There are many more things to fuss over if you want to consider all the suffering in the world.


I started thinking about this kind of thing years ago and I basically decided that in order for a life to continue existing it must consume another form of life, whether it be a plant, animal, fungus, or an insect in the T's case.  This, of course, doesn't apply to most plants since all they need is air, water and sunlight, which makes them awesome, I think.  Unless of course it's something like a Venus Flytrap, in which case it's awesome for a different reason.  ;P

Perhaps I just think too much about this sort of thing?  :wall:


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## thruthetrees (Jun 24, 2011)

AgentD006las said:


> The initial adrenaline made it more numb than anything. It didnt hurt very much until 20 mins later. The body and mind are a powerful tool to combat pain and stress. People break there arm and it looks really painful but most the time people only feel half of what you imagine. Just saying.


That's a really good point!!


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## Big B (Jun 24, 2011)

I only have one feeling, so no.


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## compnerd7 (Jun 24, 2011)

AgentD006las said:


> Once upon a time i had a 300 lb metal object fall 10 feet and smack me on the hand. The initial adrenaline made it more numb than anything. It didnt hurt very much until 20 mins later. The body and mind are a powerful tool to combat pain and stress. People break there arm and it looks really painful but most the time people only feel half of what you imagine. Just saying.



This is so true I didn't think of it. I had my wrist cut open, sliced a nerve in half and an artrie. didn't feel a thing, so now we can all have clean consciences while we murder 1'000s of bugs


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## BigJ999 (Jun 24, 2011)

I never feel bad really  I mean I fed a baby bird to a snake I used to have that didn't bother me I also fed live mice to a lizard I had  Feeder insects actually don't suffer much with the more potent Tarantula venom's like haplo's and pokies and baboon's  Its actually cool to see the nerotoxin's work on the prey item


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## AmbushArachnids (Jun 24, 2011)

compnerd7 said:


> This is so true I didn't think of it. I had my wrist cut open, sliced a nerve in half and an artrie. didn't feel a thing, so now we can all have clean consciences while we murder 1'000s of bugs


I was reffering to mammals when i spoke about pain tollerance. Sorry for any confusion. Bugs are primitive and dont feel pain. At least not like mammals do.


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## RichRollin (Jun 24, 2011)

webbedone said:


> Life of luxury with a quick and rather painless death in the end, if anything we should all hope to go out that way ourselves!


I dont know about the quick and painless part.  I've seen dubias still moving their legs around after having been impaled on a T's fangs for an hour.  Apparently tarantula venom is fairly useless on roaches.  They are notoriously tough creatures though.

As for pain, who knows.  Im sure they feel it on some level.


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## Robertb (Jun 24, 2011)

I usually put on some theatrical music, set up some dramatic lighting, and pretend im a super villain sacrificing victems to my horde of giant mutant arachnid!;P

---------- Post added at 09:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:58 PM ----------




AgentD006las said:


> I was reffering to mammals when i spoke about pain tollerance. Sorry for any confusion. Bugs are primitive and dont feel pain. At least not like mammals do.



Im curious though how exactly have you concluded that insects cant feel and experience something on the level of pain?


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## sjeckert6297 (Jun 24, 2011)

This is an interresting topic   I do not feel bad feeding crickets, I despise them.  Now dubias are a whole other story.  I had a colony of them before I moved to FL for my bearded dragon.  To me the dubias were really cute.  Thankfully I no longer have dubias so it's back to crickets and superworms and mealworms and the only time I feel bad with any of thoses is when I have to cut them up or rip off legs.  Or wait maybe that's disgust not remorse...


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## GregorSamsa (Jun 24, 2011)

Feel bad for crickets? No, because I find them vile & evil. They rip each other to shreds. Nasty things.

Feel bad for dubias? Not if I cut their head off. But I hate cutting their head off. Hate it. Especially when they're moving the antennae on their decapitated head- "watching me" as I cut up the rest of them to feed to the slings.

Its not guilt, I know they're not in pain. Its not even pity, I know they've lived a good life (not that _they_ know they've lived a good life). I just don't like killing anything, I don't like to be the one instilling desperation & fear, even if it is quick. But I love watching the Ts do it- no bad feelings there 

Oh, and I leave the room when its time to feed the snake. I can deal with mice, but have a hard time with rats (used to keep them as pets plus its so noisy & messy)


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## astraldisaster (Jun 24, 2011)

AgentD006las said:


> They do. But seriously, I dont think they have the capacity in there brain to suffer.


Exactly. This is why I feel absolutely no twinge of remorse feeding bugs to other bugs (and reptiles, etc.). I would, however, feel bad feeding a live vertebrate to anything, because they _can_ feel terror and suffering. Yes, nature is cruel, and everything has to eat...but I can't _personally_ help but feel bad. I would just rather not have to see it.


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## webbedone (Jun 24, 2011)

Once i bought a pinkie to feed off to one of my Ts and my 6 year old asked me what was the pinkie for. I didnt want to lie so i told her the truth, that it is food for the spider. Surprisingly she didnt complain or cry and actually asked me if she could watch. When the T tagged the pinky, it nabbed it by the a$$ and the pinkie squeeled out. 16 buckets of tears later i dont buy pinkies anymore. Funny thing my daughter watches my Ts eat roaches and crix without flinching and actually thinks its cool!

I think i felt the worst when i had to fush a hopper mouse once because none of my larger Ts wanted anything to do with it.

Dont get me wrong i am an emotionless bastard, feeder animals are born and bred for that very purpose without it they would have no reason to exist and become just vermin/infestors, so atleast they gain a little bit of honor by going out that way. Plus the life of food galore and maximal living conditions is something every one of us should desire as well so dont feel bad for feeders!


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## Verneph (Jun 25, 2011)

I notice a lot of people seem to not care so much for the crickets, but when it comes to fellow mammals it's more of a problem.  I can understand that.  It's easier to recognize an emotion coming from something like a mouse than a tiny cricket.  

But I also notice a lot of you have mentioned the idea that crickets don't feel pain or fear or suffering so why should we care anyway?  I guess in my mind, well, for one I don't think anyone can really truly know what goes through a cricket's little brain during its last moments so I don't think we can say for sure that they do not suffer.  For two, they're still another life, however small.  

I know that they're bred to be food, but I don't think it's wrong of me to have some pity for them, and other feeder insects.  I do agree, though, those feeders live like kings before a lot of us feed them to our T's.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## astraldisaster (Jun 25, 2011)

Verneph said:


> But I also notice a lot of you have mentioned the idea that crickets don't feel pain or fear or suffering so why should we care anyway?  I guess in my mind, well, for one I don't think anyone can really truly know what goes through a cricket's little brain during its last moments so I don't think we can say for sure that they do not suffer.  For two, they're still another life, however small.


Agreed, to a point. I do respect all life, and would never think of killing something -- even a cricket -- needlessly. I've always loved bugs, and as  child would save any and every creepy crawly that other people threatened to squash when it found its way into a house.

I'm pretty sure it has been scientifically proven that invertebrates don't feel pain in the way that we define the word, though. Even tarantulas. We know enough to be sure that they lack the necessary neurological structures that would cause/recognize such a feeling. In case of injury, something does tell them that their bodies are in some way compromised. However, it's nothing close to the sophisticated sensation that vertebrates experience. I would even say it's a stretch (anthropomorphization) to say that they feel fear, or have any "final thoughts" as they die. They have instinct, and nothing more; at best, they experience discomfort when wounded or dying. I think it's worlds apart from what a mammal is capable of experiencing, and I'm not just saying that because I feel more of a "kinship" with them. I actually prefer bugs to mice, but seeing a mouse squeal and squirm as it dies a slow, agonizing death bothers me far more than seeing a cricket or roach being consumed.




> I know that they're bred to be food, but I don't think it's wrong of me to have some pity for them, and other feeder insects.  I do agree, though, those feeders live like kings before a lot of us feed them to our T's.


I definitely don't think it's "wrong" of you to feel pity for them. I sometimes do, too. I really like hissers, for example, so I would be a little bit sad if I had to feed one to a T. Still, I recognize that's me making an arbitrary distinction that the hisser is somehow more "worthy" of life than the cricket or mealworm. I'm pretty sure a lot of us do this. As in tarantula > house spider > cricket > mosquito/horsefly/infesting ants, etc. Does anyone actually feel bad about killing the last three? In the end, they're all just bugs though.

Yikes...I think I might have lost track of my point there. Sorry! Anyway, I can certainly say this is an interesting discussion. "Food for thought," if you will.


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## Verneph (Jun 25, 2011)

astraldisaster said:


> I'm pretty sure it has been scientifically proven that bugs don't feel pain in the way that we define the word, though. Even tarantulas. We know enough to be sure that they lack the necessary neurological structures that would cause/recognize such a feeling. In case of injury, something does tell them that their bodies are in some way compromised. However, it's nothing close to the sophisticated sensation that vertebrates feel. I would even say it's a stretch (anthropomorphization) to say that they experience fear, or have any "final thoughts" as they die. They have instinct, and nothing more; at best, they experience discomfort when wounded or dying. I think it's worlds apart from what a mammal is capable of experiencing, and I'm not just saying that because I feel more of a "kinship" with them. I actually prefer bugs to mice, but seeing a mouse squeal and squirm as it dies a slow, agonizing death bothers me far more than seeing a cricket or roach being consumed.


Still, they obviously do react to their lives being threatened.  Perhaps it is not pain or feelings as we know them, but who knows what they "feel"?  Ah well...



> Does anyone actually feel bad about killing the last three?


*slowly raises hand*  Unless the mosquito is biting be.  Then it's asking for it.  What can I say?  I'm nice to the little guys. 



> Anyway, I can certainly say this is an interesting discussion. "Food for thought," if you will.


Glad I asked the question, then.


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## Embers To Ashes (Jun 25, 2011)

I usualy dont feel bad at all for the feeder insects. The only exeptions are when they keep twiching after they have been being eaten for a wile. I also felt kind of bad when I have to put them into the blender alive so I can feed my slings. They do eat eachother though...

I do feel very bad for feeder rats though. I work at the LPS and I have seen mice eat each other alive countless times. I dont feel bad at all for the mice, but The rats will actualy moarn if one of their cage mates die. The only thing that seperates the pet rats from the feeder rats from the distributer is how prety or ugly they are. 

Nothing kills me more than when I pick up a rat to feed to a snake and it is freindly... I guess thats what I get for loving rats and snakes at the same time.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Verneph (Jun 25, 2011)

Embers To Ashes said:


> Nothing kills me more than when I pick up a rat to feed to a snake and it is freindly... I guess thats what I get for loving rats and snakes at the same time.


That...that made me die a little inside.  I don't think I'll ever be able to take care of snake by feeding it rats.  I'm just too nice to do that to something that can be trained and bonded with as well as a dog.  

Ah, see?  There it is.  I'm also guilty of putting creatures like mice and rats on some kind of hierarchy over crickets.  I try not to, but it's human nature, I suppose.


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## BigJ999 (Jun 25, 2011)

I used to feed mice to a snake I had it didn't really get to me at all. Although I think the animal would die faster say if it was bitten by a venomous snake like a Rattlesnake or Cobra. To me I just like seeing how venom works  Like I once saw a Inland Taipan video on youtube where the owner gave it a mouse it bite it and it was dead in seconds. I don't doubt Indian Cobra's are the same way in that regard. I also think the more venomous T's kill prey faster although Dubia don't die easily from what ive seen even from the more potent T venom's. At least rat's and mice die quicker with regards to snake venom although constriction can actually be pretty fast to from what ive seen but its more brutal.


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## Dravensmom (Jun 25, 2011)

I feel bad for them. I usually wont watch my Ts eat until I know its not alive.


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## AmbushArachnids (Jun 25, 2011)

Verneph said:


> I notice a lot of people seem to not care so much for the crickets, but when it comes to fellow mammals it's more of a problem.  I can understand that.  It's easier to recognize an emotion coming from something like a mouse than a tiny cricket.
> 
> *But I also notice a lot of you have mentioned the idea that crickets don't feel pain or fear or suffering so why should we care anyway?  I guess in my mind, well, for one I don't think anyone can really truly know what goes through a cricket's little brain during its last moments so I don't think we can say for sure that they do not suffer.  For two, they're still another life, however small.  *
> I know that they're bred to be food, but I don't think it's wrong of me to have some pity for them, and other feeder insects.  I do agree, though, those feeders live like kings before a lot of us feed them to our T's.


Read this.
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/SEN/Committee/372/lega/witn/shelly-e.htm

This is proof enough to me inverts do not suffer from pain.
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showpost.php?p=398617&postcount=36

From this thread: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=40470&highlight=mantis

 IMO they react instinctivy to negative stimulation. So i guess you can say they "feel pain". Do they have the compacity to suffer from pain? I dont think they do. If they did they would be capable of emotions.


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## LirvA (Jun 25, 2011)

I only feed with crickets (so far), and I don't feel bad for them. I absolutely LOATHE them. 

Too many times I just want the damn things to walk over towards my T and get eaten cause I wanna watch. They don't. So I poke and prod at them with a wire. They move. move. move. JUMP!

AL;KMDSL;FKJASDL;FKJASDL;KFJASDL;FJKASDLKFJL;DSFKJKJ DAMN YOU CRICKETS FALKDJFL;KASDJFLKASDJF;LKASDFLKJ


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## pavel (Jun 25, 2011)

webbedone said:


> Once i bought a pinkie to feed off to one of my Ts and my 6 year old asked me what was the pinkie for. I didnt want to lie so i told her the truth, that it is food for the spider. Surprisingly she didnt complain or cry and actually asked me if she could watch. When the T tagged the pinky, it nabbed it by the a$$ and the pinkie squeeled out. 16 buckets of tears later i dont buy pinkies anymore. Funny thing my daughter watches my Ts eat roaches and crix without flinching and actually thinks its cool!
> 
> I think i felt the worst when i had to fush a hopper mouse once because none of my larger Ts wanted anything to do with it.


I completely understand your motivation for taking pinkies off the 'menu'.    And considering I haven't seen any material supporting the value of feeding vertebrates to T's as opposed to a strictly invert diet, your T probably isn't missing anything either.

Although it's obviously too late now, I suppose you could have either made a pet out of the hopper or offered it up on Craig's List for 'adoption'.



astraldisaster said:


> Agreed, to a point. I do respect all life, and would never think of killing something -- even a cricket -- needlessly. I've always loved bugs, and as  child would save any and every creepy crawly that other people threatened to squash when it found its way into a house.


I still get weird looks and comments for doing things like that.  Most of my students think I'm nuts. 



astraldisaster said:


> I definitely don't think it's "wrong" of you to feel pity for them.


Agreed.



Embers To Ashes said:


> I usualy dont feel bad at all for the feeder insects. The only exeptions are when they keep twiching after they have been being eaten for a wile. I also felt kind of bad when I have to put them into the blender alive so I can feed my slings...


No to mention for the poor soul who uses the blender after you to make smoothie.  :barf:  LOL!

I'm amazed you've had slings that will eat pureed food.  I would not have expected that.



Embers To Ashes said:


> Nothing kills me more than when I pick up a rat to feed to a snake and it is freindly... I guess thats what I get for loving rats and snakes at the same time.


That's one of the reasons I feed my snakes f/t prey.  Getting gassed was a gentler death than snake attack.  Then too I don't have to worry about the feeder getting a defense attack in and wounding a snake.  Convenience and price are the other benies for me with f/t.


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## compnerd7 (Jun 25, 2011)

Robertb said:


> I usually put on some theatrical music, set up some dramatic lighting, and pretend im a super villain sacrificing victems to my horde of giant mutant arachnid!;P
> 
> ---------- Post added at 09:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:58 PM ----------


Who doesn't???;P




GregorSamsa said:


> Feel bad for crickets? No, because I find them vile & evil. They rip each other to shreds. Nasty things.


I hate crickets as well.. disgusting psyco unclean insects. They really piss me off when im trying to feed and they jump away. Always with the jumping, if one slips away, I kill it on the spot, immediate  de-rez. Even at that I have rouge crickets running around here


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## lunashimmer (Jun 25, 2011)

When I got my first T, I made my husband do the feeding part with the yucky crickets. Now I don't mind the crix and look forward to feeding time with relish. 

That being said, I do feel a bit o'guilt when giving the Ts their food. But I've learned to live with it, and as it's been said many times in this thread, I give the crickets a good life before they become a meal. They get fresh green beans and carrot shreds, fish flakes, cat and dog food, and plenty of toilet paper tubes to hide in. I actually enjoy watching them when I put in fresh food--the way one will come out and then a few more and pretty soon, there are 20 crix all over the green beans, munching away.

I have NOT, however, started naming them.


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## Embers To Ashes (Jun 25, 2011)

I just thought of another story. A woman came in with her son. He was probably about four, and he insisted that he wanted a pet cricket. They bought all the stuff for his new pet. Kritter Keeper, cricket quencher, cricket food, EVERYTHING for this little cricket. Then after afew days they came back. His mom said that since he had always wanted a gecko and he had been taking such good care of the cricket, she would get one for him and take care of it. They bought a little leperd gecko and promptly asked what it ate. When I said "crickets" the little boy burst into tears.


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## Verneph (Jun 25, 2011)

Embers To Ashes said:


> I just thought of another story. A woman came in with her son. He was probably about four, and he insisted that he wanted a pet cricket. They bought all the stuff for his new pet. Kritter Keeper, cricket quencher, cricket food, EVERYTHING for this little cricket. Then after afew days they came back. His mom said that since he had always wanted a gecko and he had been taking such good care of the cricket, she would get one for him and take care of it. They bought a little leperd gecko and promptly asked what it ate. When I said "crickets" the little boy burst into tears.


A pet cricket?  Unusual...  I didn't think they could even live all that long.  Feel bad for a kid, though.


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## BigJ999 (Jun 25, 2011)

Embers To Ashes said:


> I just thought of another story. A woman came in with her son. He was probably about four, and he insisted that he wanted a pet cricket. They bought all the stuff for his new pet. Kritter Keeper, cricket quencher, cricket food, EVERYTHING for this little cricket. Then after afew days they came back. His mom said that since he had always wanted a gecko and he had been taking such good care of the cricket, she would get one for him and take care of it. They bought a little leperd gecko and promptly asked what it ate. When I said "crickets" the little boy burst into tears.


Ahh the wonder's of the food chain  Thats one of the odder story's ive heard for sure


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## slaypax (Jun 25, 2011)

The only weird part is cutting off legs or chopping a cricket in half with a razor blade to feed slings...Other than that, it's just a simple fact that we all keep predatory animals, and they gotta eat those insects.


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## super-pede (Jun 26, 2011)

I feel no remorse after feeding a mouse to any of my pets.I just don't give a rats(mouses) fury,stinky butt about them.


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## compnerd7 (Jun 26, 2011)

Verneph said:


> A pet cricket?  Unusual...  I didn't think they could even live all that long.  Feel bad for a kid, though.



When I was 4 I had a dozen crickets as pets, even named all of them haha. Then I got a Whites Tree Frog, and fed them to him :drool:


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## JC (Jun 26, 2011)

I had pet crickets before. I also have kept pet roaches in the past.


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## Arachnoholic420 (Jun 26, 2011)

Verneph said:


> A pet cricket?  Unusual...  I didn't think they could even live all that long.  Feel bad for a kid, though.


Not really... it has been done for hundreds of years.... click on it and see...

also here's a video....

[YOUTUBE]GZaogu88pc0[/YOUTUBE]


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## compnerd7 (Jun 26, 2011)

Arachnoholic420 said:


> Not really... it has been done for hundred of years.... click on it and see...
> 
> also here's a video....
> 
> [YOUTUBE]GZaogu88pc0[/YOUTUBE]


very interesting.... now I'm afraid of crickets that know kung fo attacking my animals haha


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## Verneph (Jun 26, 2011)

Arachnoholic420 said:


> Not really... it has been done for hundreds of years.... click on it and see...
> 
> also here's a video....
> 
> [YOUTUBE]GZaogu88pc0[/YOUTUBE]


Interesting...  See now I'm glad I started this topic.  This has been most educational.


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## clffdvr (Jun 26, 2011)

*Feel Bad about feeding prey animals.*

I could never feed a pinky mouse, fuzzy mouse, or small bird to my T. It would be horrible. When I had a large lizard (25 pounds and growing to about forty pounds) I was lucky he readily took warmed pre-killed rats, which I kept in the freezer. He was about to graduate to small rabbits.

With my T, I have no feelings at all about the roaches I feed. Perhaps I should have guilt feelings. Roaches are people, too. One thing that might work is to pinch the prey animal's head and thorax, and see if your T will take it. That way the prey doesn't have to experience being envenomated and then eaten alive.

Or you could freeze them in numbers that you can feed in a week, before the crickets dry out in the freezer. Your T might take them.

clffdvr


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## pavel (Jun 26, 2011)

Crickets as pets has been around a long time.  (Neat video btw.)

In many cultures, crickets are seen as good fortune/luck.

In some asian countries, crickets would be kept in small cages built specifically for them and be well cared for.


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## Najakeeper (Jun 26, 2011)

I can not cut the legs off or cut the poor animals in half. I do not keep very small slings and for "normal" size slings, roach babies are good enough.

My roaches live a great life, no food insecurity, always high quality stuff to eat, great humidity etc. They get eaten at the end but it is a quick end, better than desiccation or starvation.


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## super-pede (Jun 26, 2011)

I have never been for animal combat of any kind (not even pokemon) but cricket fighting looks pretty cool.


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## Kathy (Jun 26, 2011)

To the OP, yes, I do - I tell myself that their life served a purpose.  Ripping a cricket in half to feed a sling.....I always feel bad about that.  I don't like to kill anything.   So in answer to your question, you are not alone.


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## Jenthevet (Jul 13, 2011)

Verneph said:


> Hm, not exactly.  I mean don't get me wrong, I don't believe it's immoral to feed these creatures to T's.  That's how the circle of life works.  I guess it's just seeing the cricket helplessly trying to get away from my T's kind of bothers me, similarly to how if I actually saw the cow getting slaughtered prior to consuming my hamburger it would bother me.
> 
> But I do see your point.  I don't consider it cruelty or anything.


Hey Vern,

I also feel bad and rescue the rogue inverts that venture into our house.  Since the crickets are born to be food, I feel a bit better as this is their fate.  As others have said, the feeders generally have a quick and humane death.  That is unfortunately unlike most of the food animals raised for human consumption.  

During my veterinary career, I have seen some very inhumane and sad stuff in the food animal world.  I have come to believe that a clean shot during a hunt is more humane than what most animals intended for food suffer through.  It's like the T feeder situation but on a much smaller scale....the feeders live a good life, then die quickly not knowing what hit them.  

I don't care about the logistics of whether or not inverts, mammals, etc. can feel pain or not, if a cow is "stupid" and deserves to die or not....they are all living creatures that die either for our pets or our guts.  My Ts eat live prey, my dogs and cats eat food animal flesh and any creature they catch and kill outside.  It's okay (and not stupid) to feel badly about any of it.  It means you have a huge heart for all things that live and breathe.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Birdman10682 (Jul 14, 2011)

It makes me feel more sad to think of a starving T than a cricket that serves its purpose. Crickets breed way faster than Ts do and so for every cricket lost there are at least a hundreds of thousands more waiting to take their place. I wish the same could be said for Ts.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Alexa13 (Mar 14, 2020)

Verneph said:


> For your feeder insects, I mean.  I know it seems like a rather odd question, but I'm being serious here.  I tend to like to stick up for the little guys, and insects and arachnids are some of those little guys.  I swear I am the only member of my family that will make the effort to actually put a "bug" outside rather than just kill it outright.  It's part of the reason I got into T's.
> 
> I know it's just part of nature and my T's have got to eat, but every time I go to feed a cricket to either one of my T's I always feel a twinge of guilt in my gut.
> 
> ...


Yes, actually I was just searching if anyone else feel bad about this too. I do feel bad but we also eat meat (I feel bad about that too).. So it's like the the circle of life..


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## ConstantSorrow (Mar 16, 2020)

I do feel bad. But nature is cruel and every creature has to eat. I apologize to the feeders.....and then I go feed my tarantulas.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Cemykay (Mar 16, 2020)

I sometimes feel bad if I have to prekill a roach or it does not get eaten quickly by the tarantula. I want to give my feeders a good life and a quick death. That said, i really like to feed my tarantulas...

Reactions: Agree 1


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## hunterc (Mar 16, 2020)

Never.....i like to turn the lights out, get some dim candle light going, turn on some slow black metal and sacrifice them to the eight legged beasts of the underworld

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Rhino1 (Mar 16, 2020)

Nah not really, not for crickets anyways and I do like them but I love my T's too. I think a lot of ppls think with their heart and not their head, this is cool too, everyone's different.
I grew up growing our on meat and still do so to this day cos I would prefer to take this responsibility on myself, I guess I will always feel empathy or compassion for sentient beings but I've never been sheltered from the circle of life. It is, how it is. Mother nature has never been nice.


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## Colorado Ts (Mar 16, 2020)

My grandfather raised pure bred black angus on a small 500 acre farm in Montana. I spent every summer on that farm from the time I was born until they turned that land into a shopping mall in Billings. You learn how the food chain works. It’s good to have empathy, it makes us human, it shows our humanity. 

Cycle of life...


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## Venom1080 (Mar 16, 2020)

Nine year old thread..

No. Never. They exist for a purpose. Im keeping tarantulas, not crickets.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Colorado Ts (Mar 16, 2020)

Venom1080 said:


> Nine year old thread..
> 
> No. Never. They exist for a purpose. Im keeping tarantulas, not crickets.


9 year old thread...made me chuckle.

Reactions: Like 1


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