At what point does a feeding become a cruel "bug fight"?

[Moakmeister]

A few years ago my family had a crawfish boil. At some point during the dinner, we somehow got into a debate over whether Regina, my G. pulchripes, could defeat a crawfish in a fight. I said absolutely she could, easily. Everyone else dared me to put one in her enclosure with her and we'd see.

I said "over my dead body."

Never in a million years would I do something like that. Not because it's cruel to the crawfish, because of course we buy them to eat them anyway, after killing them in boiling water. It's because of the risk to my pet. I am indeed fairly certain Regina could beat a crawfish in seconds with a single bite, but I'm not risking it. I love her.

This post was inspired partly because of my other post from a few days ago, asking if people would recommend a staple feeder besides superworms. I made mention of how superworms aren't an "exciting" feeder. And, they're not. It turns out superworms are a wonderful staple feeder and I'll be sticking to them, but I'd also like to get some grasshoppers to feed occasionally because they'd be more entertaining. That's what a lot of us like, right? It's fun to watch a T or a scorpion struggle with prey before winning after a moment. And that's what's got me here: at what point does it become a "bug fight"?

As I mentioned before, I'm never gonna put in something that could actually harm any of my pets. I did once feed Regina a Madagascar hissing cockroach, despite some concern that the armor would damage her fangs, and in hindsight that was an insanely stupid move on my part. I am aware that people do use them as feeders for big Ts, but if I was worried about it, I shouldn't have done it. It turned out to be fine, but would I do it again knowing that? Would I feed them to a bigger tarantula? I don't know. I could certainly give one to my P. imperator, since there's no way it would harm the scorpion, but those roaches can live for five years and they make awesome pets themselves. I don't know how I'd feel about just feeding one to something nowadays. I'm concerned not just about my own animals, but the feeders too.

But what makes it okay for us to feed them superworms or dubias? Their shorter lifespans? I assume they're no less intelligent than hissers. I'm just not sure where exactly the line should be drawn. Putting in a dangerous "feeder" is absolutely over the line, but where is the line for you?

 

[Tinyspiderzz]

I would never feed my tarantula anything that could potentially harm them, hence why I like locusts and waxworms! I really don't think tarantulas care how 'exciting' their feeders are unless that individual needs something a bit more active to trigger a feeding response. If in doubt, maybe cut the head off any 'tricky' prey items to make it safer

 

[Moakmeister]

I would never feed my tarantula anything that could potentially harm them, hence why I like locusts and waxworms! I really don't think tarantulas care how 'exciting' their feeders are unless that individual needs something a bit more active to trigger a feeding response. If in doubt, maybe cut the head off any 'tricky' prey items to make it safer

I always crush the heads of the superworms before dropping them. Which contributes to them being boring :/ but it means they won't escape.

 

[Jimmyboi]

I go through this myself on a regular basis. At the end of the day, the spiders need to eat and the other bugs have been cultivated to feed them. Not unlike us and cattle/chicken etc..

I worked as a zookeeper for a while and the primary meat source we used for our big cats and birds of prey was horse which I found strange but at least it was being used rather than going to waste when they cull them I guess.

 

[viper69]

Humans are disgusting animals with their stupidity for “entertainment” re animals

 

[Tentacle Toast]

When you start taking bets, & strapping little blades to their back legs.

 

[Arachnophobphile]

A few years ago my family had a crawfish boil. At some point during the dinner, we somehow got into a debate over whether Regina, my G. pulchripes, could defeat a crawfish in a fight. I said absolutely she could, easily. Everyone else dared me to put one in her enclosure with her and we'd see.

I said "over my dead body."

Never in a million years would I do something like that. Not because it's cruel to the crawfish, because of course we buy them to eat them anyway, after killing them in boiling water. It's because of the risk to my pet. I am indeed fairly certain Regina could beat a crawfish in seconds with a single bite, but I'm not risking it. I love her.

This post was inspired partly because of my other post from a few days ago, asking if people would recommend a staple feeder besides superworms. I made mention of how superworms aren't an "exciting" feeder. And, they're not. It turns out superworms are a wonderful staple feeder and I'll be sticking to them, but I'd also like to get some grasshoppers to feed occasionally because they'd be more entertaining. That's what a lot of us like, right? It's fun to watch a T or a scorpion struggle with prey before winning after a moment. And that's what's got me here: at what point does it become a "bug fight"?

As I mentioned before, I'm never gonna put in something that could actually harm any of my pets. I did once feed Regina a Madagascar hissing cockroach, despite some concern that the armor would damage her fangs, and in hindsight that was an insanely stupid move on my part. I am aware that people do use them as feeders for big Ts, but if I was worried about it, I shouldn't have done it. It turned out to be fine, but would I do it again knowing that? Would I feed them to a bigger tarantula? I don't know. I could certainly give one to my P. imperator, since there's no way it would harm the scorpion, but those roaches can live for five years and they make awesome pets themselves. I don't know how I'd feel about just feeding one to something nowadays. I'm concerned now just about my own animals, but the feeders too.

But what makes it okay for us to feed them superworms or dubias? Their shorter lifespans? I assume they're no less intelligent than hissers. I'm just not sure where exactly the line should be drawn. Putting in a dangerous "feeder" is absolutely over the line, but where is the line for you?

Superworms can be a danger for your tarantula if you are offering them live. I used to use them years ago but no longer as I switched to roaches and mealworms.

Superworms have a powerful bite. Use your tongs and let one bite them. You'll feel the strength of it. When I used to use them I always crushed their head and all the leg segments then it became a safe feeder.

Responsible keepers that care for their animals will not offer prey/food that has the potential to harm them. Now enter mice, while tarantulas do in fact prey on rodents mice do have a nasty bite.

My friend that used to keep snakes and lizards would never offer live mice. He was worried about the mouse biting and injuring his snakes. He used pinkies and frozen mice.

While some people feed extremely large tarantulas mice it's not recommended. That is mainly due to the nasty leftover mess.

Myself personally would never offer a mouse to a T. For me it's a horrible way for a mouse to go. Mice do possess intelligence and they are aware just like my roaches that they are in trouble when dropped into a tarantula's enclosure. I do feel bad for the roaches and do not get any enjoyment on their struggle to survive when impaled by the tarantula's fangs. My T's need to eat to live and they do not eat vegetables so it's out of necessity that they are fed bugs.

Now if I could shrink people and feed them to my tarantulas I would be in heaven.

 

[Moakmeister]

Superworms can be a danger for your tarantula if you are offering them live. I used to use them years ago but no longer as I switched to roaches and mealworms.

Superworms have a powerful bite. Use your tongs and let one bite them. You'll feel the strength of it. When I used to use them I always crushed their head and all the leg segments then it became a safe feeder.

Responsible keepers that care for their animals will not offer prey/food that has the potential to harm them. Now enter mice, while tarantulas do in fact prey on rodents mice do have a nasty bite.

My friend that used to keep snakes and lizards would never offer live mice. He was worried about the mouse biting and injuring his snakes. He used pinkies and frozen mice.

While some people feed extremely large tarantulas mice it's not recommended. That is mainly due to the nasty leftover mess.

Myself personally would never offer a mouse to a T. For me it's a horrible way for a mouse to go. Mice do possess intelligence and they are aware just like my roaches that they are in trouble when dropped into a tarantula's enclosure. I do feel bad for the roaches and do not get any enjoyment on their struggle to survive when impaled by the tarantula's fangs. My T's need to eat to live and they do not eat vegetables so it's out of necessity that they are fed bugs.

Now if I could shrink people and feed them to my tarantulas I would be in heaven.

I do crush the superworm heads.

 

[Westicles]

I can only speak for myself, but I've never really overthought feeding my Ts whether it's crickets, mealworms, etc. I don't particularly find feeding them entertaining

 

[jennywallace]

I would never feed my T's anything that could harm them. I feed mostly crickets and mealworms, but like has been said above, never really thought about feeding them living things. It's just natural to me, the T has to eat and that's their diet.

 

[IntermittentSygnal]

I make sure I feed appropriate sized feeders to minimize the struggle. I can’t say I haven’t felt for a feeder flailing while stuck in my T’s fangs. It’s a slow death.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Superworms can be a danger for your tarantula if you are offering them live. I used to use them years ago but no longer as I switched to roaches and mealworms.

Superworms have a powerful bite. Use your tongs and let one bite them. You'll feel the strength of it. When I used to use them I always crushed their head and all the leg segments then it became a safe feeder.

Responsible keepers that care for their animals will not offer prey/food that has the potential to harm them. Now enter mice, while tarantulas do in fact prey on rodents mice do have a nasty bite.

My friend that used to keep snakes and lizards would never offer live mice. He was worried about the mouse biting and injuring his snakes. He used pinkies and frozen mice.

While some people feed extremely large tarantulas mice it's not recommended. That is mainly due to the nasty leftover mess.

Myself personally would never offer a mouse to a T. For me it's a horrible way for a mouse to go. Mice do possess intelligence and they are aware just like my roaches that they are in trouble when dropped into a tarantula's enclosure. I do feel bad for the roaches and do not get any enjoyment on their struggle to survive when impaled by the tarantula's fangs. My T's need to eat to live and they do not eat vegetables so it's out of necessity that they are fed bugs.

Now if I could shrink people and feed them to my tarantulas I would be in heaven.

My only Ts big enough to eat mice won’t eat them live so I don’t even bother with them. I haven’t tried one with my l klugi. I kinda tried once and never did it again because it feels cruel.
Plus it’s always a small chance of a bite . I’m not sure if they cause molting issues or not that was a common rumor. Insects are bred for feeders of reptiles and inverts and mammals I don’t really feel bad feeding them off. My roaches are growing too slowly I have to use other bugs for a while.

 

[CentiPete]

I am on the side of if you don’t feel a little bit bad for the feeder being killed there is something wrong with you (not directed at anyone here in particular). Live feeding is a necessity, in part to stimulate the behaviour of our animals and provide them with a bearable existence in our care. While there is of course some morbid fascination with watching a predator do what they were born to do, the moment it becomes a spectacle, the moment you start changing feeder size to “challenge” your pet, or any other such varieties to prolong the struggle of the prey item so you can watch it you are already in animal cruelty territory.

I am varying feeders to give my pets varying stimulus, and constantly trying to find ways to make the ultimate demise of the feeders as quick as possible for them and at least try to give them some better end of life, feeding them and keeping them in an enclosure which meets some basic needs, like hides, substrate and so on. I am grateful for them to give their life for my pet. If I could sustain a spider on carrots I would

Pitting animals against each other to see who “wins” is disgusting and I despise the people doing it and YT for allowing those kind of videos on their platform. Don’t do it, and most of all don’t upload crap like that for other people to see!

 

[cold blood]

A crayfish would demolish any tarantula.....there would be almost nothing a t could do with that hard exoskeleton.


Feeding becomes a cruel bug fight when you feed something A. capable of harming your tarantula or B. when you feed something so large the t cannot overpower it. Jmo

 

[sparticus]

I always cheat and rig the game in favor of the tarantula, usually by disabling the prey. And I do feel a little bad about it, but the dubias that don't get sacrificed live a great predator free life-style of as much reproduction as they want and free food, so there's that. I like to think they're into one of those old school religions- the tarantula gods demand sacrifice. In exchange, the colony will be fed and protected from all other external threats against it.

 

[Moakmeister]

A crayfish would demolish any tarantula.....there would be almost nothing a t could do with that hard exoskeleton.


Feeding becomes a cruel bug fight when you feed something A. capable of harming your tarantula or B. when you feed something so large the t cannot overpower it. Jmo

Oh hard disagree. Later when I’m at my laptop I’ll explain my viewpoint.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

A crayfish would demolish any tarantula.....there would be almost nothing a t could do with that hard exoskeleton.


Feeding becomes a cruel bug fight when you feed something A. capable of harming your tarantula or B. when you feed something so large the t cannot overpower it. Jmo

That’s why I never understand why people feed them mice . Such a dangerous feeder especially big fuzzy mice. I know they eat them in the wild , but that’s nature.

 

[Gevo]

I don’t take joy in watching an insect die so I can feed my spiders. I do find it fascinating to watch my tarantulas’ hunting instincts in action, but that’s different.

I don’t know much about insects and their nervous systems, but my hope is that they don’t suffer the same way vertebrate animals do. This is why it bothers me when I hear about people feeding live mice or other live vertebrates to their tarantulas. I know a lot of natural deaths are not kind, but tarantula venom doesn’t always kill quickly, and to die by being slowly liquified and slurped up would be an appallingly gruesome way to go for an animal with a complex nervous system. I’ve seen crickets and hornworms still moving around an hour or more after being caught, and it’s a bit rough to witness. Superworms and mealworms probably get it the best, really, because I behead them first.

 

[WolfieKate]

No kept animal should have to fight for its life for dinner. I stick to crickets and mealworms, usually recently deceased unless small. My Tarantulas need to eat not perform. Some of the videos on YouTube etc make me feel sick.

 

[cold blood]

No kept animal should have to fight for its life for dinner. I stick to crickets and mealworms, usually recently deceased unless small. My Tarantulas need to eat not perform. Some of the videos on YouTube etc make me feel sick.

I make mine jump jump through fiery hoops to get their food :/