The argument of feeding vertebrate animals to our pets being immoral or cruel is (no offense meant at all) somewhat ignorant. Most of us keep both Invertebrates as well as reptilian pets. I don't think many Boas/Monitors (adult)/Etc. could live off of roaches and mealworms. I disagree with feeding a living vertebrate to something, especially something as fragile as an invert, simply because the prey could win the fight. Regardless of the keeper's reflexes, one quick nip from a mouse and a T could die, the same can be said with reptiles. When you feed anything living you take a gamble (albeit a gamble tilted severely in your favor) with your pets life.
However, I would not hesitate to feed a prekilled F/T bird to a spider if I thought the spider could consume it. Nor would I hesitate to feed a rabbit, rat, bird, even guinea pig or hamster (I have in the past when I ran out of feeders due to a freezer burnout) to my reptiles/inverts. I recognize that the prey can feel the pain, and that it is "inhumane" for it to suffer. However, it is not "inanimal" for it to happen. Animals do not go by our rules, it is the way they are. When I get a new reptile, the first thing I feed it is usually alive, just so I can know if the reptile is healthy enough to be able to "hunt" while after that, I use frozen. I have fed prekilled mice to inverts before, and I probably will in the future. If I find a store selling frozen feeder birds cheaper than the mice they had, I would feed the same T a small bird.
Though...I doubt that the person in question did this because it was the only food item available, but did it just to watch the bird get eaten, that is an entirely different story. As I read a statement by Becca about one of her Birds butchering a Tarantula (figuratively) I felt a bit offended, as I am sure she felt seeing a Bird being killed for the same reason she implied. I agree with feeding vertebrate prey to inverts if nothing else is available, but I see no reason not to prekill it, and I think it is twisted to just do it to watch the carnage.
I apologize for my long post, but I thank anyone who actually read it lol.
However, I would not hesitate to feed a prekilled F/T bird to a spider if I thought the spider could consume it. Nor would I hesitate to feed a rabbit, rat, bird, even guinea pig or hamster (I have in the past when I ran out of feeders due to a freezer burnout) to my reptiles/inverts. I recognize that the prey can feel the pain, and that it is "inhumane" for it to suffer. However, it is not "inanimal" for it to happen. Animals do not go by our rules, it is the way they are. When I get a new reptile, the first thing I feed it is usually alive, just so I can know if the reptile is healthy enough to be able to "hunt" while after that, I use frozen. I have fed prekilled mice to inverts before, and I probably will in the future. If I find a store selling frozen feeder birds cheaper than the mice they had, I would feed the same T a small bird.
Though...I doubt that the person in question did this because it was the only food item available, but did it just to watch the bird get eaten, that is an entirely different story. As I read a statement by Becca about one of her Birds butchering a Tarantula (figuratively) I felt a bit offended, as I am sure she felt seeing a Bird being killed for the same reason she implied. I agree with feeding vertebrate prey to inverts if nothing else is available, but I see no reason not to prekill it, and I think it is twisted to just do it to watch the carnage.
I apologize for my long post, but I thank anyone who actually read it lol.
