When feeders tug at your heart...

[Mister Internet]

Ok, it's official... my corn snake gets NO MORE RATS until I can order a shipment of frozen from good old RodentPro. I have been buying live mice of various types and killing them myself to feed him for the last year or so, and I haven't had an issue. As a general rule, I dislike mice and have always found even the domesticated varieties too jumpy and nervous to give much enjoyment. However, I was feeding him 3 or 4 mice at a time just to get a decent meal in him. I figured the next logical step was a young rat, and brought home the first one two nights ago.

While I was snapping its neck I realized I actually had a catch in my throat... as I dangled the rat in front of my snake, I discovered that I was all but loathing myself for what I had just done. The snake thoroughly enjoyed his rather obnoxious meal, but I felt dirty afterwards... somehow dispatching dozens of mice left me nonplussed, but the rat was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Then it hit me, I had sat holding the rat and sort of playing with it for several minutes before doing the deed, almost out of reflex, as I had a pet rat as a child that was just about the coolest pet ever. He was quite tame, and seemed rather inquisitive and playful about being out and about.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be prepared to bond somewhat with any feeders you play with too long.

 

[OldHag]

TO date Ive bonded with 2 guinea pigs and 3 rats.... Needless to say I now buy frozen mice and such. I just have no more room!!

 

[cacoseraph]

dude... i saw a wild "nasty" cockroach and thought the poor thing looked underfed

feeders have DEFINITELY changed my perspective.

 

[LPacker79]

Yep, nothing but frozen rats for my snakes too. Like you, I also never had a problem killing mice, but I could never kill a rat. Partly because I don't think I could physically do it because of their larger size, but also because I had pet rats when I was younger. I couldn't bring myself to kill something that intelligent or inquisitive.

Besides, frozen is so much more convenient!

 

[Schlyne]

I have been able to kill live rat pups and mice for my snakes...but it breaks my heart when I screw up (cervical dislocation) and one of them starts screaming...I need to build a gas chamber. I can't just buy 50 f/t of the smaller rodent sizes and use them all before they'd go bad, unforunately.

 

[pitbulllady]

I still have a bit of a problem killing young rats, since rats are very intelligent and inquisitive, and as youngsters, have this "puppy-ish" look about them, with their pudgy noses and too-big feet. They are so tame and trusting at that age, whereas mice seem to be little bitey demons from the get-go. I have no qualms whatsoever about "offing" mice! I've tried handling mice just to see if they will calm down, but even with lots of handling they always seem pretty willing to suddenly bite without warning, while rats become as tame and handleable as a puppy or kitten and actually seem to enjoy the contact.

pitbulllady

 

[cacoseraph]

so mice are the crickets of the mammalian feeder world?

 

[skinheaddave]

so mice are the crickets of the mammalian feeder world?

Possibly, with hamsters being the roaches. People who use them as feeders inevitably begin to loathe them, it seems. Much as (unenlightened) people seem to loathe roaches.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[NoS]

I understand where you are coming from. This is one of the main reasons why I stopped caring for snakes almost 15 years ago. The main reason was that I had so many snakes that I was raising mice and rats. At that age I didnt really have much sympathy, but when my sister began to try and save and raise the rats and gave me so much hell about it, it began to bother me. The smell was overwhelming some times and some of them actually had personalities.
Thank god for frozen. This is one of the best things that has happened to kepping herps. No smell, no squelling after slamming their heads on the table. No people giving you a hard way to go. No raising families of rodents. You can actually spend time enjoying your herps instead of spending your time worrying about raising rodents or going to the pet store.
Now I just open the frezzer, thaw them out in running hot water and feed. No problems, no mess, no cries.

 

[Malkavian]

I dislike prekilling rats mostly because I'm not good enough at it to be quick

 

[Brian F.]

It's funny you mention it, because I can kill mice all day and not care less, but there's something about the rats that I can't handle. I have to buy those frozen as well.

 

[Ishkabibble]

And that's how I ended up with a pet Rat now, it's quite personable and will actually sit on the couch with me munching on BBQ potato chips, it's learned to recognize the sound of the bag rattling when opened. It sits on the side of its cage looking all sad and pathetic till I let it out and share chips with it. Damn Rats!

 

[Haplopelmatic]

My girlfriend gets awfully attatched to both feeder mice and rats. It don't bother me though. But then again, I would use leprechauns as feeders if the snakes could swallow them.

 

[Raqua]

Although I have some sympathy for rodents, never had problem killing those when needed. But I mostly don't have to do that - my snake does it itself? Why do you people all prekill them?

 

[Gsc]

I have to say kittens... I just hate the way the meow when the retic grabs them. JUST KIDDING.... Nah, I've worked in petstores my whole life...and you hear some crazy stories.... I've fed the regular rats, mice, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits, but I did have trouble feeding a little baby chick...They are so damn cute...peep...peep...peep.. well them snake liked it too...lol.

 

[Crotalus]

Ohh modern man... no problems with getting a lump of frozen meat but to acctually kill it then there is a problem. I myself would become a vegetarian in a second if I felt bad about killing a rat, fish or whatnot myself.

/Lelle

 

[Darwinsdad]

Although I have some sympathy for rodents, never had problem killing those when needed. But I mostly don't have to do that - my snake does it itself? Why do you people all prekill them?

Many, quite possibly most feel it is safer for the creature being fed to have the prey pre-killed. You do not run the risk of the snake of what have you being bitten and injured by the prey item.

 

[cacoseraph]

i've also heard ppl think it is less cruel to end the feeder's life in one quick flash... rather than a relatively slow venom or constriction death (or just being eaten alive =P )

 

[Brian F.]

Gsc --

I just remembered I ordered a dozen quail eggs for the incubator! Wish me luck...

 

[Slizarus]

Me and my mom felt absolutely TERRIBLE when we tried feeding a chick to our burmese.. the cute way it chirped.. I was like "Awwwwwwwww..."

Needless to say, we never bought chicks again.. or else I'd end up risking my hand to save them.