is it cruel...?

Question

is it cruel to feed live mice/rats to reptiles.....

please look past the fact that what is their "purpose" since that is meerly the purpose we have only given them, when they are fully consious creatures with their own will to live- being able to think like us or not. also please look past the "circle of life" thing, also... i was just wondering since my snake refuses to eat dead mice and so i must feed him live mice..... its not like i can make him a vegetarian or anything, but i can't help but think about the mouse's well being along with my snake's since i love both creatures.

i accept the concept that animal's still have feelings and a mouse is not just a mouse! just because there are thousands of mice does not diminish the love of life to each and every one of them. and that is something every creature shares- we are alive and it is natural to want to remain so

Answer 1

That is all part of the ecosystem, survival means and basically a fact of life. So NO I would not consider it cruel. Mind you it bothers me, but you need to go beyond your own thoughts in order to feed the reptile.

Just like HUMANS eat meat and some don't..So some people would say yes it is cruel...some would say no!!!

I am not a vegetarian..so my answer is NO!!

Everyone has their own opinion on this one....

I have turtles and I also have fish....I give the turtles the odd guppy and some of my friends think it is cruel to the fish. It used to bother me to do this, but now I am over-populated with fish and it is very interesting to watch what actually happens to other species in the wild...The turtles also get exercise in the meantime.

I could never watch this happen at first and now I do....

I have mollies also and the turtles will not eat them...they co-exist together untouched!!

You could think of it another way as well...Do you think it is cruel that humans skin snakes and other animals to make material items... I do!!! You are saving the snake !!

But I do love all creatures and I do like mice and rats...I cried watching the movie "BEN" years ago...

Answer 2

Look, the way i see it is that it's not cruel. You can't really look past the facts of life really. Snakes need to eat, whether they do this in your cage at home or in the wild is no different.

Personally i don't like it but i do it as my snake needs to eat. I think if any human gets a kick out of it though i would question the integrity of that individual.

Also feeder mice and rats are bred in one environment and I personally think that they don't really know whats going on until its too late. Ive had plenty of rats and mice run up to the snake and just sit there or run around on top of the snake. They seem to think nothing of it.

Answer 3

Yes, It is cruel - allow me to explain my reasoning.

The reason it is cruel is because as animals go, mice and rats are very intelligent and aware of their surroundings, and they experience a HUGE amount of terror and anxiety while sitting, waiting to be eaten, as Tubane's response is witness of. Also, I'm sure the physical experience of being eaten by a snake is very painful.

Just because it is natural for snakes to eat mice LIVE does not mean that the mouse/rat is not suffering, and if you are causing the mouse/rat to suffer, then your act is cruel. Suffering certainly is a part of life, and a part of death, but to cause suffering is still a cruel act. (Torturing people is criminal act, banned by the UN: proof that it is, strictly speaking, immoral.)

If you are a snake/reptile owner faced with this, you must learn to live with the nature of your actions. (I would find this difficult.)

It is certainly LESS cruel in nature, because the mouse/rat is struck unawares, has a chance of escape, and will die only after a fair escape effort. I feel this makes a difference.

Feeding snakes and reptiles DEAD mice/rats is NOT cruel in and of itself, assuming the mice/rats were raised and kept in cruelty-free environments, and killed in a humane and painless manner. I have the same attitude regarding Humans eating meat; the act is not cruel, but many modern animal-keeping practices are cruel, and supporting such practices with your buying power is wrong.

I hope my answer has provided some food-for-thought (hehe) for everyone.

Answer 4

i hate that fact about feeder mice, because their so cutie. One time i went to a pet store and they had a chicken eating frog and in his tank was a live mouse. The poor thing was wet and shaking in the corner, while the frog was chilling on the other side. I felt so bad that when i asked the people that work there why there's a mouse in the tank. they said it's for the frog to eat. i went home crying like a baby thinking of the poor thing just shaking waiting for his last day. i wanted to go back so bad to keep it but their just going to put other one in there.

Answer 5

wow this is a hard one , I'm not a veggie so i cant criticise - i just couldn't do it !

I like meat but i couldn't hunt for it, couldn't kill it. I guess when you buy meat its all done for you so you don't look at it like its an animal you look at it purely as food.

its hasn't got any of its body parts, legs eyes etc..so i don't feel bad eating it.

I don't think you are cruel for feeding your pet mice, rats, as its his food, the only time i feel its cruel is when a animal is killed purely for fun.

I love all types of animals (even snakes)

Answer 6

If you cannot give your pet- whatever kind of pet it is- what it needs to be happy and healthy- whatever that may entail- you should not keep that sort of pet.

Also, if you think using live food is cruel, then using pre-killed mice should be equally cruel. If it is wrong for the snake to kill and eat it, it is just as wrong for us to kill it for it to eat, right?

There are pros and cons to using pre-killed mice as snake food. Most snakes prefer live food, but live mice can badly injure a captive snake.

Answer 7

If that's what you want to feed them,it's not cruel.Pet stores and other people do.They need to eat to,,just so happen other animals eat other animals and no one is complaining.

Answer 8

I kinda think it is I mean the reptiles have to eat though. I have 2 snakes and refuse to watch them eat, my parents have to feed them because i love mice and i love my snakes.Its sad to see the mice getting eaten! Well I hope this helps because i love them and my snakes. :-)

Answer 9

Yes, it is cruel to live-feed. This practice has been banned in Europe and the UK and is punishable by fines. North America will not enforce this ban and turns a blind eye to this practice.
From the website:
http://www.feederinsects.co.za/feederinsects_rats_and_mice.htm
"Ethics
The feeding of live animals has become quite a large topic over the last few years. It is seen as unfair, inhumane and cruel and is already banned in countries such as Europe, USA and South Africa. In South Africa the feeding of live animals is prevented in the Animal Protection Act 71 of 1962 (see the Acts section on RepVet.co.za for more info). For more info on this go to the Live Vs. Dead Prey and Preservation Of Live Prey sections on RepVet.co.za."

http://spazrats.tripod.com/snakefood.html

Looking up info for this question make me sick but this is relevant to your question:
http://www.reptilerooms.com/forumtopic-4051.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway_rat#Brown_rats_as_pet_food

A little story:
Someone e-mailed me not long ago asking for help with their traumatized rat. Her friend had forced a live rat to live with a snake for 3 days. The snake would not eat it but the rat was so traumatized that it was "frozen" in place, wouldn't respond to outside stimuli, and just crouched there, it's eyes as big as saucers. We tried some Bach's Rescue Remedy and it worked to a point. The rat came around, but it was mentally and emotionally set back by the incident.

Edit:
Oops, I was only answering the question of a contact. I had no idea I was in the Reptile section of Y!A when I was answering her question at 2:30am. It was only when I found nasty private e-mails in my e-mail box this morning that I realized my mistake in accidently finding my way here. Sorry herpers :( Should I remove my answer, or let it stay? I know that my answer would be more appreciated in the Rodent section.

Again, my appologies, I meant no harm.

spazrats
"my life has gone to the rats"

Answer 10

i feel the way you do thats why i dont own a snake because i knew that i would have to feed it LIVE stuff.

But if i was in your shoes

I would have someone else feed it while your not in the room.

Return the snake because I just cant handle it

or

Give it a try and try to say to yourself...."Its what they do in the wild" over and over

Cruel absolutely Not

But i still dont like to be around when my husband feed his alligators LIVE things.....I end up crying.....

hope this helps