Is it "wrong" to feed a pet snake live mice?
- Thread starter Rhythmik
- Start date
clerck de bonk
Dagobah Resident
Why buy a python in the first place?
clerck de bonk
Dagobah Resident
That was not an answer to the question 
OK, and why should You?Rhythmik said:
Me neither, but I don't think their natural habitat includes humans. IE they're not pets. :)Rhythmik said:
Isn't this Your housemate's business?Rhythmik said:
clerck de bonk
Dagobah Resident
Then, I guess, You would have to tell him Your point of view and take it from there.Rhythmik said:
truth seeker
The Living Force
Hi Rhythmik,Rhythmik said:
Who's names are on the lease/mortgage? The reason I ask is because if it's your name only or even both of your names, I think he should at least ask the people he lives with if this is okay as this would show some consideration of our feelings as well. In this case, the type of pet being considered would almost be beside the point. It would also not be your responsibility to take care of it if he goes somewhere and is unable to provide adequate care for it which if I'm understanding your question, is your main concern.
Many people get pets because they "like" what the animal says about them to others - maybe they think they appear tougher or stronger or something. In other words, the pet subconsciously meets some unfulfilled quality they feel they lack. It should probably be closer to the opposite - that they get the pet in order to serve it's needs. Because domesticated animals are at a disadvantage in nature, if given proper care and attention, they tend to do better living amongst humans and are generally a safer choice for all concerned.
With pythons, I don't know, people do have them, but I wonder if they might not be better off in general living in their natural habitat although I could be wrong. Knowing the kind of animal and it's specific nature is important because it gives us the opportunity to see the animal as it is, make more responsible choices regarding our care of it and shows that we respect it's life. Or so I currently think.
So is your question really about the moral/ethical implications of you being put in a position to feed the python live mice? If so, I'd say if you have a problem with it or anything else regarding that issue, you may want to consider discussing this with your roommate and letting him know that you feel uncomfortable with that. Others may feel differently, so for what it's worth.
Added: Just saw clerck de bonk's post and agree.
Here is a snake keepers perspective
What country are you in? In the US it is not technically illegal, and I understand it is a fairly common practice unlike here in the UK, but there are two main reasons why I would discourage it (and these are just the purely practical ones)
It's completely unneccessary in almost every case, only very occasionally can a snake not be weaned onto frozen/thawed food (what species is this, a ball/royal? or something potentially much larger?)
It's actually quite dangerous for the snake, injuries do happen from a frightened rodent especially when the snake is not hungry
I would argue that these reasons make it morally unacceptable unless the snake is starving to death, which is incidentally the only time when it is legal to feed live vertebrates in the UK (the law here is a bit of a 'grey area').
What country are you in? In the US it is not technically illegal, and I understand it is a fairly common practice unlike here in the UK, but there are two main reasons why I would discourage it (and these are just the purely practical ones)
It's completely unneccessary in almost every case, only very occasionally can a snake not be weaned onto frozen/thawed food (what species is this, a ball/royal? or something potentially much larger?)
It's actually quite dangerous for the snake, injuries do happen from a frightened rodent especially when the snake is not hungry
I would argue that these reasons make it morally unacceptable unless the snake is starving to death, which is incidentally the only time when it is legal to feed live vertebrates in the UK (the law here is a bit of a 'grey area').
Rhythmik
Jedi Master
Thanks for you replies.
I'm living in China, where as you can imagine the well-being of an animal (especially a reptile) is not really a grave legal concern.
I would prefer is there were not frozen rodents in my freezer, but if that is the moral alternative then I will accommodate it.
It is both our names on the lease, and he is relatively young so he thinks it's "cool" to keep a snake. He ended up buying a milk snake instead of a python. He also bought a tarantula.
Our lease will expire soon, and I will choose not to live with him again.
Theoretically keeping a snake as a pet is protecting it, as it is safe from predators, but I don't agree with keeping undomesticated animals as pets.
I'm living in China, where as you can imagine the well-being of an animal (especially a reptile) is not really a grave legal concern.
I would prefer is there were not frozen rodents in my freezer, but if that is the moral alternative then I will accommodate it.
It is both our names on the lease, and he is relatively young so he thinks it's "cool" to keep a snake. He ended up buying a milk snake instead of a python. He also bought a tarantula.
Our lease will expire soon, and I will choose not to live with him again.
Theoretically keeping a snake as a pet is protecting it, as it is safe from predators, but I don't agree with keeping undomesticated animals as pets.
Yes, you can feed snakes with little freezed mouses.
Snakes are part of a big "business" traffic of exotic animals, it is a shame. I worked some years ago in a exotic pet shop, finally I quit because I was shocked to see too many things that are not correct in pet shops of exotic animals, and also extremely tired to see costumers that are everything minus responsible. And also specially bosses that think that animals are objects and they sell snakes as they were potatoes. I saw terrible things there. Snakes are beautiful, really. But it is a shame to have them as a pet. Some people are responsible, and take good care of them, but not the average costumer.
I was a good seller of snakes but I was un-able to feed them with mouses. Mouses are precious for me, alive or freezed. It is really a traumatic experience to be responsible of the inminent death of a mice. To be you who is the hand who will put an end of his life. In nature a mice can fight against his predator. Run wild. But not in this condition where you have to feed a snake. :(
The best solution is give to the snake a freezed mice.
Snakes are part of a big "business" traffic of exotic animals, it is a shame. I worked some years ago in a exotic pet shop, finally I quit because I was shocked to see too many things that are not correct in pet shops of exotic animals, and also extremely tired to see costumers that are everything minus responsible. And also specially bosses that think that animals are objects and they sell snakes as they were potatoes. I saw terrible things there. Snakes are beautiful, really. But it is a shame to have them as a pet. Some people are responsible, and take good care of them, but not the average costumer.
I was a good seller of snakes but I was un-able to feed them with mouses. Mouses are precious for me, alive or freezed. It is really a traumatic experience to be responsible of the inminent death of a mice. To be you who is the hand who will put an end of his life. In nature a mice can fight against his predator. Run wild. But not in this condition where you have to feed a snake. :(
The best solution is give to the snake a freezed mice.
Regarding keep ing these animals in general, there is of course a right way and a wrong way to do it. The needs of most snakes are easily met in captivity, and if you choose the right species they should thrive. The important factor is how the keeper goes about it, and choosing captive bred stock is the first good decision to make. These form the vast majority of the animals kept in the places I can speak for.
There are issues with many other kinds of animals we keep in captivity, but because they are more familiar people do not seem to be concerned about it. I also keep fish, which people seem to understand and appreciate readily. However. they are the same thing as far as I'm concerned - they are ornamental and do not form a significant connection with me, they are not 'pets', I have other animals for that. Where there is a big difference is that the needs of many fish, for example, are NOT easily met in captivity and they will die earlier and at smaller sizes than their wild counterparts even under the best conditions (this is not the case for reptiles which are properly looked after).
Millions of people on this planet are keeping goldfish in small bowls where they will languish and die prematurely. Most varieties should live over a decade in captivity and reach sizes of over a foot in length, but how many do? They are stunted by the constraints of their environment. How many people take issue with their captive situation?
It has been my experience in general, sad as it is, that the best thing that can happen for a pet animal is for it to remain as expensive as possible.
There are issues with many other kinds of animals we keep in captivity, but because they are more familiar people do not seem to be concerned about it. I also keep fish, which people seem to understand and appreciate readily. However. they are the same thing as far as I'm concerned - they are ornamental and do not form a significant connection with me, they are not 'pets', I have other animals for that. Where there is a big difference is that the needs of many fish, for example, are NOT easily met in captivity and they will die earlier and at smaller sizes than their wild counterparts even under the best conditions (this is not the case for reptiles which are properly looked after).
Millions of people on this planet are keeping goldfish in small bowls where they will languish and die prematurely. Most varieties should live over a decade in captivity and reach sizes of over a foot in length, but how many do? They are stunted by the constraints of their environment. How many people take issue with their captive situation?
It has been my experience in general, sad as it is, that the best thing that can happen for a pet animal is for it to remain as expensive as possible.
