Should feeding live rats to snakes be against the law?

Question

Like in this video

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wv6MAy0qUT4

Answer 1

Yes

Answer 2

Yes. even though the snake would do that in the wild i still feel it is cruel to do that. you diont have to do that, its just in my opinion mean on the rat :(. but i suppose its the way they live so...life has to go on

Answer 3

well it would happen in the wild,but i couldn't do it i don't even like the frozen mice but a snakes got to eat.

Answer 4

no! Rats are the best pet in the world! i luv them sooooo much! people say "well snakes would eat rats in the wild" well that may be true. But this isnt the wild! in the wild a rat wouldnt be stuned and put in a cage with no way to escape! Also there are ALOT of other things that snakes can eat! plus no one cares how the rats were treated before theyre eaten alive! its the worst thing i ever heard! It makes me sick!

Answer 5

It so gross  I hate snakes

Answer 6

Yes it should definitely be against the law - the moral law that is. i wish it is against the law the law!  how could one person be affectionate enough towards one animal (the snake) to sacrafice another life (the rat) like that?  it's sick to think about it.  yes, it is how it's done in the wild but 1. are we in the wild? 2. is the snake in the wild? 3. is the rat in the wild? so how do you justify this? For those who say this is how it's done in the wild...ok...fine, people hunt animals in the wild so is it ok for someone to hunt your animals cuz "that's how it's done in the wild"?????

Answer 7

yes. not only is it cruel to the rat, but if it is a large rat, then it could harm the snake. if you think thats bad you should see this one

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zrRWQzRoJ2...

i totally agree with what 'via' is saying. horse slaughter is cruel. and ive seen vids of how they kill the horses, its not nice.

Answer 8

I think no and I am the huge rat lover,  I would never give any of my baby rats to a snake but it is there nature to feed on rats and mice, why is it any different then if it was out in the wild? I dont think you should film it but what ever

Answer 9

Some snakes will not eat anything else. I think they should feed them defected or old rats.

Answer 10

Yes, it should. It is nothing like bein gin the wild. At least in the wild the rat has a CHANCE to run. Feeding a live rat to a snake is morally repugnant. And filming it is even more hideous. What if they put whoever made that video inside a tank of snakes, and see how they like it then? Feed it dead, frozen rodents if you have a snake. There are so many benefits. Environmental, cleanliness and hygiene, animal welfare, etc, the frozen rodents should have had it's bacteria frozen by the cold, and it's therefore better for the snake. Also, if the rat has fleas or mites, these wont affect the snake as they will not live on the dead animal, plus it's too cold anyway. It's easier for you, as it's less work to get the animal and keep it and it's cheaper, and it's easier for the suppliers as frozen, dead rodents are MUCH easier to manage! It's easier for the snake to eat as it doesn't have to catch/kill it. It's better for the rat for obvious reasons. And if the snake was hungry, it would eat whatever it could find. A selective snake will soon learn to eat what's in front of it. My friend has a snake and their snake will eat dead and frozen rodents, so that junk about the snake not eating is is pathetic.

And if you loved horses, then you wouldn't be so ignorant as to support horse slaughter. That's disgusting and cruel. If you support horse slaughter than quite plainly you don't deserve horses.

And also, that is like having a pet cat, dog, meerkat, or wild bird, and then shoving your pet snake in with it. See, you don't like that idea, do you? But the only difference is that it's the animal YOU love instead of the animal someone else loves.

If you cared whatsoever about the animals health, welfare, or feelings, you'd feed it frozen rodents.

And would you rather pay $40 a week on live rodents, or $10 a week on frozen rodents? I know which I would prefer!

Answer 11

they would eat live prey  in the wild anyway.

Answer 12

Yes definitely.  I know that in the wild they would eat live rats but that's nature and the rats have a chance to escape.  I also hate to see tarantulas being in the same tank as their prey, crickets!  I personally wouldn't have any pet that required eating live prey, I think it's disgusting.

Answer 13

i really don't think people should film their snakes eating rats or rabbits, and i personally would NEVER be able to feed a snake, even if the rat was dead. thats just gross. an as for lady guti, you say you love horses but you are for horse slaughter, you are full of bs. how could you love that animal but be willing to let it die in a horrible way! have you ever read about what they do to those animals! they shoot them in the head and often miss so they shoot them in the head region several times, or they stab the horses spinal cord with a knife, but is still alive and can feel the pain, but its only paralyzed. and have you seen the conditions in which they keep the horses! its horrible. and i also disagree with you that saving people is more important than saving animals. people have messed up this world and we are TOTALLY overpopulated. i think animals should be saved because people can save themselves. the animals are defenseless while we are standing there with guns to kill it. horse slaughter is HORRIBLE!! and if you truely loved animals, you would think the same.

Answer 14

No, it should not be illegal. The snakes have got to eat, too. It's how the food chain works... I have had both pet snakes and pet rats (not at the same time). We initially tried to feed our snakes dead rats but they wouldn't touch them. If the snake can't feel the body heat and/or heartbeat of it's prey, it will not eat it. So we had to resort to feeding them live rats. It is a bit disturbing to watch but you just have to keep in mind that if the snake doesn't eat the rat/mouse/rabbit then it will die. If it disturbs you that bad, then don't ever own a snake and do not watch you tube videos about it.

Answer 15

I don't like it personally BUT snakes eat live ones in the wild so i think it's the best option for the well being of the snake.

Answer 16

No, but if I were to have a snake, I would give it frozen rats, but if the snake refuses to eat those, I would just buy them live. I own rats and I don't really have a problem with other people doing this, just as long as they aren't my rats.

It's sad, but a snake has to eat too...

Answer 17

no.

it would be like if you let the snake loose and it killed it on its own. it's apart of nature, and really, people are quite ignorant unless they have information to back it up. Same with horse slaughter, I love horses, I have horses, I ride horses every weekend at my barn, but -- I am FOR horse slaughter.

Because I read up on it and realized, our country is in need of whatever money we can get, and the 30 million we get from the meat is well worth it. Besides, who would care for all those horses anyway.

saving the animals isn't as important as saving the people.

Answer 18

There are a lot of variables that need to be considered.

Feeding rodents to reptiles can be done cruelly, and it can be done humanely. If you buy pre-killed, frozen rats, you don't really know how they were raised or how they were killed - you don't see the conditions they were kept in or if they suffered. If the rats suffer while they are alive and are then subjected to a slow, painful death, is that better than feeding them alive?

In my opinion, the only way to feed rodents humanely is to raise (and possibly kill) them yourself. If you don't want to do that, don't get a snake. Even feeder animals deserve some quality of life.

The euthanasia methods used really vary. Freezing is common, and so is snapping their necks. I think freezing is the less humane option, since it's a slower death, but there are people who make arguments for all different positions.

Feeding a pre-killed rat doesn't mean the rat suffers any less. It's no more humane if the rat suffered during it's life and/or death.

Answer 19

I didn't watch the whole video because i found it gross and upsetting. The thing is though, is that it's a natural process. If a python encountered a rat in the wild, the same result would occur.

   While it isn't appealing, it's nature's way.

Answer 20

It is in the UK.

I have no strong opinion either way, but I can see the cruelness in it.

But since where I work doesn't sell reptiles, live or frozen food, then I never have to think about it.

Answer 21

I think live feeding should be illegal, yes. I love the argument that 'it's natural'. As if a snake trapped in a glass enclosure with a rat is anywhere near natural. It's not natural, it's not nature, and they cannot get away from each other.

It's not just inhumane to the rodent, it's extremely dangerous to the snake. I'm very much for feeding humanely prekilled animals as it's safer for the snake and more human for the animal being fed.

Answer 22

YES!!! i know its natural in the wild but purposly putting the rat through pain is cruel, they should humanly kill it with an injection or something. Then feed the snake!

I had two pet rats who would have been fed to a snake if we didnt want them - they made lovely pets and everyone said the same even if they hated rats before!

I feel it is so cruel to put an animal through that pain when it can be avoided!