feed live or dead?

[jaydsr2887]

I have a green iguana so I don't feed her live things besides plants but ive watched a few videos on youtube and people were feeding live rabbits mice rats and even on pig to a retic...... and I was reading the comments below about how people say that the owners are sadistc and it is animal cruelty and crap which I see no problem with because it is natural for them to catch their prey...... what is your views on live prey?

 

[KritterKeeper]

I can see how it would seem sadistic when the person actually enjoys watching the mouse/rat suffer and die. There are plenty of freaks out there...
I wont feed live(aside from bugs) to anything simply because i cant stand to see(or hear) anything suffer. Sure thats how it goes down in the wild but in captivity it doesnt have to be that way so i wont have any animals that require live food.
When i was younger my brother would try to shut me in his room when he fed his snake a live rat just so id have to hear it squeal..it was horrible then and i still think its horrible now..

 

[RickyNo]

Im not gonna lie, I am one of those people who would love to see a live feeding. But damnnn me for wanting to make sure my gu is tame so I kill them for him. Loki does have a thing for crushing mice skulls. I get to heara biggg crunch!

 

[jaydsr2887]

Like I honestly see nothing wrong but nobody is forcing those people who are against it to watch it over youtube...... they might as well be just as sadistic for just.clicking the video

 

[SnakeCharmr728]

I care more about my pet than the feeder, and I always feed dead. Its safer for your pet because the prey animal can fit back and cause serious injuries. I have taken in tegus with only half a tongue and chewed up face from been given live rats.

 

[laurarfl]

I have a 30yr ball python that was given to me 6yrs ago, He is terribly head shy and has plenty of scars from being fed live. My boa that I got as an adult also has scars from live prey. Rodents are fairly intelligent mammals. I don't like to see or hear them suffer either. I just don't find delight in death.

 

[grapebasil]

My rule of thumb is that once it graduates beyond eating the fuzzies (eyes barely open, little to no claws), I do pre killed. I don’t kill my own anymore after a traumatic incident where I failed entirely to off the poor thing - several times. At that point it’s more humane to feed live. My bp eats live, but only because I feed smaller more frequently. Rats can be mean and I loathe mice just as a general rule. Personally, I don’t care very much about the humane/cruel arguments in regard to the reptile eating. The damn feeder rat had a nicer life than some humans do, and most reptiles are very efficient hunters. For me feeding live gives my antisocial bp something to do that isn’t just moping in his hide or digging up his substrate.

Anyway that’s my two cents.

 

[Walter1]

An old thread, but so what. Pre-killed is 100% safe to the snake or lizard, etc.

Live stimulates a predator, which in captivity is about as much stimulation as it's going to get.

When I kept rat snajes and ckrn snakes, I'd forcep-feed pre-killed and provide some level of struggle to stimulate constriction.

My tegus eat pre-killed as if slopping hogs.

 

[Teguixin.22]

Feeding pre killed leads to poor stimulation which leads to unhealthy animals. One thing i always see is "it reduces the killing instinct" which is among the most asinine things you can do if you want a healthy, happy animal. These aren't dogs, they need that proper stimulation and exercise. Properly supervised, there will never really be issues. I have always fed my animals live, and never had a single issue; they are as healthy as can be. Issues arise when someone throws in a live mouse or rat and doesn't note if their animal is hungry or not. When they are not, they will often try to run away from the rodent, which may try to bite at it as a threat. People place to much blame on the whole live feeding concept on "dangerous rodents", when the truth of the matter is, proper supervision ( making sure the pet has grabbed and dispatched the rodent) reduces any real risk of injury.

 

[Zyn]

I feed prekilled to all my snakes and Tegus. But I raise my rodents and freeze them as they out grow the animals they’re meant for. But can see why people feed live, it comes down to personal preference. Also depending on where you live, the UK for example it’s illegal to feed live.

 

[Walter1]

When I switched to frozen for my rat snakes, I nearly always had the dead mouse "fight back/struggle from the forceps. Forced coiling and constriction.

 

[AlphaAlpha]

I feed prekilled to all my snakes and Tegus. But I raise my rodents and freeze them as they out grow the animals they’re meant for. But can see why people feed live, it comes down to personal preference. Also depending on where you live, the UK for example it’s illegal to feed live.

Didn't know that about uk.... Good job I havent gone and asked for some mice and told them why......lol