Live kitten fed to burmese python

[Neltharion]

Don't check out the link if you're squeamish. The pics are graphic.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...twisted-sadisctic-thug-fed-kitten-python.html

Lot of controversy on the guy that fed a live kitten to a burmese python. Its created a huge debate on whether feeding a live kitten is any different than feeding rats, rabbits, or chicks.

 

[Josh]

Yah... Do we need to open this box of worms here...?
At least the video has been removed.

 

[tyler0912]

Lots off complaining over here......they fled...I think they have been caught....everyones discusted...it was in the news.

 

[Neltharion]

I didn't realize that he was subject to criminal charges.

 

[tyler0912]

We should do the same to him!
Or rip his skin off and dip him in sea salt!
I hate animal cruealty! UGH!

 

[dmmj]

But is an animal eating another animal, cruelty?

 

[jaizei]

It is if the animal being eaten is cute and cuddly.

 

[RogerTheTortoise]

Rabbits are cute too!! Personally I think it's gross and I would never do it.

However with the exception of Ball, pythons get HUGE. This type in particular will be 10 ft with in the first year, 15 if taken care of properly. And to feed them it takes A LOT. I've heard of people feeding them goats.. I don't think they are the best of pet choices...

Some people like to have pets that can and will kill and eat you if they are hungry.
Don't you guys gezz

(by the way, so nobody gets offended.. Although that last part was true, it was also completely sarcastic)

 

[dmmj]

So it is okay to eat ugly animals?

 

[Mao Senpai]

As crazy as that is, with any animal comes great responsibility. If you are ready to own and take care of such an animal be ready for the care it needs. Just because the animals we have eat greens and processed foods or whatever is convienient... the snake is just doing what it needs to do.. eat, it just happens to be meat and alive. So I see it as the same as any other live animal being fed... everyone has personal feelings into whats cute and whats right or wrong so it never ends. I personally think they could have picked a better choice of foods but that's that...

 

[Wicked Demon]

Feeding live not only is cruel and disgusting, it is a danger to the animal being fed.
Live prey should only be used for rehabilitating wild animals.
(I am surprised to be the first to point out pre-kill as an option on a reptile forum!)

 

[jeffbens0n]

At least they know the guy is a fan of Disney's Aladdin...i'm sure they'll catch him now haha...

 

[dmarcus]

What you feed in private is one thing, putting it out there for everyone to see is crazy. I personaly don't have an issue with it, but I didn't watch the video because I didn't want to hear the kittens cries of pain...

 

[tyler0912]

But is an animal eating another animal, cruelty?

Yes....i don't believe in feeding live food to snakes etc...
I think it is wrong unless like stated rehabilitation!
And feeding a cat to a snake is infact illegal that's why everyone is going crazy over it.

 

[Katherine]

: ( this hits close to home. I have a reticulated python and we only feed frozen feeders but I still cringe everytime it's feeding day. Owning a carnivorous animal means a responsibility to feed and care for them as such; and while I obviously don't think that feeding a live kitten is responsible, is feeding a killed rabbit? Responsible to the snake sure, but what about the bun? I feel in moral predicament everytime I feed, ESP as a rabbit owner, knowing that the animals I purchase for him never had a chance : ( Anyone less emotional like to adopt my slithering moral dilemma so I can resume feeding herbivores and not dread meal time so much?

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

Someone recently posted a video of a redfoot tortoise eating a mouse. Is that wrong?

Its nature, folks. Animals eat other animals. You may not like it, but don't judge other hobbyists that practice it. Honestly, as long as people aren't being cruel about it, I don't have a problem feeding cats to snakes. There are WAAAAYYY too many cats running around the world. Shelters are overrun with them, and often have to turn them away. Look at craigslist. There's free kittens everywhere. There's a huge supply and not enough demand to match. I almost sympathize with the big snake keepers. With the economy the way it is, and the price of feeders rising, cats are free snake food! Why not?

People here in America have a problem with it simply because its a culture thing. A lot of people keep cats as pets, so of course, cat lovers everywhere cringe at the thought of any cat being eaten by another animal. Its understandable. People who keep rabbits and rats and guinea pigs feel the same way. But human beings are terrible at remaining objective. In some parts of the world, people worship cows and eat dogs. Other cultures eat insects but think pigs are unholy.

 

[GBtortoises]

While live feeding may no longer be necessary in captivity anymore due to frozen foods being readily available, it is a fact in nature. I don't think feeding live foods is cruel at all.

That frozen food also started out as a live animal. It was most likely killed for the sole purpose of becoming frozen snake food.

People probably wouldn't be so up in arms if that live food weren't a kitten. If it were a rat, some other "ugly" animal, maybe even a rabbit no one would care. The snake certainly doesn't!

I have no problems with live kittens being fed to snakes. Or rabbits, cats, baby chicks, rats, mice or most anything else for that matter.

In the U.S. the laws in individual states vary on the use of domestic animals including pets such as cats and dogs. In most states it is illegal to kill a cat or dog for human consumption. Some of those same states don't all have laws quite as clear on the use of animals as food for other animals. Some do.

There is also a believe (and maybe a truth) that euthanized cats and dogs may be used as an ingredient in pet foods for live dogs and cats. No idea if that is actually true.

I grew up on a farm where we raised nearly every farm animal except cows and horses. We raised hundreds of rabbits each year. Some were sold for pets, some were raised for meat. I took care of them every day and had my favorites that I was attached to. I could also come back from the barn, sit down at the table and have rabbit for dinner too.

The majority of animals on earth are prey (food) for something else. Whether it be for human, snake or other predator.

 

[ripper7777777]

Yea we always fed our Pythons dead or knocked out food for the snakes safety. No reason to do it live for a pet snake, that would seem more like for the enjoyment of the owners which is sick.

It's all about where you personally draw the line between Pet and Animal, when we bought our current house we had a feral cat problem, I bought a Boxer and she grew up and quickly ended that problem, the neighbor lady feeding the cats and letting them breed wild hated it, but tough. I to see no reason to exclude Cats from the food chain, especially if it can rid the world of feral cats.

I've known plenty of people who raised and bred Rats and would freak out at the thought of a snake eating them.


Animals eat animals, I eat animals, but I prefer them dead and cooked and believe they deserve respect even in death, unfortunately most Human fed animals don't get any respect or care what so ever.

 

[Jacqui]

Yea we always fed our Pythons dead or knocked out food for the snakes safety. No reason to do it live for a pet snake, that would seem more like for the enjoyment of the owners which is sick.

I agree with this. Plus the only reason the guy did this with a live animal was for the shock value. As was said before, IF your going to do these things, then do them behind closed doors. Snake owners, especially those with big snakes, already get enough bad press and enough anti ownership laws and beliefs against them, they don't need more idiots like this one flaming those feelings.

 

[Zamric]

As is noted on my signature, I own a 3 yr old Florida King Snake. I didnt add to my pet list the mice I breed as feeder mice. Not just for my snake, but for a friend and the one I take care of at School. All 3 snakes are fed live mice.... the one at school is also fed live mice with an audiance of children (whose parents have givien permission) aged 5-14.

Live feedings, if done properly, will not harm a snake or any other natural preditor. they are armored against such attacks against and appropriate sized opponet. As long as you dont put in a feeder that is to large or to many (I've seen 3 adult mice take out an full grown King snake) but once again this all comes with being a responcible pet owner.

When my snake was younger (less than 2' long) I always fed frozen feeders but they where expencive so I went to live mice and the 1st time Ginger saw it, she knew it was food but the moving and jumping really freaked her out... till she stuck and coiled! She coiled so tight and hard, she couldn't uncoil to eat. After she figured it out she seemed move active, almost like like a switch was turned on. To this day I will occationaly have to feed frozen dinners to Ginger (because of overstock in the breeder room). When she gets frozen or even prekilled, she is never so active as when she kills herself.

I mentioned in another thread about trying to keep feeding methods as natural as possable, not because there is any more or less nutritional value in the food but because of the mental and instinctual stimulation that finding and taking food in thier natural habitat provides them.

To answer the replies I know I'll get from this statement. "Yes" snake do eat dead animals in the wild! They are predators of convienance. If they are hungry they will eat the easiest thing to find, eggs, babies and any other helpless creatures they find in nest, but for the most part, they hunt and they kill anything small enough to swollow whole... this is what they do by instinct and thus this is what they NEED TO DO TO KEEP THEM HAPPY! (Kinda like that pleasure you get from eating chocolate... its a chemical in the brain thing)

...and that my oppinion about live feedings