Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I found this article in Yahoo!s "Oddly Enough" section of articles....I found it slightly disturbing, and though others might need to be disturbed, too. Now we know why people look at us funny when they find out we own snakes. They think we're feeding them kitties!
Marcy
Kitten...It's what's for dinner?

Can't open that article but I can tell you what I know. Some people do feed kittens. From the snake's perspective it is just protein but from the public persepctive it is nothing short of satanic. I have met people who search classifieds for kittens that are "free to good home." My rat supplier in Texas sold the kittens birthed by a feral cat as snake food. I doubt it is a common practice but it is clearly just another example of the vast array of "keepers" in this field. What the few do is held as what we all do by a snake-fearing pubic that wants to demonize herpers. Unfortunately the public can always find crap on us because we have in our ranks people with no scruples out for an ego boost and a joy ride. When their ride is finished, we are left with the image they've flaunted.
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Marcia Pimentel
Tango River Reptiles
GiantFeeders

If you notice.. the story is from Norway and snakes are illegal to own there (what are they worried they're going to escape and learn how to make earmuffs?), so the story would have a bit more of an impact there... and of course the kittens are being eaten ALIVE... but if they care so much about their kittens, why don't they spay their frikken cats?

Of course, people here in the US would rather see shelter kittens rotting in landfills or being made into petfood than going to feed snakes. People don't want to face the fact that cats are throwaway animals because of owners who don't care about them. The kittens getting fed to snakes throws this up in their faces. They'd rather let the shelters quietly put them in the trash.
Kittens in Norway at Least Get a Quick Death

You have a valid point about the kittens being unwanted. Millions are killed in shelters every year here in the U.S. However what you say about preference given to a silent death at a pound is not precise. There are many animal welfare groups working to improve cat adoptions and spay or neuter pets to reduce the exhorbitant numbers put to sleep annually. There are many people that do care about those numbers and of course in their ranks there are many extreme animal rights groups. I am neutral on the cat protein issue- I don't feed cats - don't need to and never will- I personaly think it's nasty since I own cats as pets. However I see your point. The thing is that culturally feeding cats is a no-no. Culturally McDonald's will have a hard time in a Hindu neighborhood for the same reason. Culturally a pork barbecue at an Islamic neighborhood will be poorly attended and send off a very different message than the generous host may have intended. The bigger picture, which includes the perception of our hobby to the general non-herping public, clearly shows some pitfalls if we were to endorse such a venue for unwanted cats. Suddenly all those cats would be victims (which they are now but the majority of an apathetic public allows there killing) of a barbaric group of people.
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Marcia Pimentel
Tango River Reptiles
GiantFeeders

n/p
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Marcia Pimentel
Tango River Reptiles
GiantFeeders

Did you notice they recommend heating up prekilled mice and rats in the MICROWAVE??

Heehee.... If the smell doesn't kill ya, try the kaBOOM when a big 'ol rat explodes!

Mark

All joking aside though,... my usual response to such practice is one of anger, loathe and disdain. I have cats, and on the surface I feel that it would be wrong to do such a thing. But then I remind myself that feeding rabbits and rats is no less "evil" and that these animals are no different than any other animal. One could say that because cats are intelligent it is more of a "crime". But rats are very smart too. Or one could say that the real wrong is feeding a pet to a pet. I have pet rats too, so I could see it from every perspective. As with pet rabbits. I think the real crime in this practice is the deception to the kitty owner that believes their cats are going to a good, caring home. This to me is just despicable and unforgivable and should be highly illegal.

>>I found this article in Yahoo!s "Oddly Enough" section of articles....I found it slightly disturbing, and though others might need to be disturbed, too. Now we know why people look at us funny when they find out we own snakes. They think we're feeding them kitties!
>>Marcy
>>Kitten...It's what's for dinner?
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It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Systems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]

an excellent point-that type of deception is atrocious and western society will probably never accept cats as snake food (and definately not dogs).but all life being sacred and snakes being carnivores are rats and rabbits really more disposable?they make fine pets too (and,yes,fine snake food as well)