Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We have frozen rats in our freezer. Our human food freezer. In a separate little area where we always put the rats.

They're packaged in plastic bags within a paper bag and all, but I still worry a bit as to the sanitary concerns... I don't really know anything about that sort of thing.

Is this a really bad disgusting thing to do, or is it okay as long as they're packaged and kept in their own little area?

Some reptile keepers have a separate small chest freezer to keep their frozen rodents in.

To help keep them further separated from human food items you could put the paper bag of plastic packages of rodents into a snap top plastic box such as a Rubbermaid "Freeze And Serve" container, or something comprable. It might even help to keep them fresher.

On the other hand, you need to find out if the keeping of frozen rodents is even legal in your location. In some areas it is illegal to have rodents in the freezer, leading to charges of animal hoarding; with the fact that they are intended as food for another animal being considered irrelevant and ignored. I could go to jail if the authorities were to learn of the frozen rodents in my freezer (I should just get rid of them since my snake won't eat them anyway).

>>Some reptile keepers have a separate small chest freezer to keep their frozen rodents in.
>>
>>To help keep them further separated from human food items you could put the paper bag of plastic packages of rodents into a snap top plastic box such as a Rubbermaid "Freeze And Serve" container, or something comprable. It might even help to keep them fresher.
>>
>>On the other hand, you need to find out if the keeping of frozen rodents is even legal in your location. In some areas it is illegal to have rodents in the freezer, leading to charges of animal hoarding; with the fact that they are intended as food for another animal being considered irrelevant and ignored. I could go to jail if the authorities were to learn of the frozen rodents in my freezer (I should just get rid of them since my snake won't eat them anyway).

I am curious where you live and how you found out it was illegal there and how in the world they would find out to prosecute anyway......??
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Sonya

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>>>>On the other hand, you need to find out if the keeping of frozen rodents is even legal in your location. In some areas it is illegal to have rodents in the freezer, leading to charges of animal hoarding; with the fact that they are intended as food for another animal being considered irrelevant and ignored. I could go to jail if the authorities were to learn of the frozen rodents in my freezer (I should just get rid of them since my snake won't eat them anyway).
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>>I am curious where you live and how you found out it was illegal there and how in the world they would find out to prosecute anyway......??

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In the state of Oregon; you can buy frozen rodents; you can feed f/t rodents; you just can NOT store frozen rodents in the freezer, because that is proof of animal hoarding which is a felony with ridiculously stiff penalties. Rodents (perceived as cute and cuddly) seemingly have more rights than snakes (falsely perceived as dangerous). I do NOT agree with that crazy regulation, but must abide by the crazy rules.

I got in trouble with the Humane Society in the Spring of 2008 (as some long time readers of this forum might remember), for having too many rats (about 100; all well fed and watered; all caged, though I will concede overcrowded). I was threatened with being charged with animal hoarding. Though, thankfully, that never actually happened. The upshot was that (against my will) my rats were executed and thrown in the trash; so that I didn't have anything to feed my extremely finicky Great Basin Gopher snake at the beginning of the very short time of year that my snake will eat. I was, also, told that I could NOT have ANY rodents in my freezer. Research on the internet then showed me that was because having rodents in the freezer is taken as positive proof that the felony crime of animal hoarding has occured.

I now have too many mice (more than the maximum of 10 animals total allowed per household, though still much fewer than the number of rats that I had), because my snake won't eat, and it is illegal to kill and freeze the excess.

They are fine the way you have them...the only real risk of cross contamination is if the contents of the bags rubbed directly together. I stored my frozen rats in with my people food just in a grocery bag (the rats of course were in their own bags, usually in pacts of 2-6 depending on size)

Cross contamination would only be a risk if 'naked' flesh of human food came in contact with 'naked' fur/flesh of the rats. Or if your hands did. Also, to my knowledge there are no contaminates from rats that would be harmful to humans, providing the food is thoroughly cooked anyway. Other than the usual decaying issues if the flesh was too far gone/spoiled, which would be the same as those formed on chicken/beef/pork if gone bad even in the freezer.

If you have alot of frozen rats, using a separate small freezer for them would be convenient only so they are not taking over the 'people' freezer.

I am no expert on micro-organisms so there could be some kind of bacteria that could be on the outside of a rat corpse which could survive the freezing process and infect chicken etc, which can then survive the cooking process.....but personally I don't think there is anything to worry about. Cook your meat well, wash your hands after handling frozen rats or any frozen meat.
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PHLdyPayne

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