I need a favour from everyone with regards feeding live food...

[StellaDoore]

If you have any pics or horror stories (or have heard of from a friend) of feeding live food (especially rats) to snakes or even lizards, please post them here.

My mates are dead set they are going to feed my beautiful BHP a live rat, which is an idea that makes me furious. I said that I'm banning them from it but got the response "what if you're not here? How are you going to stop us?"
This makes me incredibly angry as I hate the thought of any harm coming to my girl, and feeding live food against my wish is disrespectful to me and dangerous to my snake.

So, if anyone has anything to say regarding this that may deter these guys, please do. The more stories the better. I showed them the thread with the diamond (?) that was left with a rat for two weeks, but they still aren't convinced. I'm hoping they're just pulling my leg, but if they're serious...:evil:

Thanks for the help everyone!!

She's also a pretty chill, lazy eater, plays with her rat and seems to enjoy chewing on it. Another reason why I don't think live food is suitable :x

 

[Wally]

Sounds like they won't be convinced no matter how many examples they are shown of it going wrong. Do a search, plenty of threads on it.

 

[SYNeR]

Put a lock on the enclosure?

 

[Morgwynn]

They are not very good mates it they would consider doing something so explicitly against your wishes to your animal. Like SYNeR said... lock the enclosure. Don't give them the opportunity to risk your snake. And find some better friends.

 

[Tildy]

Yeah, I second the lock idea. My boyfriend loves to try and get a rise out of me by saying he is going to catch the mice around his house that are a problem and feed them to my snake. I know he wont do it because he knows I wont live with him or speak to him if he does but I think I will still get an enclosure that locks so that his kids dont think he is serious and try it themselves. Do these friends live with you? If not then dont give them access to your house unless you are there. Put it in simple terms and tell them that if they really go through with it you are not going to continue to be friends with them because true friends would respect your wishes in regards to your property. If they do, and it's not going to get you into too much trouble dob them in and make them pay. Maybe look up the penalties for feeding live food and tell them thats what they will be facing if they follow through with thier threat. Some people dont care unless the consequences fall on them. Tell them also if live food hurts your snake in anyway they get to pay the vet bills.

 

[Firedrake]

Sorry going to sound extremely harsh but I would put a lock on the cage, belt your so-called 'mates' around the head, send them packing and change the locks on your house to be safe. There is no way on earth that they could possibly think it would be 'ok' to do exactly what you're telling them not to do. They can't be very good friends even if they're just joking about it to wind you up...

 

[dickyknee]

Lock your enclosure , get new friends ... problem solved.

 

[StellaDoore]

I've just searched "live food" and want to go throw up now. Linked the pics onto their facebook page.
It's a complicated living arrangement. I live where pets aren't allowed so the snake is at their place and I visit every day, blah blah blah (more complications...).
I would even consider selling the snake to a more responsible owner if they keep suggesting live food. I'll have another strong word to them, with emphasis on how good of friends they are.
And just to be clear, live food is bad, right? This isn't some delusion I have or anything?

 

[Tildy]

Yes, livefood is bad and illegal. Is there anywhere else you could keep the snake? Family or better friends? I would definately make sure the enclosure is locked up like a fort. And make them very sure that if there is consequences to be paid it will be them paying them not you.

 

[Royziee]

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[URL]http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=197628&d=1303918180[/URL][/URL][/URL]

 

[Nighthawk]

You can still take a key with you if the enclosure's locked up tighter than the proverbial duck's bottom.

 

[notechistiger]

Why can't you lock your enclosure? I have kept snakes in many places that aren't meant to keep animals. I would definitely recommend moving your snake to your premises and hide it during the inspection. Tell your "mates" to grow the hell up too.

 

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

Why can't you lock your enclosure? I have kept snakes in many places that aren't meant to keep animals. I would definitely recommend moving your snake to your premises and hide it during the inspection. Tell your "mates" to grow the hell up too.

+ I.
grow the balls to stand up to your friends, (a good friend wouldnt threaten to hurt something you love anyway) and move your snake either to your home or someone else that you trust explicitly.

 

[Jackrabbit]

I'd lock the front door.

 

[Nighthawk]

Yeah I have to agree with Newto and Notechistiger; it was bad enough having a housemate with our snakes around. The amount of times I had to tell him to leave the snakes alone was unbelieveable, and he was supposed to be a good friend. I wouldn't be able to stand imagining what a 'friend', let alone one who even jokes about doing something potentially destructive with my animal, would be saying or doing when I wasn't around. I wonder how many of their friends unknown to you believe it's 'their' bhp?

 

[SYNeR]

I had a housemate recently move out, and he was a douche. Kept attempting to man handle my snakes and was rough. Now I'm careful who I let near my pets.

 

[ingie]

One snake is not going to be hard to hide at a no pets house. I had housemates live feed one of my snakes when I wasn't home and they were drunk having a party. It still has a faint scar on the side of it's face. I moved out within 2 weeks and my new housemates know not to mess with my animals!

 

[Reptile_Lover]

they don't sound like mates to me

 

[StellaDoore]

I sent all those above links to them. Should help.
I've already bought it up with them, but I'm gonna talk to them one last time about it. Have quite a few good points to bring up.
Worst case, my dad would love to have it. And I'd know he look after my baby.
Thanks for the discussion everyone, will definitely show these friends this thread.
And the additional complications are that it's not just my snake, we paid a third each and it's my mate's enclosure. In their house. Doesn't mean I'll be anymore lenient on them, just makes it a tad more difficult to lock it up.
They do need to grow up though. If they really want to see an animal get killed they can go hunting. Just leave my girl out of it.

 

[mysnakesau]

If you have any pics or horror stories (or have heard of from a friend) of feeding live food (especially rats) to snakes or even lizards, please post them here.

My mates are dead set they are going to feed my beautiful BHP a live rat, which is an idea that makes me furious. I said that I'm banning them from it but got the response "what if you're not here? How are you going to stop us?"
This makes me incredibly angry as I hate the thought of any harm coming to my girl, and feeding live food against my wish is disrespectful to me and dangerous to my snake.

So, if anyone has anything to say regarding this that may deter these guys, please do. The more stories the better. I showed them the thread with the diamond (?) that was left with a rat for two weeks, but they still aren't convinced. I'm hoping they're just pulling my leg, but if they're serious...:evil:

Thanks for the help everyone!!

She's also a pretty chill, lazy eater, plays with her rat and seems to enjoy chewing on it. Another reason why I don't think live food is suitable :x

Stella it sounds to me that they really don't care. This is extreme, but if it was me, my snake would come everywhere with me. How can they call themselves your friend if they don't even have any respect for you or your interests. That is a betrayal of trust. Friends don't treat each other like that. But if taking my snake shopping with me is the only guarantee of her safety then that's what I'd be doing. Would locks really stop them? Locks only keep honest ppl out and they don't sound very honest.