angel
Aussie Rat Owner 
Posts: 72
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Post by angel on Apr 12, 2009 21:40:41 GMT 10
So my Mums boyfriend's son has a pet snake. I'm not so deranged that I think all animals should be vegetarian, snakes need to eat properly9 too. But if looks could kill he would be dead and buried when he found out I had rats and he said: "If I buy you a girl rat would you like to breed them and give me some of the babies for Dot?" Three guesses who Dot was. Here's a hint: She wasn't one of his daughters.  |
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Post by christie on Apr 12, 2009 22:07:14 GMT 10
OMG that's just sickening. I agree a snake has gotta eat to but you don't ask that from someone who has PET rats. I hope you gave him a piece of your mind and he knows well enough now not to ask you again.
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Post by Lioness (Zoey) on Apr 13, 2009 0:42:43 GMT 10
Holy crap. I woulda kicked him. Hard.
Did you kick him?
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Post by Kim on Apr 13, 2009 2:36:27 GMT 10
Although I dont think it was a nice thing to do or say.... Please remember that there are a lot of people out there who dont understand the bond that people like us form to Rodents.  There are many people out there including some who class themselves as animal lovers who might think my keeping a deaf and blind rat was cruel to that rat, as they would argue that it couldnt have a good life when it has no eyes and also can not hear anything. I know people who feed live meal worms to their rats or mice, at least most reptile owners humanly PTS rats that they feed to their reptiles, how many people humanly PTS the meal worms before they feed them to their rat or mouse? I know it might be hard to see the difference between them, but its the only example I could come up with at 2:30 in the morning. Now I could never feed any rat to any reptile .. I have a hard enough time letting my rats go to humans as pets ... But I also dont judge reptile owners on the fact that they feed dead rats to their reptiles... In fact there are a number of really great rat breeders out there, many of which I know, who do own reptiles and breed beautiful pet and show rats as well as feeder rats. |
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Post by wulfyskingdom on Apr 13, 2009 20:15:40 GMT 10
In fact there are a number of really great rat breeders out there, many of which I know, who do own reptiles and breed beautiful pet and show rats as well as feeder rats. Which makes me ponder - how do you determine which are feeders and which are pets and which are show rats! I would find it too difficult to make that decision if I was fond of both species |
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Post by christie on Apr 13, 2009 20:43:22 GMT 10
I would think that the "pretty" ones would be sold as pets first.
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Post by Kim on Apr 14, 2009 19:05:22 GMT 10
Most people have 2 lines, the one used for feeders and the other used as pet and show rats.
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angel
Aussie Rat Owner
Posts: 72
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Post by angel on Apr 14, 2009 19:26:23 GMT 10
hehe no, I didn't kick him as good as it might have felt at the time. I just told him a very firm no in a tone an manor that warned him to never bring the subject up again.
Had he known the history of Jules and how that very same fate awaited him he probably wouldn't have asked in the first place. I truly understand that snakes need to eat and they eat what we consider as pets (and rats I or any one of us bred would probably bring more nutrients to the snake than the ones mass bred and killed for food) but I really think it was short sighted to ask a pet owner to just give away babies like that.
If someone had a dog eating tiger they wouldn't ask a dog lover to breed their dogs to give the puppies as food would they?
I actually really like snakes. If I lived away from home and didn't have rats I would have looked into getting me a snake - I'm not sure I could own both at the same time. Not only because I would have trouble feeding the same time of animal I'm keeping as pets, but because I read on a UK rat site a bit of a horror story.
Someone bred their snakes (don't ask me what type, was too long ago) and they kept one of the babies. During the night the baby managed to escape, and headed in the direction of the rats cage because he could smell food. The next morning they found the snake dead in the bottom of the rats cage, their five or so boys all clearly shaken up at the fight they'd had the night before to protect themselves and their home.
Something like that would just about kill me.
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Post by missdownunder13 on May 2, 2009 20:06:56 GMT 10
yeh, my mum came home from work soon after i got my 2 girls and said how a guy she works with told her that if she ever wanted to get rid of my rats he would have them, but my mum and I wasn't offended by this as it was a joke. i can't see how anyone could breed them to know they will be food, i dont think i could live with myself if i did that. Well, majority of the population eats meat so we cant say too much.  |
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Post by adown88 on Aug 27, 2009 7:50:06 GMT 10
Most people who have fancy & feeder rats have strains of white lab rats and mice which they use as feeders, so they dont get as attached as they all appear the same.
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Post by chocrats on Sept 19, 2009 12:26:46 GMT 10
That's horrible to ask :/
I had someone ask me if I could breed my rats to feed their snake, after I said no they called me a female dog and that I'm 'mean'.
I understand that snakes have to eat too, but I could never ever let one of my babies be used as food, that's just horrible :/
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Post by rattitats on Oct 11, 2009 20:32:33 GMT 10
That is absolutely disgraceful and sickening, that person deserves a good ol clip around the ear hole.
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skitch
Aussie Rat Owner
Posts: 42
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Post by skitch on Oct 12, 2009 21:34:44 GMT 10
It is sad that people cant be a little more considerate.
Lots of my friends own snakes and I get asked similar questions all the time.. I've learnt not to get offended but I always so no quite firmly.
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