| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 42.1 | | ELUDOM::WINALSKI | | Tue Oct 09 1984 06:13 | 9 |
| Well, kittens may not be the natural prey of pythons, but I see nothing
intrinsically wrong with the act. The only grounds for complaints that I can
see is that the kittens were obtained under false pretenses. The suppliers
of the kittens probably thought they were going to be kept as pets, and
probably would have refused to make them python fodder. I think the boy has
a point about the relative merits of "humane" society's neutering and gassing
policies vs. feeding the unwanted animals to a python, though.
--PSW
|
| 42.2 | | BERGIL::WIX | | Wed Jul 10 1985 15:40 | 12 |
| I took up the topic with a friend here at work whose son has several
constrictors. These snakes are feed on a diet of fresh fish. He says that
it takes a while to transfer them over while they are young but that he has
had 100% success with this program. It seems preferable to me to use fish
for this than cats. I admit that I value cats more than I value fish and
that while I am sure a fish suffers in its own way when netted, I find the
thought of a cat suffering in that way much more disturbing.
.wIx.
|
| 42.3 | | VAXUUM::DYER | | Wed Jul 10 1985 19:54 | 2 |
| [RE .2]: Probably because they are mammals like ourselves.
<_Jym_>
|
| 42.4 | Cats for Snakes | DSSDEV::MURPHY | Is it Friday yet? | Mon Apr 21 1986 19:30 | 9 |
|
Personally, I'd rather have my cats put to sleep rather than suffer
the anguish of being crushed and eaten by a damned snake. As for
the kitten being the "natural prey of pythons", I don't think there
are too many domestic cats/kittens in the jungles where these snakes
reside - maybe you're referring to leopards or other larger wild
cats? I think the boy should have never gotten an "exotic" pet
in the first place (but that's another story).
|
| 42.5 | my 2cents | ASGMKA::WARD | | Fri May 23 1986 14:40 | 17 |
| This is my first time using NOTES for anything besides reading,
so please bear with me. Now to the issue at hand.
My concern is that if the snake, when full grown, will eat pigs
or baby goats, what about small children? Particularlly if it escapes
(OH HORROR).
Personally, I think snakes and other "exotic" animals should not
be allowed as pets.
That's my two cents worth.
By the way, I've really enjoyed this notes file, even though we
don't have cats, YET! Our landlord is not a cat fancier, or any
other type of animal fancier for that matter.
Bernice
|
| 42.6 | Snakes are pets too... | DSSDEV::COLLINS | | Fri May 23 1986 17:00 | 27 |
|
I've had constrictors for a period of some 16 years and feel qualified
to coment on them. As for feeding a constrictor fish, such a diet would be
lacking in many of the vitamins necessary for a healthy snake. This could be
compensated for with artificial vitamins introduced into the fish though. I'm
sure one could find someone that would think this was a "barbaric" thing
to do (feeding fish to snakes that is).
As for the term "damn snake", there are many people that would refer
to cats with the same repulse, although I am sure there are more people who
hate snakes. I agree with the premise that feeding kittens to snakes is not
fundamentally wrong, they after all are just animals. Obtaining kittens under
the false guise of providing a good home is wrong. I never fed kittens to my
snake or ever entertained the idea, it is repulsive to me since *I like cats*,
many people have different views on such things. It is a snakes nature to eat
live prey, in many cases substitutions can be made, and is even recommended
for the health of the snake - a live rat can do harm to a snake before the snake
overcomes the prey. There are many cats in the areas where these big snakes
come from, and as a rule big constrictors (Boas & Pythons) will eat *any* warm
blooded creature they can get their hands (well mouth) on, even a full grown
leopard (some snakes get *BIG* !!!).
/harry
ps. I got rid of my constrictor (+8 foot Boa Constrictor), a pet of 8 years,
since I felt he threatened the existence of my cats - among other things.
|
| 42.7 | Exotic Pets | DSSDEV::MURPHY | Is it Friday yet? | Fri May 23 1986 20:57 | 13 |
|
Maybe the term "damned" snakes was incorrect to use since it is
obviously not the snake's fault he (or she) has to live in an unnatural
environment and has to eat what it is fed. When left in the wild
of the country they come from, they are able to hunt their own game.
I also agree that exotic pets should be left in the wild where they
are happier. Too many times, many of these exotic animals are lost during
the transit to other countries to be sold as pets or for laboratory
experiments.
Pat
|
| 42.8 | in defence of snakes as pets | QUILL::LERNER | | Thu Jan 08 1987 16:14 | 17 |
| Let me add my two cents in support of snakes as pets. I don't have
a pet snake, but I have a friend who has two. She is allergic to
anything warm and furry like a cat or a dog. The snakes are much
more interesting pets than goldfish or turtles or toads or whatever
because they 'interact' with the humans around them. If you let
a pet toad or mouse loose in the house, it runs away. You can't
handle a fish. But a snake is perfectly content to be handled.
It will contentedly ride on your shoulders or curl up in your lap
(reptiles like warm places). This particular friend had a 4 foot
long ball python (4 feet is as long as that brand of python gets)
and a 6 foot boa constrictor. They fed on mice, rats, and one or
two unfortunate gerbils ( cats will feed on unfortunate gerbils
too, my 4 month kitten stalks my gerbil). I see nothing inherantly
wrong with having unusual pets, but a snake that grows to 20 feet
is a little ridiculous.
Cyndi
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| 42.9 | the only good snake is a .....etc. | RAVEN1::BUCHANAN | | Fri Mar 20 1987 18:59 | 2 |
| Re .8 Why is 20 feet ridiculous? Do I sense some discrimination
there?
|
| 42.10 | ....... | SUBURB::COFFEYJ1 | | Thu May 05 1988 17:55 | 19 |
| Come on.......
A small snake's a good pet, as is a kitten/cat.
A 20 footer is going over the top, as would a cheetah be.
I also dislike the idea of feeding any live animals (yes OK especially
kittens) to a snake. They can, if the owner's humane be served
dead meat instead of live kitties.
If the kid was having to search for free kitties surely he shouldn't
have had the snake ie: he couldn't afford to keep it.
?
Jo
UK
|