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slitheringin
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 378
Location: Mountain Home Arkansas
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 Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:00 pm Post subject: I've made a fatal mistake |
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I found a shoebox of 13 just weaned rat pups, all piled up in one corner of the box, and scared to death. So I took them home, put them in a Rubbermaid on aspen, etc., etc.,......
I have fallen in love with the little kids.  They are so funny and cute and fuzzy and lovey and........I have no idea what I am going to do with these guys/gals.
I have 2 males, so far, and I've separated them out from the girls. Have a couple of unknowns, so I'm watching for any changes in that department since they can breed at 5 weeks and I don't know really how old they are. I KNOW I can't throw them to the snakes  I can Buy them and do it 
Oh my, what have I gotten myself into?????
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ted1025
Joined: 15 Aug 2006
Posts: 309
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| Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:28 pm Post subject: |
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Did you really just find a shoe box out of no where filled with them or were you trying to breed and now just can't throw the little guys to the "wolves"
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slitheringin
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 378
Location: Mountain Home Arkansas
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| Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:07 pm Post subject: |
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| ted1025 wrote: | | Did you really just find a shoe box out of no where filled with them or were you trying to breed and now just can't throw the little guys to the "wolves" |
I really found a shoebox. I live in an apartment complex and there was a shoebox with a note taped to it that said,"if you don't take them they go to the snakes". Being nosey like I am, I opened up the box, and there they were, all huddled in one corner of the box. I couldn't say no, so I took them home. (Soft heart strikes again  )
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slitheringin
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 378
Location: Mountain Home Arkansas
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| Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:13 pm Post subject: |
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I think what happened is someone bought a couple rats for pets and ended up with babies and didn't know what to do. We don't have any ratteries around here and there's nothing listed on the internet for Arkansas (this state has NOTHING  ) Really ticks me off when I hear of people dumping animals, but to actually FIND these poor things.
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deborahbroadus
Moderator
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 6677
Location: Baltimore, MD
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| Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:41 pm Post subject: |
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I am not going to say anything, this is simply a "no brainer" for me.  Like they said, "if you don't take them they go to the snakes" sounds like someone suffered an attack of "soft head" like you.  They were hoping that you would be able to do what they could not.
I think like my snakes. Rats are PREY. If I wanted pet rats, I wouldn't have snakes. 
I have come across a lot of CUTE rats...and I play with them for a bit, THEN I feed them to the snakes. LOL
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Jordan700
Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 1048
Location: Petaluma, California
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| Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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No wonder why we get along so well Deb! We are both cold and heartless!!
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slitheringin
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 378
Location: Mountain Home Arkansas
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| Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:47 pm Post subject: |
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Well, see, that's the problem. I made PETS out of them. NO NO NO  Never do that. 
So, I'm going to keep the boys and a few girls, breed them and keep them as PETS. use the babies as food ONLY, NO PETS Plus, my big girl is preggo, 9 weeks from what I can tell, and hers are going to the snakes. FOR SURE.
Oh my, what an experience 
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deborahbroadus
Moderator
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 6677
Location: Baltimore, MD
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| Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Jordan700 wrote: | | No wonder why we get along so well Deb! We are both cold and heartless!! |
LOL it did sound that way, didn't it? That only applied to me, (to me, it's a nobrainer, but they have feelings involved). But food costs so much I can't afford to be softhearted when it comes to prey. My babies got to eat and I haven't found that snake sausage yet!!
I did go to the Afishando on Kenwood in MD that was listed as a distributor, and they told me that they have no idea why their name is listed, they have heard of it, but they don't sell it...sigh.
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deborahbroadus
Moderator
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 6677
Location: Baltimore, MD
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| Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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| slitheringin wrote: | Well, see, that's the problem. I made PETS out of them. NO NO NO Never do that.
So, I'm going to keep the boys and a few girls, breed them and keep them as PETS. use the babies as food ONLY, NO PETS Plus, my big girl is preggo, 9 weeks from what I can tell, and hers are going to the snakes. FOR SURE.
Oh my, what an experience |
We women, when we think with our hearts instead of our heads, it can lead to trouble..that's why I try to be very very very logical! lol Well, I said I TRY, I don't always succeed. (Ask the last person that put their hands on my grandchildren! ) 
Back on track: Debbie, I hope you remember after playing with them to wash very well, might want to wash your hair too. The smell is nauseating!! That's why I would never have them as pets no matter how cute they are!
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Luke S. Tick
Joined: 30 Aug 2006
Posts: 181
Location: DeWitt, Ia
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| Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:23 pm Post subject: |
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My 5year old daughter say,"Daddy, they're so cute and cuddly, I just want to hold them for a minute. Then, when I'm done, I'll put it in for the snake. This time, Daddy, can you make the rat/mouse bleed when it dies? Maybe out it's eye's??..."
She is a warrior child.
I'm not sure witch way her tribe went when they left.
I really hope I never make her too mad!
Luke
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Jordan700
Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 1048
Location: Petaluma, California
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| Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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You got her started well!!!
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deborahbroadus
Moderator
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 6677
Location: Baltimore, MD
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| Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 5:00 am Post subject: |
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| Luke S. Tick wrote: | My 5year old daughter say,"Daddy, they're so cute and cuddly, I just want to hold them for a minute. Then, when I'm done, I'll put it in for the snake. This time, Daddy, can you make the rat/mouse bleed when it dies? Maybe out it's eye's??..."
She is a warrior child.
I'm not sure witch way her tribe went when they left.
I really hope I never make her too mad!
Luke |
That is MY child!
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lindsey_marshall00
Joined: 05 Jul 2006
Posts: 568
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| Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 8:24 am Post subject: |
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That is my Alyssa, "mommie, can I hold that one till Peanut gets threw with the one he is eating, then I will put him in there."
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deborahbroadus
Moderator
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 6677
Location: Baltimore, MD
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| Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 8:33 am Post subject: |
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| lindsey_marshall00 wrote: | | That is my Alyssa, "mommie, can I hold that one till Peanut gets threw with the one he is eating, then I will put him in there." |
 Sounds like my grandchildren, but my grandsons don't even like rats. They just ask, "Are we going to get some rats today to feed the snakes?" Once, I went to PetCo to get some mice (before the switch to rats) and the oldest announced to all and sundry that, "We are getting them to feed to our snakes!" I had to lie my way out of that one..but I explained to them that some people don't understand the food chain and how it works..they want to make pets of everything!! We had a good laugh about that, but I apologized for lying and explained that I needed them (mice) and they wouldn't give them to me as feeders. (they even made me sign a paper stating that I was getting them as pets!! as IF!) I later took them to a proper animal store and brought some more...I told them they could say whatever they wanted to say IN HERE...because these people understand the food chain and the circle of life.
They have the right outlook and will make excellent snake owners. They put the snakes needs before their own.
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slitheringin
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 378
Location: Mountain Home Arkansas
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| Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 10:33 am Post subject: |
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| Luke S. Tick wrote: | My 5year old daughter say,"Daddy, they're so cute and cuddly, I just want to hold them for a minute. Then, when I'm done, I'll put it in for the snake. This time, Daddy, can you make the rat/mouse bleed when it dies? Maybe out it's eye's??..."
She is a warrior child.
I'm not sure witch way her tribe went when they left.
I really hope I never make her too mad!
Luke |
At the risk of offending various people here, and at the risk of seriously p***ing some of you off, I'm going to make some comments to this statement.
This is exactly the reason why there is such a battle between "rat/mice lovers" and "snake/reptile lovers" over feeding rats and mice. Below is an extract of a statement I made in defense of snake owners feeding rats/mice to snakes:
[Snakes, on the other hand, are not domesticated and we cannot provide them with the proper diet and nutrition to keep them healthy. However, they have become "pets," and as such, they rely on humans to provide them with all their living requirements to maintain their health. This includes diet.
A responsible snake owner will feed his reptiles frozen/thawed mice or rats. This is repeatedly stressed in responsible forums. However, having said this, I must also say that there are some snakes that simply will not take frozen food. To this end, there are other means of feeding which I will not go into here. In addition, a responsible snake owner will feed his animals in front of his children when his children are at an appropriate age, in an appropriate manner, with an appropriate explaination of why and methods used.
I realize this is a heated topic. And I understand the issues on both sides, being an owner of both animals. But, the key to understanding is "responsible" ownership.]
Luke, as a "responsible" owner and "responsible" parent, where was the appropriate explaination to your daughter when she commented about "outing it's eyes", or the "bleeding?" What do you think she does when she goes to school and talks about feeding the snakes, and what do you think the other kids take home to their parents, all to get passed on and blown out of proportion?
This is how it all starts, and this is how we reptile and snake owners get our bad reputations. Yes, reptile owners. Water dragons need pinky mice in their diets. Agamas and monitors eat various rodents. My Bearded Dragons eat crickets and roaches, and I'm looked at with revulsion when people hear that I have these things in my house, and I'm considered bad because I keep these lizards. It's not limited to rats and mice. We're also singled out for gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, etc., because they are actual pets. We're "MONSTERS," all because of irresponsible owners who don't take the time to appropriately explain the whys and wherefores of what we do when we feed our animals in front of our children, or people who don't understand that we don't have Little Friskies or that we can't just go to the fridge and fry them up some pork chops.
Deb took the time to explain to her grandsons the reasons for what she did and why she did it. I'm sure there are others here who have done the same. I'm sorry if my tirade has angered people or stepped on toes. But, after spending an hour online last night, defending our need, and right, to feed our animals and care for them in the very best manner, that post I read just simply P**ed me off. That post, and many more like it, was the reason I was there last night.
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