# Feeding live crickets/mealworms? I feel a bit silly asking, but...



## Finnebon (Jul 15, 2013)

I have read that these are good treats for rats. I think they would have a lot of fun catching and eating crickets or mealworms and would probably think they are very tasty too. I would really like to do this for them, but I am really sensitive about killing anything. I have a little bit of a bleeding heart when it comes to unnecessary/voluntary killing. The only things I will straight up kill are mosquitoes or if there are ants in the house. I believe everything has a right to live and even if it's "just" a bug, there's no reason to kill it. Even if it's going to end up being food anyway. That may sound silly talking about insects like that, but to many reptile owners, what we care about so much are "just" rats and mice and are just going to be food anyway. I realize the circle of life and the food chain and all that, it's an important process in nature's balance, and animals like snakes and lizards deserve to eat and survive just as much as the rats and crickets, no matter how much I hate thinking about a little rat being swallowed whole. 

How do people get over valuing one life over another? I would like to give my ratties crickets, but I just can't get over the fact that these crickets are still living things that I am choosing to kill for no real reason other than a treat for the babies?

_((Side note: if you'd like to pitch in about rats as snake food too, I'd be interested in reading that, since it's just something I can't possibly comprehend about choosing to own a snake that needs to eat mice or rats. Live prey is legal where I am, and my friend has a snake and I don't understand how she does it for something that displays no affection at all. He is a beautiful ball python. I think most snakes are very pretty and/or cute, I don't hate snakes. Hers refuses to eat anything other than live mice (she's tried lots of times to feed other ways) and has to eat I think 4 at a time now during each feeding, he is still pretty small. She has told me that since she met my rats when we were younger, she couldn't feed her snake rats. But I still feel sorry for all those little mice. I just don't understand what the appeal of snakes are, other than their nice looks and the "cool" factor of owning a snake. I won't judge you for owning snakes, I just don't really understand how a snake makes a better pet than all the other options. Even the snake food contributes much more to a relationship. I'm very perplexed. But please, I'm not asking this to start a snakes vs rats flame war, please no drama. I'm legitimately wondering.))_


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## Daisy (Jul 8, 2013)

Finnebon said:


> I have read that these are good treats for rats. I think they would have a lot of fun catching and eating crickets or mealworms and would probably think they are very tasty too. I would really like to do this for them, but I am really sensitive about killing anything. I have a little bit of a bleeding heart when it comes to unnecessary/voluntary killing. The only things I will straight up kill are mosquitoes or if there are ants in the house. I believe everything has a right to live and even if it's "just" a bug, there's no reason to kill it. Even if it's going to end up being food anyway. That may sound silly talking about insects like that, but to many reptile owners, what we care about so much are "just" rats and mice and are just going to be food anyway. I realize the circle of life and the food chain and all that, it's an important process in nature's balance, and animals like snakes and lizards deserve to eat and survive just as much as the rats and crickets, no matter how much I hate thinking about a little rat being swallowed whole.
> 
> How do people get over valuing one life over another? I would like to give my ratties crickets, but I just can't get over the fact that these crickets are still living things that I am choosing to kill for no real reason other than a treat for the babies?
> 
> _((Side note: if you'd like to pitch in about rats as snake food too, I'd be interested in reading that, since it's just something I can't possibly comprehend about choosing to own a snake that needs to eat mice or rats. Live prey is legal where I am, and my friend has a snake and I don't understand how she does it for something that displays no affection at all. He is a beautiful ball python. I think most snakes are very pretty and/or cute, I don't hate snakes. Hers refuses to eat anything other than live mice (she's tried lots of times to feed other ways) and has to eat I think 4 at a time now during each feeding, he is still pretty small. She has told me that since she met my rats when we were younger, she couldn't feed her snake rats. But I still feel sorry for all those little mice. I just don't understand what the appeal of snakes are, other than their nice looks and the "cool" factor of owning a snake. I won't judge you for owning snakes, I just don't really understand how a snake makes a better pet than all the other options. Even the snake food contributes much more to a relationship. I'm very perplexed. But please, I'm not asking this to start a snakes vs rats flame war, please no drama. I'm legitimately wondering.))_


I have to feed crickets and roaches to our lizard. I can totally understand your point, but for me they're really creepy so I don't feel too badly about it lol. Let me ask you this: Do you eat meat? If you do, it's no different than feeding insects and/or animal protein to your pets. If you feed a kibble type diet, there is most likely animal meat in it. How is that different than feeding a cricket? Just because you don't actually see the animal die to get put into that food, doesn't mean it's not there. You could say the same thing about dog and cat food. 

On the topic of snakes or any other meat eating animal: If you own an animal that is an obligate carnivore, you really don't have a choice other than feeding it an appropriate meal. I don't think it's so much as valuing one life over another as it is realizing that each animal has nutritional needs that must be met, and it's your responsibility to meet those needs. If you can't reconcile with that, I would stick to strict herbivores  I also have a snake that eats mice, though I only feed frozen thawed. I buy my feeders from a source that treats them very well, feeds a high quality diet and euthanizes them humanely. I keep him because I feel like he does have quite the personality, and I feel the same joy spending time with him as I do my other pets (although he doesn't display his affections as readily lol). I love my rats, but I realize that my snake NEEDS to eat mice in order to live. It's my choice, and I must live with the consequences of that. 

That said, in the end, meat is meat. My dogs and cats eat who-knows-what type of meat in their diet, my snake eats mice, and my lizard eats bugs; as sad as it is to say, rats can be viewed as meat, just as any animal can. IMO, you can't feel badly about eating/feeding one type of 'meat' if you yourself eat any type of animal. Rather hypocritical, no? If you're a vegetarian, ignore everything above  I'm not sure if any of that made sense lol. It's late, but that's just my .02


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## Daniel (Jun 24, 2013)

Ask yourself - which is a better pet - a cricket or a rat? (or to be daring - a rat or a snake?)

There are different levels of life. I don't shed any tears for bacteria that I probably destroy every time I wash my hands. Even if I did like crickets (though I cannot say I hate them), it's tough to get them to live longer than more 2-3 weeks anyway. 

Only one of my rats likes to eat crickets anyway, so it's a pretty rare treat.


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## Finnebon (Jul 15, 2013)

No problem! Yes I eat meat, and yes, I'm mostly ok with it because I don't see the animal being killed, but I'm more than aware of it. The animal is already dead and chopped up in the market and isn't walking around in front of me so it's easier to deal with of course, and yes probably a bit hypocritical of course too. The only animal I kill myself for my food is if we catch any tasty dungness crabs during crab season, but even then I feel bad, and I make my boyfriend be the one to stick them in the pot. My problem specifically I guess is the individual life that gets taken. Like the unfortunate mouse or rat that gets picked one day amongst all the others, you know? He gets eaten that day, while the rest of them get at least one or more days of life. Not necessarily that something is dying in general because I know that sort of thing needs to happen for things that eat meat, though I do still feel bad about it, but that's how nature works and I accept that and am grateful for their meat.

I know snakes need to eat, I guess I was just more confused about WHY people choose snakes sometimes. I almost adopted a beautiful and socialized little cornsnake when I was in middle school. It was such a cute snake with amazing colors even though he was just a standard colored. I also fell in love with a little hog nose at one point! He was squirmy and freaking out being held by this guy, and I asked to hold him, and I closed him in a little cave in my hands and he curled up and was calm after that and it was the cutest thing. But after a long while of thinking, I had to decide not to because I wouldn't be able to choose a mouse and tell him he was chosen to die that day (I know that sounds dramatic, but that's kinda how it feels!). If they were somehow able to eat kibbles like a dog, I would probably have one or two snakes too! I know the needs of snakes and they need to have them met. I was so enraged one day when I saw someone who decided to go vegan trying to come up with ideas on how to make their SNAKE vegan too since they decided it was suddenly cruel. A snake is a carnivore and can survive no other way than eating meat. Ugh, people sometimes. I hope they were just joking!


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## Siringo (May 7, 2012)

I value rats over bugs because I don't consider bugs to be aware of their existence. They can be interesting and impressive, but to me they are just bugs. They live to fulfill their duty and nothing else. Even a partially crushed insect will still continue it's life cycle as if nothing happened to it... Rats on the other hand, can think about thinking, just like people! We know that they feel pain, fear, boredom, affection, joy... I understand and totally accept the circle of life, but I think it's significantly more cruel to feed a living animal with such a capacity for intelligence and emotions to a pet when you have the option not to. Of course, this is just my opinion.. I have no idea what bugs feel. I would give my rats the crickets because I'm pretty sure they would benefit and enjoy it a lot more than the crickets would hate it.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Honestly I can't feed anything live to anything else. I take bugs outside rather than squash them if I can. I'm a vegetarian if that matters. I can deal with meat in my animals food because they are somewhat killed "humanely". Bugs not so much when they are being eaten ass first. 
My big problem is that these creatures are alive. Maybe they are self aware maybe not, I've yet to have a meaningful conversation with them. And yes this same logic means I can't possibly know how my rats think. 

I have considered mealworms dried instead. 


As a side note, I think snake owners love the exotic beauty of their pets. Combining the "hierarchy of life" that western thinking gives up (us at top), the idea of "the strong win the weak" (another western concept) and yes even the Christian bible, in which god commands man to rule the earth and subjugate all the beasts to his use. I disagree with many of our speciest philosophy. 


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## Hey-Fay (Jul 8, 2013)

My girls adore mealworms and crickets! They don't get them often though because when I stock up on them they're normally eaten in a day maybe two lol


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## FallDeere (Sep 29, 2011)

I keep suggesting that my mom feed her two gerbils crickets or mealworms, but she compares feeding live bugs to rats/gerbils to feeding live mice/rats to snakes. Plus, we save every cricket unfortunate enough to find its way into our home, so the whole cricket thing bothers her. We only kill spiders, ants, and these roach looking things (as well as a few unidentified bugs) that get into the house. Flies are usually saved. We have a glass backdoor that tends to attract flies, so we just open the door and out they go. Fly little fly! Be free! We also have been saving a LOT of lizards in the house lately... I wanted to keep one as a pet. XD

Anyways, I doubt I ever could feed any bugs to my rats or gerbils that were still alive... I'd consider dried mealworms, but I dunno... My rats can get plenty of protein from scrambled eggs and whatnot without a bug having to lose its life. If it was necessary for my pets' health, I would. Since it's not, why should a creature die when it's unnecessary? Eventually, I'd like to get a bearded dragon which I probably would feed mealworms and crickets _as needed_. My rats are perfectly fine without such things. 

To answer your question about why people choose snakes... On another thread here, someone said they know of or have snakes that do have personalities. I'm not sure about affection, but there is apparently still a bond between the owner and the snake, if it's the right snake. I could never own a snake, but I can appreciate that they are interesting pets. Oh, and there _is_ a snake food that is like a processed sausage as an alternative to live or frozen/thawed. However, cagedbirdsinging posted a link to it a while back, but I can't seem to find it. A few people did warn, though, that a snake probably has to get used to being fed that and no one should get a snake intending to feed it to them unless it already has had a few successful feedings with it. Snakes are picky eaters and it could be dangerous to the snake's health to suddenly expect it to eat a sausage instead of a rat and it may not contain all the nutrients snakes need to be completely healthy.


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## monster_paws (Jan 17, 2013)

I feed my girls crickets. They go absolutely crazy for them, practically climb over each other and shove each other away. They sort of hold them horizontally and eat them like how we'd eat ribs. 

I used to kind of sort of feel a little bad, but I don't think insects are aware of their existence. As for catching wild crickets, they can jump really high, really fast so that if your rat doesn't get a firm grip on them, they can jump out of the cage in a split second and now you have a loose cricket in the house. Also, wild crickets might be exposed to pesticides. I buy my crickets from the pet store. They can't jump and they don't run very fast. Plus they are supposed to be gut loaded with protein.n


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

I feed crickets, and roaches, but I'm weird about feeding live mealies because the rats don't seem to bother with killing them first, they just start eating whichever end is closer and I don't like watching that. With the crickets and roaches they bite their heads until they die/quit fighting. 

I have respect for all life, whether it's a worm, an ant, or a cricket. I do not downplay their mental ability to make myself feel better.

People like me, who love Arachnids and such 'bugs' - I've raised Birdeating tarantulas from 0.25" slings who needed pe-killed baby crickets for food until they were 7-10" mammoths -can't help but have a respect for all life, I had to kill a sling once and it was only slightly easier than putting down a rat. It really depends on where your emotions lie.


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## JBird (May 23, 2013)

My kids get dried mealworms & crickets as treats. They LOVE them! I will probably experiment with live mealworms just to see how it goes over, but quite honestly they're a bit expensive live! I would never feed live crickets or grasshoppers simply because... well, I'm absolutely terrified of them. Phobic, even. I can't do it! I work at pet stores and still panic every time a large cricket crosses my path. Eugh. 

As far as valuing one life over another... it's not quite so black & white. For example, I have a ball python myself and she needs to eat. I feed freshly killed or frozen/thawed home-raised mice. My boyfriend and I kill the mice humanely (with CO2) and are very conscious of reducing the mice's suffering. We make a great effort to improve the gassing process to make the mice more comfortable and also take pretty darned good care of the little guys. We feed them well, give them treats, and handle them. They are healthy, and so our snakes are healthy. Regardless of their fate, I do not value my snake's life over the mouse's. I simply understand that this is where this mouse is going. Neither "deserve" better or worse, etc... it just is the way it is. The mouse had a good life, and will help in prolonging my snake's good life. So, I am thankful for the mice and say a little internal "prayer" of sorts for them. While I'm not religious, this is very important to me with any animal who has lost its life... the acknowledgement that it was alive and will continue to be a part of this earth after its passing. *shrug* That's just how I do it. 

(also, do be cautious!! Topics discussing rats as snake food are strictly prohibited on the forum. Not sure how this pertains to mice & crickets, though!)


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

Please keep feeder rat discussion off this forum please. It's clearly written in the rules that it is not allowed. Rants & Raves may be a better area to discuss it. 

Thanks


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## Finnebon (Jul 15, 2013)

Jaguar said:


> Please keep feeder rat discussion off this forum please. It's clearly written in the rules that it is not allowed. Rants & Raves may be a better area to discuss it.
> 
> Thanks


Ah, I'm sorry. I was debating whether or not to ask that part so I put it as a side note. I was mostly intending to just ask about feeding live crickets/mealworms and the snake idea just kind of came up and went a long with it, and I thought I might it into a small side question out of curiosity. Would you like me to delete that portion that includes snakes in this topic?


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

Crickets bite really hard and they can potentially hurts your rats. I used to have tree frogs who had to eat live crickets and we always got the small ones. 
We went to get crickets at the pet store and they gave us the wrong size. They ended up killing and eating our frogs.

Too many crickets could probably take down a rat.

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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

I also I don't think I could feed my rats crickets.
They creep me out and I couldn't handle watching them eat the crickets.
Once a cricket jumped into my shirt and oh my gosh I screamed bloody murder

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## Daisy (Jul 8, 2013)

Voltage said:


> Crickets bite really hard and they can potentially hurts your rats. I used to have tree frogs who had to eat live crickets and we always got the small ones.
> We went to get crickets at the pet store and they gave us the wrong size. They ended up killing and eating our frogs.
> 
> Too many crickets could probably take down a rat.
> ...


I don't think any cricket stands a chance against a rat! Lol they're pretty avid hunters. You might have an issue if you dropped a rat in a bucket of 1000 crickets (not advocating this!!!), but even then I'd think you would end up with a bucket of dead crickets and one fat, happy rat  I only feed one cricket at a time because I'm kind of scared they'll jump out and I'll have crickets running rampant. Already had that issue when I dropped a cricket keeper fresh from the pet store :/


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## FallDeere (Sep 29, 2011)

Voltage said:


> I also I don't think I could feed my rats crickets.
> They creep me out and I couldn't handle watching them eat the crickets.
> Once a cricket jumped into my shirt and oh my gosh I screamed bloody murder
> 
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When I was young, I was sitting watching my parents in sort of a cobweby building. Suddenly my head itched... I reached to scratch it and found a cricket tangled in my hair. That was one of the most terrifying experiences I've had since I had a lot of trouble getting it out. D: Not sure what I did, but I bet I screamed bloody murder too. XD I was pretty young, so it's all a blur... thankfully. haha.


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## Grawrisher (Sep 10, 2013)

When I had a frog I fed him crickets but one time I got kind of attached to a particular cricket, every time I walked into my room I checked to see if he was still there, he lasted like a week I think, then he died on his own, never got eated


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## Xerneas (Aug 6, 2013)

I do not think that unless you're dealing with extremely naturally aggressive animals, nothing really _officially _makes a "better" option than anything else... A certain kind of animal may be better pets for INDIVIDUALS, however. For me, I could not care less if my herps like me or not. I know that sounds strange, and I do appreciate the love my rats and my cats show me and I return it to them, but I never went into owning herps thinking I'd get a loving and affectionate pet and I am equally happy either way. It is not necessarily important to ME and lots of other reptile owners what a reptile thinks of me and affection doesn't immediately make another pet a better option in my eyes. 

People spend hours cleaning aquariums and hundreds of money on tanks and quality supplies for fish that don't give a hoot about them, but aquariums are beautiful, relaxing and you have something to be proud of. The same applies to owning a reptile... I enjoy setting up the enclosure and making it look pretty, as well as the fascination that an exotic animal from a desert in another country is living on my desk in synthetic nature I've created. If you want something that is affectionate and cuddly, then get rats. If you want something lower maintenance that doesn't THRIVE on socialisation and interaction, I fail to see how a snake isn't as good as any other options in that range. To make a long story short, everyone has different tastes. For people who have a higher preference for animals that are more for display I don't get what better "options" there are. Owning snakes doesn't appeal to you because a relationship and bond with your pet is important to you and that's very understandable! But, snakes being a suitable pet for people who aren't as concerned with cuddliness and want something that won't become lonely without their interaction but can still be satisfying to tend to is equally as understandable. 

I have to feed several dozen insects a day and it's just something I have gotten used to. I do not think the insectivorous animal deserves any better or worse than the insect because all animals deserve equal respect. But I purchased animals with specific dietary needs and it is my responsibility to fulfill those needs, so the insects get fed and that's that. Your choices are your own, and if you are uncomfortable with your rats eating insects, you don't have to do it. There are tons of other tasty treats they'll enjoy, or you can purchase freeze dried. Regardless, the fact that something died to be a treat for your rats won't change no matter which kind you buy, so remember that you have the decision here.


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## Ratatosk (Sep 11, 2013)

Hi! I feed mealworms,dubia roaches,morioworms and crickets to my 6 leopard geckos and earthworms to my 2 axolotl's and we are planning on getting a snake on which we will need to feed frozen rodents (this will be a real test for me but luckily it's my brothers so i won't have much to do with it ) .I am also a person who values every creatures life and used to feel sorry for the poor bugs that become food but i got over it by making sure that the little itty bitty creatures where well fed and cared for before becomming munchies  I love spoiling the little guys it makes me feel less barbaric and that i at least gave them a taste of what a nice life .I have only given my rats mealworms so far as i don't want crickets jumping out the cage lol .Also my Utonagan dog being wolf-like in behaviour likes to hunt rodents so i think i've hardened up and accepted it's just all nature and it happens although i do feel sorry for the their life being taken .I often thank the animals that went into making the food for my pets ect .


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## Grawrisher (Sep 10, 2013)

Xerneas said:


> I do not think that unless you're dealing with extremely naturally aggressive animals, nothing really _officially _makes a "better" option than anything else... A certain kind of animal may be better pets for INDIVIDUALS, however. For me, I could not care less if my herps like me or not. I know that sounds strange, and I do appreciate the love my rats and my cats show me and I return it to them, but I never went into owning herps thinking I'd get a loving and affectionate pet and I am equally happy either way. It is not necessarily important to ME and lots of other reptile owners what a reptile thinks of me and affection doesn't immediately make another pet a better option in my eyes.
> 
> People spend hours cleaning aquariums and hundreds of money on tanks and quality supplies for fish that don't give a hoot about them, but aquariums are beautiful, relaxing and you have something to be proud of. The same applies to owning a reptile... I enjoy setting up the enclosure and making it look pretty, as well as the fascination that an exotic animal from a desert in another country is living on my desk in synthetic nature I've created. If you want something that is affectionate and cuddly, then get rats. If you want something lower maintenance that doesn't THRIVE on socialisation and interaction, I fail to see how a snake isn't as good as any other options in that range. To make a long story short, everyone has different tastes. For people who have a higher preference for animals that are more for display I don't get what better "options" there are. Owning snakes doesn't appeal to you because a relationship and bond with your pet is important to you and that's very understandable! But, snakes being a suitable pet for people who aren't as concerned with cuddliness and want something that won't become lonely without their interaction but can still be satisfying to tend to is equally as understandable.
> 
> I have to feed several dozen insects a day and it's just something I have gotten used to. I do not think the insectivorous animal deserves any better or worse than the insect because all animals deserve equal respect. But I purchased animals with specific dietary needs and it is my responsibility to fulfill those needs, so the insects get fed and that's that. Your choices are your own, and if you are uncomfortable with your rats eating insects, you don't have to do it. There are tons of other tasty treats they'll enjoy, or you can purchase freeze dried. Regardless, the fact that something died to be a treat for your rats won't change no matter which kind you buy, so remember that you have the decision here.


I read the part about spending hundreds on aquarium stuff and started totaling up all I've spent....that's pretty accurate, but I'm a bit of a bleeding heart for "food animals" I have a wonderful tank full of various varieties of goldfish, an because I believe a fish is worth more than where it comes from most of them are from Walmart, I had my fish first but considering my sympathy for "food" I guess it just makes sense that I ended up with rats


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