Passed-on kids saving lives?

[Fidget]

I didn't know where to put a touchy subject like this - I put it here thinking that this is where it's least likely to be seen by someone looking for happier subjects and being upset.
I don't know if it's ok to bring this up but after 10 years of being a ratmom it has come up for me. And I'm thinking maybe despite the initial horror of it that it may have some benefit to ratties and those who feel compelled to save those who can be saved.

As of Astoria's passing I had 15 kids in the deep freeze. It was my intention to take them out to my friend's claim where I have others buried in a lovely place, but it is not where he lives, and quite a ways out, so I was waiting for ground-softening weather.
Recently I thought of the large number and felt it might be better to cremate them and sprinkle their ashes there than dig in the small picket-fenced place that my other kids are in. That seemed a lovely thing to do for them.

Today I saw on the net where someone was asking for frozen ratties to feed their snake. I was first glad to see that they are being as humane as possible and continued on. Then I started to think....

I thought of my full-of-life girl January who was on the net as snake food or pet. I thought of humans dying and donating organs so others could live. I thought of all the free rats on the net as 'pets only' that would be cheaper for a snakeowner to get than a petstore or spca rat if they lied. I thought of ratties being bred specifically to freeze for snakefood.
I thought of my kids in the freezer and their spirits long left, and the lack of benefit to anyone when I buried or cremated them. I thought of how much they had to give in life, and how now their bodies might still be not just remains but be able to give life to others.

If each one is a meal for the snake then each one is one less rattie that may be killed to fulfill the purpose. Each of my kids could not only sustain life for the snake they could save the life of a rattie like January.
This is not lack of love or respect for the value of my kid's bodies, this is recognition of their value .
Just as humans die and give their eyes or their hearts or their livers so others can live, so would my kids be able to give life - to the snake and to another unneccesarily doomed rattie.

So I went back to the ad and I phoned them...

It took a lot of getting past the 'snake' part of it, but I truly feel this is the most respectful thing I can do with each of my babies bodies. Not burn them or bury them to nobody's benefit, but give each of them a chance to give life.
I don't know that 12 lives will be saved, but I'm certain that some will, and the market for frozen ratties will be slightly lessened and it may mean one less litter bred for the purpose. I know that at least one rattie will live to find it's way to arms such as those here and a happy life and will one day enhance heaven for us all because it lived because it was not needed as food.

And that will be because of my babies! Giving life still when they are gone. And that's why I'm ok with this, cause I know that each of them had a loving spirit, and knew love here, and would want to have a hand in making sure that others knew love too before they joined my kids in heaven.

So this is what I've wrestled with and come to peace with. My own journey. I'm not asking for anyone to agree that this is ok for them. But might you think about it? And I know that not every snake parent is willing to feed dead rats to their snakes.
But those of us that love rats, and want so to save every one and agonize over those that are given existence just to feed another animal but are not given lives.... Those of us who lose so many little loved ones in too short a time.

What if we offered our kids bodies on the net? It would cut into the prosperity of breeding for food. It would sure save some lives.
Would it not be rescuing to trade a body for a life?

Not a suggestion to anyone. Just food for thought.

 

[jorats]

I for one think is a great idea. My only concern, is it healthy for the snake? What about the rats that were on meds?

When a rat passes... the body is nothing to me. I know they have gone on, or are hanging around close until I'm ok with them leaving. But their body is only an empty shell.
And if that empty shell can save other precious little lives to sustain another animal then it's worth it.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

I think that idea is a great one.

Not for me personally, as I have my girls cremated and put in urns. But that is just my prefrence, my family knows that when I pass I want to be cremated and have all of my critters mixed with my ashes (morbid to think about :wink: ).

But I agree with you on why not let their life mean something after death, why not let their little body save another from a horrible fate. I think what you are doing is great.

I would be concerned about the same thing as Jo is it safe for the snake if the deceased was on medicine?

I used to feed to dead crickets in my house to my chiclds and then it dawned on me, the crickets died because of the pesticide I spray around my door ways, so am I just slowly poisining my fish? Needless to say I stopped feeding them to the fish and well I am not going to feed live ones to them so they just gets their fishy flakes :lol:

 

[Fidget]

Oh, stupid of me! I was just thinking they are safe for the snake as they weren't diseased. Thanks for pointing that out! They wouldn't be safe if they were put to sleep either, would they?
I went thru my notes and I guess I can only give 4 a chance to make a difference. But I'm grateful that you both agree that it would be a positive thing and not an uncaring thing, thankyou.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

You could always call an exotic vet and see what they think of feeding the others to a snake. You never know the meds may become inactive after time or from being frozen?

 

[ben]

What about the food quality? Would the quality deteriorate after a certain time, as in our own frozen foods having a 'best before' time?
An interesting thread.

 

[Dahlas]

I think it is a good idea to.....as long as it was okay for the snake......
I agree with the comments Jo made...the body is just the shell.....the lovely spirit that lived within is gone.......it is wonderful that you even thought about it...I have a very beloved girl waiting in my fridge to be buried but I know that is only her shell that she is already with her sisters snuggled up in a rattie pile.....

 

[user 78]

The frozen feed that some of us push have been humanely euthanized. I don't believe the products used by the vet would be any different. I would still check with a vet about everything else, preferably someone who sees snakes as well as rats. Or, you could contact your own vet and advise the snake owner to contact their vet. I would be more concerned about concentrations of medications left in the body, since most times we're giving our rats larger doses of highly concentrated meds towards the end.

 

[ashana]

I also think this is a great idea, as the other have pointed out previous meds could be a problems but like with everything may become harmless by being frozen.

The thought of saving just one innocents life is enough to encourage me to do it ;-)

 

[AlexandraBoo]

:shock: I wouldnt be able to think about boos, little body inside a snake.

It would be what he wanted least of his remains.
:cry: i cant even think about boo passing on. He means so much to me, i think i would stop breathing and go into cardiac arrest. Willow too, but boo i have had since he was a tiny tiny bub, and he practically saved my life.
I love him more then i love myself.

I just wouldnt be able to do it....

but it is a good idea...