• Posted 12/19/2024.
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    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
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    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

Man feeds kitten to burmese python in UK

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Text:

A hunt has been launched for a sadistic pet owner who filmed himself feeding a kitten to a python.

The vile video, entitled Python Christmas, shows a man in his 20s carrying the kitten called Jasmine into a bedroom in a Santa hat and then placed on a bed.
Lurking half-hidden under a pillow lay a yellow Burmese python, which can grow up to 19ft long and is one of the largest snakes in the world.
Scroll down for video - graphic footage

Killer: A yellow Burmese python which can grow as long as 19ft and squeezes its prey to death


Evil: The callous thug carries the kitten in a Santa hat to the bed where he appears to play with it


The bait: The kitten is distracted and moments later the python pounces and wraps its coils around its prey

Jasmine is seen slowly walking across the bed until the thug distracts her and she fatally turns her back on the danger.

The snake pounces, wrapping the kitten in its coils as it squeezes the life out of the playful animal.

Once the kitten's tail stops moving the snake swallows her whole — head first. Its cries of agony are drowned out by the Christmas song Little Drummer Boy playing in the background of the video.

At the end of the seven-minute footage there is a chillingly threat of more 'feeding videos'. It was posted on a site called Flix from an account registered in Islington, north London.


Horror: Last moments for the kitten as the snake squeezes the animal then swallows it head first

The video shows the kitten disappearing in the python's mouth

If caught, the sicko faces six months' jail and a £20,000 fine for causing unnecessary suffering under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Among the few clues to his identity are that he is a fan of the Disney film Aladdin. Images and songs from the movie have been posted on his YouTube site.

An RSPCA spokeswoman said: 'There is no excuse for feeding a live cat to a python.'

Vet Pete Wedderburn told the Sun: 'The kitten is probably no older than four months. It has no hiding place and can't get away. These are the actions of a sadistic human being.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tic-thug-fed-kitten-python.html#ixzz1fhgEcf1R
Click to expand...

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...twisted-sadisctic-thug-fed-kitten-python.html
WARNING: There are pictures from the video on the news article.

I was recently informed about this...

This makes me shake with anger and disbelief. I almost don't know how to react except to be horrified and sad for the kitten, disgusted by the person who did this, and terrified for what it means for python keepers. A bundle of negative emotions...

Of course in the comments, everyone is yelling for pythons to be banned...

I thought it was just a myth that this thing happens, and the "cat eater" name was the public reacting with a fear of large snakes on unfounded accusations...

I feel so disappointed with humanity...
 
I feed cute little rats and bunnies and guinea pigs to my burmese pythons and retics all the time... The only reason people are outraged is because of the stigma associated with more commonly owned "pet" animals. I don't feed cats or dogs to my snakes but I don't see how it is any different than feeding chickens, rodents, or insects to reptiles.

It just sucks that the news picks up on stuff like this and villainizes the reptile community.
 
I feel it's very different. Those prey items are typically raised for that purpose and what the snake would legitimately eat in nature (or is close - rodents and birds in general). There is no legitimate reason to feed a cat or dog to a reptile. Animals have to eat but a kitten is not an appropriate prey item.

Perhaps I'm wrong but that's my gut reaction. It also serves to only damage the reptile community... but at least the news article is putting the blame on the person who did it, and not the snake.
 
I agree with you, Julie! I think it's wrong to feed a cat to a snake. I think that anyone who DOES do that should get in deep trouble.

mice, rats, and the others are different because that's what they naturally eat. Even though I will never feed anything but mice and rats to snakes, doesn't mean I don't understand rabbits being fed to them, but hamsters and guinea pigs have always baffled me.
 
reptilebaby said:
because that's what they naturally eat. .
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Im pretty sure if a small feline walked past a python over in Asia he would eat it in a heartbeat. Thats natural.

Its just blown up because its a kitten. That actually might save money, there are so many cats on the street.......
 
Nom,nom,nom!!! That would take care of the thousands of cats and kittens put down each year at the pound.Dont know what they do with them, throw them away or make more cat food out of them???? Any one know what they do with all those animals??

Personally rats are far smarter then bunnies or guinea pigs, dont know if this should be a criteria for feeders or not or is it just how cute they are. ...The guy was an idiot for making a video...Not saying it was right either, it is sick and thats why he put it on video, to shock people.Of course it makes all snake owners look bad.

Personally I hate mice so dont mind feeding them.I always feel bad feeding rats, even prekilled ones.
 
Breaking News from Charleston, WV:
Young man feeds cute bunny to demon python.
-I fed an adult rabbit to my large male reticulated python, who only eats live. The rabbit was cute, am I now going to face thousands of dollars of fines and jail time? I think not.

This feeding was no different from any other. Food is food.
 
Of course it makes all snake owners look bad.
Click to expand...

I anticipate there's going to be a petition circulating around the internet to ban large constrictors soon on account of this situation... just like the exotic animal hate that came from the release of all those tigers and bears.

Sigh...


I fed an adult rabbit to my large male reticulated python, who only eats live. The rabbit was cute, am I now going to face thousands of dollars of fines and jail time? I think not.
Click to expand...

My understanding that feeding live in the UK (regardless of animal) is illegal and comes with that fine. I don't think they discriminate on prey species. A news article about it probably would be the same.

This feeding was no different from any other. Food is food.
Click to expand...
I respect your opinion that it was the same. It just isn't for me. Cat bias here.
 
The repercussions from this will be felt.
 
Here's an interesting video discussing the issue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=478corjfet4

I personally think there is no difference morally between feeding a rat and feeding a cat to a snake. Anyone who has worked with rats for even a short time knows that they are intelligent social creatures with emotions. It's interesting that people have granted dogs and cats so many rights, while we seem to have no problem at all with slaughtering other intelligent animals for food. It's pretty irrational.

Feeding live vs dead is a separate issue. I personally feel (for what should be obvious reasons morally) that live prey should never be offered unless necessary.

Anyways, I don't expect many people to agree with this stance for a long time, we've only recently started using science to shape our morals. This is bad, bad news for snake keepers.
 
Method919 said:
I personally think there is no difference morally between feeding a rat and feeding a cat to a snake. Anyone who has worked with rats for even a short time knows that they are intelligent social creatures with emotions. It's interesting that people have granted dogs and cats so many rights, while we seem to have no problem at all with slaughtering other intelligent animals for food. It's pretty irrational.
Click to expand...

:iagree: :bow01:
 
I can't begin to explain why, but many Americans (myself included) have a very visceral reaction to anything eating a cat. I love snakes, don't particularly like cats, and it still grosses me out.
I recall seeing a National Geographic special where they determined that live rodents (they used mice and rats) show no fear of being enclosed with a snake until the moment of their demise. I think a kitten would be afraid, and that would be cruel.


Noelle
 
Anyone know if it's illegal to feed live animals in the UK? I know they've got some pretty strict husbandry laws over in some European countries.
 
rcarichter said:
I can't begin to explain why, but many Americans (myself included) have a very visceral reaction to anything eating a cat. I love snakes, don't particularly like cats, and it still grosses me out.
I recall seeing a National Geographic special where they determined that live rodents (they used mice and rats) show no fear of being enclosed with a snake until the moment of their demise. I think a kitten would be afraid, and that would be cruel.


Noelle
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I think this might be because dogs and cats are highly publicized as the main human companion animals and characterized as pets that love us. Rats and mice are characterized as vermin that are meant to be extinguished. The way culture influences our opinions of various animals shapes our opinions toward feeding them to other animals I think.

I'm watching Bill Flowers' video and thinking over the moral dilemma.
 
ball pythons don't eat laboratory rats in the wild either. better not feed them those, it's unnatural
 
I don't see how a kitten would somehow be afraid while a rat or mouse would not? Instinctively, a rodent would be the natural prey and MORE likely to fear a snake, so if a rodent does not fear a snake, why would you assume that a cat would automatically fear the snake?

And according to the description, the kitten was not fearful, it was playing and oblivious until the snake struck. Therefor it didn't fear, it simply was struck and killed the same as a rat or rabbit.

I think the video WILL hurt reptile keeping because people assume that a cat dying is somehow morally reprehensable, but killing a cow, goat or chicken is fine. Pets have a elevated status, because many of the public own a dog or cat and love it and live with it every day. Therefor they feel sympathy towards any dog or cat that is in peril, harmed or killed. They DON'T live with cows, chickens or goats normally and many of the public might never have seen a cow in person EVER, much less lived with one. No connection. Does it make it right to slaughter a cow but cry over a cat? No, in my opinion it does not. In my opinion, people should respect the fact that the cow they eat died to feed them.

I think feeding kittens or cats to snake is dangerous, for the snakes. A cat's mouth is full of needle-like teeth that puncture deep in a narrow wound channel that closes at the skin level and festers underneath. Plus a cat has a ton of bacteria that will cause festering as well.

So I would oppose snake owners publicly feeding dogs and cats to their snakes, especially live(due to the danger) in order to avoid bad publicity. But personally, an animal is an animal and should be dispatched as humanely as possible. Rats are intelligent social critters, but I feed them to my pythons. I make certain the snakes kill them quickly, or I step in and end the rat myself. My lousy feeding spyder can't kill a rodent easily every time so I pre-kill her rodents. Almost every feeding other than her, the rodent is unconscious/dead within seconds.
 
lauraleellbp said:
Anyone know if it's illegal to feed live animals in the UK? I know they've got some pretty strict husbandry laws over in some European countries.
Click to expand...

Unless the person has a statement from a vet, indicating that it live prey is required, yes. (at least according to what I have read over the years) It might just be the purchasing of live prey as feeders that is prohibited, though...
 
This is not a moral issue, its an common sense issue. There is a HUGE fucking difference between rats and cats. Cats are one of the most affectionate creatures in the world. They make excellent companion animals, and You DO NOT feed companion animals to ANYTHING.

Rats are responsible for the transmission of over 70 diseases. Their feeding habits are destructive and their nesting behaviors can compromise the structure of infested buildings. It was they (not cats) that carried the fleas that spread the bubonic plague in the 17th century. Rats are nasty creatures and deserve to end up as snake shit.
 
Ok, first this isn't "Hell" and you can't say that word here...you should probably edit before you get points, if you haven't gotten them already. Second, as far as destruction, eating habits, and transmitable diseases, cats win that one by a long shot!!! Think of all the Ferals that are literally taking over... So I do not agree with you.
 
kidfixer - On the off chance that I am mistaken about you registering your name under a false name, you can send a copy of your ID to faunaIDchecker@yahoo.com.
If you would like to correct your name field entry, that step will still be required (if you used a false name once, there is no reason to believe that you won't do it again)
 
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