My friend with the picky python actually had 3 snakes. Sybil was the only one who wouldn't eat predeaded stuff. Of course, she also tried to eat my friend once, mistaking her fingers for mice. She was a kind of psychotic snake. She'd sometimes go into hunt mode despite being recently fed. It was odd to see her try to go after the guinea pigs, which were in large tank. She'd try to wrap herself around the pig through the glass. I don't think she understood glass. The pigs were used to the snakes, so they didn't freak out.
They also had cats, a couple large shaggy dogs, a pony and goats. It was kind of a zoo.
eta: Hee! on the shirt. Of course, wouldn't be wise to wear that to a rural post office when trying to mail something to NM. Might get hit with international rates.
More cat news --
Max had his teeth cleaned yesterday. Apparently had several lesions in his mouth.
We were told to keep him away from the other kitties because he might still be groggy (when a cat gets teeth cleaned, anesthesia is involved....). We tried, but that didn't last long.
On the bright side, his appetite has become much more healthy. He ate more at dinner last night than he had in quite some time (and kept it down -- a concern when coming off anesthesia). And begged some fish from our dinner.
Raquel, I'm not sure what would happen if you wore this one: [link]
You know, up until now, this was just an Urban Legend.
In other fun news, there was a picture in my free paper this morning of robot camel jockeys
I saw that in my local freebi as well! Just the phrase, Robot Camel Jockeys, needs to be a name of a band.
About pets eating pets, I suspect that the domesticated/wild distinction is intended in part to cover this question. In MA, you can't have a pet that is wild, or within X number generations of wild. Ferrets and I think snakes are not legal pets, as well as things like alligators and tigers and bears. (The x generations of wild is for hybrids: if you breed your housecat to a lynx, its offspring are still not considered domesticated.) Since most of the domesticated animals kill prey only rarely, the pets eating pets issue is almost moot.
(I actually don't know whether mice and rats are considered domesticated pets in this state. But the fact is, cats have not been classified as vermin species-wide for a long time, whereas, anybody who rides public transit probably still thinks of mice/rats as vermin.)
Vermin, vermin, vermin. What a cool word.
DH had a corn snake when I met him that I have fed live mice to. She escaped her cage, though, so we don't have her anymore. I don't know if we count as well adjusted.
As The Tick just noted recently, feeding kittens to alligators "is just WRONG!" and that's enough philosophy on the matter for me.
In general I'm not bothered by animals eating other animals. That's what animals do. All the biz about domestication and "pets" seems like a wooby net of rationalization. Cats are predators and kill things all the time: mice, cockroaches, birds et al. It's no fun to be prey, of course, and at least in the wild the mice have a scampering chance.
This morning I watched a few minutes of the Today show because Johnny Depp was supposed to be on. Instead, I saw a long segment about how pushing/pulling heavy furniture can cause it to tip over and hurt you. I didn't know people needed to be alerted to that fact. Apparently someone thinks there should be warning labels on, I don't know exactly, tall dressers and TV sets and things like that.
What would these labels say? "Object is not immune to the laws of physics"? Will someone who doesn't understand gravity actually comprehend a warning label?
I didn't know people needed to be alerted to that fact.
But remember, Strega, we are the people who need coffee lids that say "Contents will be hot."
People are stupid.
Also, on a package of peanuts: MAY CONTAIN PEANUTS.
