Adopting Animals to Use As Feeders

I've noticed that many people put up small animals for adoption for free on craigslist and was wondering if those animals are occasionally used as feeders or if using a persons pet as a prey animal (prekilled) is a taboo subject? Recently I've noticed several ads for mice and rats for free and feel like many of them are likely used as feeder animals. For those species it makes sense to me, but what about other rodents such as hamsters, guinea pigs, and rabbits? I could see them being viewed the same, as they are similar to rats and mice nutritionally and reasonable meals.

Does the same idea translate to animals that our culture views as solely companion animals though? For large monitors and constrictor snakes something like a ferret, bird, or small cat or dog wouldn't be unheard of as a natural prey item. I can see how they would be an appealing source of free feeders, but what about the ethics of feeding someone else's pet to your own? Are people who put up their animals for free adoptions taking an unknown risk that their pet may become a snack for a large reptile?

I am in no way saying that I support adopting companion animals with the intention of killing and using them as prey items, I'm just looking for information from the community.

I could guarantee that many rodents are snatched off craigslist and used as feeders. I personally wouldn't trust it as I would fear the rodents could have parasites. I also don't see anything wrong with doing it though since some people go to the store and buy rats, mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, etc. as feeders when others buy them as pets. If you are giving your pet away you have to accept it may not be used as a pet by the next owner.

Yeah, rodents makes sense to me because they're viewed as normal feeder animals, but what about companion animals out culture doesn't view as food items? I know animal cruelty laws vary greatly by state, but would a person be in violation of them by killing and feeding something like a dog, cat, or bird? I know dogs are eaten and used as feeders in other parts of the world, but our culture treats them as family members in many cases.

i dont even like feeding live mice, let alone rats and hamsters... and cats and dogs? thats horrible! there are domestic pet animals and strains of animals, and then there are feeder animals and strains of animals. i have pet rats (my snakes eat asf rats and feeder mice) and dogs and have known many hamsters, and i can see this causing a outrage..... and if they feed cats and dogs to there snake, i honestly think that should be a few months prison time, but i am biased being an dog owner and owner of many other animals.... anyways, if someone wants to breed any kind of rodent as feeders, im fine with that, but feeding someones beloved pet is just cruel...

I had a friend who kept rats and bred them a few years back. They were his pets. Every few months he culled his stock and gave me the ones that weren't fancy enough for his breeding projects. He new very well what I was doing with them. lol Feeding a cat or a dog is entirely different, which is why I wrote "rodents". Even rabbits being given away could easily become a feeder. The animal may be a pet for you but that doesn't mean the person picking it up has the same plans for it. If people are concerned about what will be happening with their pet they either need to charge a small fee (to deter the free enticement) or they need to know the person who is getting it. Allowing people who you don't know to take your animals is a gamble.

In our local classifies, people who are giving their pets rats, mice or rabbits away they will sometimes mention that they are for pets and not as feeders.

Here is an example;
6 week old hooded rats to good home, NOT FOR FOOD - Halifax Free Pets - Kijiji Halifax Canada.

Being that I had mice and hamsters as pets (including one that was intended on being a feeder mouse), the entire concept of feeding live rodents to reptiles is rather... upsetting, in a way, to me. But then I remember that in the wild, this is part of life. Can't knock nature. I gave away two mice at the end of when I was owning rodents and I suspect they became feeders which doesn't bother me overly much since they were no longer -my- pets. Quite honestly, I think that I would rather my old pets become feeders than be in a small cage with a child where they would likely be mistreated and neglected. Much better as a tasty snack for a snake.

When I was given the rats they weren't fed live. I prekilled them.

Yes they are being used as feeders. I just couldn't have the heart to own a snake!

I looked on craigslist last night and noticed many adds differentiating "these are pets not feeders". I think if someone states that then itd be wrong, otherwise dont ask dont tell.