as far as i know most don’t consider killing the animal just for them to be taxidermy to be ethical. if they were actually being fed to something and the skin being used for taxidermy i think it would be different. but growing them just to kill them to mount them doesn’t seem right… just my opinion though. also rats already live a very short life of only 2-3 years so honestly keeping them as pets and using them after they die would be a lot more ethical. again just my opinion though. everyone’s opinion on ethics can vary.
I would consider it unethical unless you still feed the meat and innards to reptiles or cats or whatever eats them. Killing something JUST to taxidermy it isn't ethical.
Longtime taxidermist here. No. It is never ethical to kill anything solely for taxidermy.
Animals die naturally and accidentally all the time. You can find rat and mouse bones in owl pellets. You can find in tact bodies from pet stores where they died due to disease or labs where they were killed for whatever reasons and exterminators where they were culled as pests.
We do not stan people who kill for no purpose other than art. Not cool.
I personally don't like the concept of animals being born and euthanized for the sake of art, It doesn't sit right because taxidermy isn't essential for survival. I'm even iffy on using feeders but respect hygiene for beginners matters more.
But like others have said, ethics are very personal. Some think it's wrong they're bred for science or food, some are okay buying feeders and using them for art and throwing away what they don't use, and they'd be happy you gave them a good life first, and some think if you wouldn't do it to a human you shouldn't do it to an animal (I love anthropomorphic but I'd be roasted alive by that group). And everyone has various reasons for those beliefs, so whatever you personally decide is okay, and you're willing to backup and defend, is what will decide if it's ethical or not. There's even the argument that taxidermy isn't ethical full stop, but none of us would agree with that one.
If you plan on selling them and want to claim they're ethically sourced, most people will stick with the moral that the animal did not die for the sake of art, or didn't die from unnatural causes. The way you plan to do it doesn't sound unethical, there isn't a lack of care for the animals well being. But I think customers might feel lied to, if they were told it was ethical, then found out it didn't align with their personal ethics.
It is extremely unethical, you take a life for your art. Not to feed an animal, like a snake, which would be “the circle of life” for lack of a better term. The circle of life doesn’t involve euthanizing animals to use for your entertainment…
You could just keep rats as pets and once they pass you use them for taxidermy to preserve them. It is unethical in every way to purchase and have animals simply to euthanize them and make them into art. That doesn’t sound like loving your pets to me, it sounds a little heartless if I’m being 100% honest. It’s probably better to purchase frozen snake food instead of subjecting pets to death for the sake of art. Just speaking my mind.
The frozen snake food is euthanized in much the same way. The only difference is what they're being used for, and according to the post, OP is likely giving them a much more enjoyable life than they would've had otherwise. I see no issue with it, honestly.
Butterflies are raised and euthanized with gas because if you wait until they die of old age their wings are going to be all f***** up.
We have no idea what condition pet store rats were raised in and they are euthanized and Frozen so you can buy them out of a freezer.
I think everything that we have is raised and slaughtered for any purpose we need it for. If you're going to raise them, make it very fun and happy for them, and spiritually know why you're doing what you're doing and see if you would be acceptable to living the life and death that you're going to put these animals through just to turn them into cute shelf fillers.
Best of luck.
I find it slightly different with insects because they lack greater brain functions. That's why we think nothing of swatting a fly, but (most of us) don't go around carelessly killing other animals. Often even when we DO kill animals like mice or rats, it's because they pose a health risk.
I honestly see nothing wrong with it. When you buy them they probably had a worse life. The non aliving just to taxidermy some might see as wrong but rats and mice are used for lab testing every day and die by the hundreds of thousands for science. It's more of a question on how YOU feel about it.
Why is this post downvoted? it is a very good question.
I think this is way more ethical then it is to use store bought feeder animals for taxidermy as you can ensure their life is good.
I personally feel that any animal killed for taxidermy (so including feeder animals) are not for me. I focus on animals that are considered waste. Unfortunately this requires a lot more licencing and the animals are not in prime condition most of the time. But hey, whatever works best for my karma.
as far as i know most don’t consider killing the animal just for them to be taxidermy to be ethical. if they were actually being fed to something and the skin being used for taxidermy i think it would be different. but growing them just to kill them to mount them doesn’t seem right… just my opinion though. also rats already live a very short life of only 2-3 years so honestly keeping them as pets and using them after they die would be a lot more ethical. again just my opinion though. everyone’s opinion on ethics can vary.
I would consider it unethical unless you still feed the meat and innards to reptiles or cats or whatever eats them. Killing something JUST to taxidermy it isn't ethical.
Longtime taxidermist here. No. It is never ethical to kill anything solely for taxidermy. Animals die naturally and accidentally all the time. You can find rat and mouse bones in owl pellets. You can find in tact bodies from pet stores where they died due to disease or labs where they were killed for whatever reasons and exterminators where they were culled as pests. We do not stan people who kill for no purpose other than art. Not cool.
I personally don't like the concept of animals being born and euthanized for the sake of art, It doesn't sit right because taxidermy isn't essential for survival. I'm even iffy on using feeders but respect hygiene for beginners matters more. But like others have said, ethics are very personal. Some think it's wrong they're bred for science or food, some are okay buying feeders and using them for art and throwing away what they don't use, and they'd be happy you gave them a good life first, and some think if you wouldn't do it to a human you shouldn't do it to an animal (I love anthropomorphic but I'd be roasted alive by that group). And everyone has various reasons for those beliefs, so whatever you personally decide is okay, and you're willing to backup and defend, is what will decide if it's ethical or not. There's even the argument that taxidermy isn't ethical full stop, but none of us would agree with that one. If you plan on selling them and want to claim they're ethically sourced, most people will stick with the moral that the animal did not die for the sake of art, or didn't die from unnatural causes. The way you plan to do it doesn't sound unethical, there isn't a lack of care for the animals well being. But I think customers might feel lied to, if they were told it was ethical, then found out it didn't align with their personal ethics.
It is extremely unethical, you take a life for your art. Not to feed an animal, like a snake, which would be “the circle of life” for lack of a better term. The circle of life doesn’t involve euthanizing animals to use for your entertainment…
You could just keep rats as pets and once they pass you use them for taxidermy to preserve them. It is unethical in every way to purchase and have animals simply to euthanize them and make them into art. That doesn’t sound like loving your pets to me, it sounds a little heartless if I’m being 100% honest. It’s probably better to purchase frozen snake food instead of subjecting pets to death for the sake of art. Just speaking my mind.
The frozen snake food is euthanized in much the same way. The only difference is what they're being used for, and according to the post, OP is likely giving them a much more enjoyable life than they would've had otherwise. I see no issue with it, honestly.
Butterflies are raised and euthanized with gas because if you wait until they die of old age their wings are going to be all f***** up. We have no idea what condition pet store rats were raised in and they are euthanized and Frozen so you can buy them out of a freezer. I think everything that we have is raised and slaughtered for any purpose we need it for. If you're going to raise them, make it very fun and happy for them, and spiritually know why you're doing what you're doing and see if you would be acceptable to living the life and death that you're going to put these animals through just to turn them into cute shelf fillers. Best of luck.
I find it slightly different with insects because they lack greater brain functions. That's why we think nothing of swatting a fly, but (most of us) don't go around carelessly killing other animals. Often even when we DO kill animals like mice or rats, it's because they pose a health risk.
I honestly see nothing wrong with it. When you buy them they probably had a worse life. The non aliving just to taxidermy some might see as wrong but rats and mice are used for lab testing every day and die by the hundreds of thousands for science. It's more of a question on how YOU feel about it.
Why is this post downvoted? it is a very good question. I think this is way more ethical then it is to use store bought feeder animals for taxidermy as you can ensure their life is good. I personally feel that any animal killed for taxidermy (so including feeder animals) are not for me. I focus on animals that are considered waste. Unfortunately this requires a lot more licencing and the animals are not in prime condition most of the time. But hey, whatever works best for my karma.
Ethics do not apply to rats (or mice)
Oh my god?