Alternate meal plan for ball python

Question
Dear Eric,

My new friend and perhaps someday partner has a ball python. I am a mouse
fanatic and very devoted to rats and mice.  Mice and rats are far smarter and
people-friendly than snakes, so the idea of feeding live rodents to snakes is a
horrifying one to me.  Isn't there something else it can eat? Raw meat?  Even...
frozen rat pinkies, if I didn't have to see them, would be better; i could hope
that they were frozen in a humane way, which I guess I should doubt.  
Actually it's probably big enough for whole rats.  There's got to be some way
of feeding this animal without breaking my heart.  Please help!

Natasha

Answer
Hi Natasha,

I don't know what to say. Ball Pythons eat live rodents in the wild.
Feeding other things can deprive the snake of its much needed nutrients.

Another thing you can do is to have your potential future partner feed his snake when you are not there.

Here is a list of other items you could feed.
Small lizards
baby chicks
baby rabbits (pink with no fur)

The only problem is the nutritional facts. You can also purchased frozen rodents that you can thaw out in warm water and then feed. If you don't like the live prey idea. Most of the frozen rodents were put to sleep in a humane way. If you do not like seeing the rodent killed then this would be the best route. It is hard though sometime to get a snake to switch from live prey to frozen thawed. It may take some time, meaning that the snake may not eat for a couple months. This time is not going to have any ill affect on the snake so it is ok.

I hope this helps,
Eric Rovegno
www.ballpythonplanet.com