It's a matter of the payoff though. Sure, it's easier to cut the tail off a single dead rat than a single live rat. But if your goal is to maximize the number

It's a matter of the payoff though. Sure, it's easier to cut the tail off a single dead rat than a single live rat. But if your goal is to maximize the number of rat tails you end up with, cutting it off a live rat is probably worth the additional effort.