Finally got my BP to feed with no hesitance!

[queenelvis82]

Hey all!
I posted a thread not too long ago about how my BP is very hesitant when I try to feed her small rats. She is definitely big enough for them, but I would heat the rat 4 - 5 times before she would take it. I think my problem was that I thawed the rat all day (6 - 7 hours.) I tried to feed her last night, after the rat had been sitting out for several hours, and after 20 minutes I gave up and left the prey in her enclosure overnight. Checked it this morning and she did not touch the rat. Soooo, tonight, after work, I thawed another one for about 2 hours. Once I picked up the rat to see if it was completely thawed, the smell hit me. Gozer noticed it as well because she was out of her hide and amped up. I warmed the rat for about 30 seconds, presented it to her and she nailed it in less than 5 seconds!

Leaving a rat out all day to thaw is what I have done since I got my BP and her feeding response has always been with hesitance. From now on, I plan on letting it thaw for a couple of hours so that the smell will be extremely fresh!

For all of the new owners that run into feeding problems, please try this method and see if it helps.

For all the veterans, please let me know if you think that this method is the reason why Gozer snatched her prey so fast.

Thanks everybody!
Cheers!

[dr del]

How long ( and how ) you defrost can definitely have a big impact on feeding response.

Some of mine like them whiffy and some like them fresher.

Also pre-scenting can have a huge impact - defrosting them in the fridge doesn't do that but near the cage does.

Most of the learning we do is learning the individual quirks of our pets when it comes right down to it.

[queenelvis82]

I agree! I'm relieved that I found out why Gozer has been a problem feeder and fixed the situation.
Thanks for the post!

[Velrys]

Awesome!

Also I found that thawing them for a long period of time in the fridge (long because it takes a while not long on purpose) can keep the relative freshness.

Happy eaters are great congrats!

[AdamE]

Congrats! Always good to hear a success story. I second the pre-scenting tactic. My BP eats almost instantly when I offer now that I thaw and heat his food near the enclosure. Big difference for sure.