Snake didn't eat... What do I do with the live rat pup?

[CoolioTiffany]

If the pup doesn't get it's mother's milk, it will eventually die in a few days. Rat pups cannot survive when they are that young, especially when their eyes are still closed. I was told this because my Dumeril's boa had a f/t mice problem (wouldn't take it.. 2 months of trying!) and so I gave her a rat pup and she took it that night :]
How were you trying to feed your snake? How I got my boa to eat the rat pup was that I put the pup in the enclosure by the snake, turned off ALL of the lights in the room, and closed the door. Every hour I would check, and it took the boa a few hours to take it (all snakes are different, so youre's may take less time or more time). Good luck!

[h00blah]

this is the exact question i asked the guy who sold me live hopper mice... HAHA he showed me how to kill a mouse ><;.... there was NO way i had the backbone to do that LAWL. im so glad my snakes ate teh hoppers....
nooo way....


oh ya, but he basically said put 2 fingers on the back of the head, and 2 fingers at the base of the tail, and pull.... its instant, and its humane... i just cannot do it =D

[STEW]

Put it in a pillow case and smash it on the floor..... You wont see what you are doing so it takes that i just killed something feeling away a lil bit....lol

With a rat that small though, I would just hit it in the head with a spoon and put in a sandwich bag then freeze.... or flush it down the toilet. Think about it, you arent losing any money really cuz if the snake had ate, the rat would be gone.....just offer a fresh one next week. Unless of course u want to try to care for the thing......

[dr del]

Hi,

I'd just like to point out to all the people who say "bash it against a wall" that doing so is animal abuse and could result in you going to court and losing the right to keep any animals at all.

Keep it humane or keep it to yourself.


dr del

[ballpythonluvr]

I had a rat pup that my snake refused to eat once. I bought some soy based infant formula at the grocery store and fed it. I kept the rat pup alive long enough for my snake to eat it at his next scheduled feeding. The soy based infant formula was recommended by a website that I found online on how to care for orphaned rats. By no means should you freeze or whack the rat pup. That is just inhumane. You need to be prepared to deal with the fact that your snake may not always eat a meal and that you may be stuck with a live rat or mouse. Good Luck to you.

[STEW]

I'd just like to point out to all the people who say "bash it against a wall" that doing so is animal abuse and could result in you going to court and losing the right to keep any animals at all.

No kidding? I cant believe that, what about mouse traps and such? I dont see the difference. Glue traps are the worst, then you have to drown the thing or let it suffer for real and just throw it out to die from either lack of water or most likely suffocation due to the glue ending up in the nasal cavity and the mouth being glued shut from trying to get off the pad........ Would it be ok if you bought a mouse trap and put the mouse and trap in an enclosure together prior to feeding? Im just wondering because Ive never heard anyone say that before.

On a side note.....I could positively say without a doubt, that I would rather drive my motorcycle into a wall at 100 mph than to die not being able to breathe while my bones are being crushed. I feel I am being humane to the dirty little creatures......

[dr del]

Hi,

The difference being one is a wild animal classed as vermin which you are legally allowed to kill and the other is an animal you own classed as a pet which you are legally obliged to take care of and treat well.

And I'd rather I was the first person explaining that to you rather than a judge or animal welfare officer.


dr del

[STEW]

I see, so i need to let it escape first for a few days... Guess F/T is the way to go. I have always prekilled just because I have this notion that a thawed out dead animal is going to smell horrid..... Im probably wrong on that but I have a mental block

[knott00]

I see, so i need to let it escape first for a few days... Guess F/T is the way to go. I have always prekilled just because I have this notion that a thawed out dead animal is going to smell horrid..... Im probably wrong on that but I have a mental block

Honestly, I can't smell my thawed mice at all. As long as you freeze it as soon as it's dead, you won't have to worry about the smell.

[Elise.m]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I didn't leave it in overnight. I don't think she would have eaten. She's been home since Saturday, the breeder told us to try feeding her in 2-3 days. Which I should have known to wait 7, but we decided to try.

When he was showing us the snake, she hissed at him about 3 times when he picked her up and was just turning her around so we could see her. My BF had a gut feeling that she might be a picky one that would give us trouble, but didn't share that feeling with me. Does anyone think this might be the case? I didn't ask for a feeding record cuz he said "Well we have so many babies we can't keep track" So I'm gonna call today and ask again in case another employee knows. After all, she was the last lemon pastel, you'd think someone would remember.