Does tough love really work?

[thefnshow66]

I'm currently trying to switch my 08 pinstripe from f/t mice to f/t rats. Everytime I offer, he seems really interested in it but never strikes. I always cave in and give him a mouse after an hour or so of leaving the rat in his enclosure. Yesterday I tried again, but this time i rubbed the rat with a mouse hoping this would work but nothing happened. I didn't end up caving in this time and now I'm hoping that if I wait a week or two, he'll cave in and take a rat. Does anybody know if this method works? What were your experiences with this situation? Can anybody else recommend a different method to try to convert this guy into rats?

[bamf64]

I'm currently trying to switch my 08 pinstripe from f/t mice to f/t rats. Everytime I offer, he seems really interested in it but never strikes. I always cave in and give him a mouse after an hour or so of leaving the rat in his enclosure. Yesterday I tried again, but this time i rubbed the rat with a mouse hoping this would work but nothing happened. I didn't end up caving in this time and now I'm hoping that if I wait a week or two, he'll cave in and take a rat. Does anybody know if this method works? What were your experiences with this situation? Can anybody else recommend a different method to try to convert this guy into rats?

ive heard and seen the method of "tough love" when feeding frozen thawed rodents to work well about 80% of the timel. thats what i plan on doing with my girl, keep offering f/t until she takes it. it should work if you stick your mind do it .MAKE SURE YOUR KEEPING TRACK OF HER WEIGHT THOUGH.

Good lucK!

[Darkice]

Try a bait and switch. Show him the food item he loves. Put it close enough to get his interest but not close enough for him to strike. Make him cross the cage for it. Then when he is good and hungry switch it out for the other item.
I just did this one one of my balls that would not take a F/t and its working.

[tank4102]

try makin a small incision on the nose just enough for a little bit of blood to show. it works on live prey, try it to see if it works on f/t

[HeartAche]

The tough love method definitely works. I have a 07 male that would only eat live mice and now he is a f/t monster. Its strange because his feeding response is alot better now that hes on f/t rats. The key is to not give up, atleast not so soon. If hes an 08 then he should be able to go a couple weeks without food. Also something you may try is a scenting. Prescent with the f/t mouse and then offer the rat.

[rabernet]

try makin a small incision on the nose just enough for a little bit of blood to show. it works on live prey, try it to see if it works on f/t

I sincerely hope that someone isn't making an incision on a live prey item..

I can only speak on converting from live mice to live rats. Tough love worked for me every time. It might take 4 to 5 weeks, but all of my former mousers are on rats. No braining, no incisions, no stunning of live prey. Just live prey offered as live prey, once a week until they were finally hungry enough to take it.

[bamf64]

I sincerely hope that someone isn't making an incision on a live prey item..

I can only speak on converting from live mice to live rats. Tough love worked for me every time. It might take 4 to 5 weeks, but all of my former mousers are on rats. No braining, no incisions, no stunning of live prey. Just live prey offered as live prey, once a week until they were finally hungry enough to take it.

hello rabernet, i am going to start to try and convert my 09 female on to f/t. she ate last on friday so i suppose i will try tomorow.
any tips for my first try?

and i will weigh her every week to make sure she isnt loosing weight.

[thefnshow66]

The tough love method definitely works. I have a 07 male that would only eat live mice and now he is a f/t monster. Its strange because his feeding response is alot better now that hes on f/t rats. The key is to not give up, atleast not so soon. If hes an 08 then he should be able to go a couple weeks without food. Also something you may try is a scenting. Prescent with the f/t mouse and then offer the rat.

How long did it take for your 07 male to finally take a f/t rat? I'm trying to be realistic about this situation. I'm giving myself a good solid month to see if he'll take a f/t rat. He has some weight, he's almost 700 grams so I know i can wait that long. I'm trying a f/t rat pup because even though he can take a f/t small rat, I hear feeding smaller when it's time to convert from mice to rat works. I just find it amazing that out of all the balls i've tried to convert, he's the only one giving me trouble. All the other balls I've switched gave me no issue.

[HeartAche]

Well he was about 700 grams or a little less when I started the conversion. It took about a month and a half. I hear they can go a few months without food but im sure that after a month or 2 your boy will be hungry enough to take the rat. I cant give a definite answer on my methods because I went from live mice straight to f/t rats so I had him in a scented enclosure for the first 3 feedings. Although, I have a feeling that if I didnt use the scenting enclosure he would have taken the rats either way.

[rabernet]

hello rabernet, i am going to start to try and convert my 09 female on to f/t. she ate last on friday so i suppose i will try tomorow.
any tips for my first try?

and i will weigh her every week to make sure she isnt loosing weight.

I wouldn't use the "tough love" approach on a f/t conversion on an '09.

At that age, if your husbandry is spot on and she's been eating consistently, it shouldn't be a hard conversion to do.

Make sure that you are using tongs to hold the prey, and make sure that it's warmed up properly, with no frozen middle. Hold the nose of the prey onto a heat lamp for about 10 seconds, or heat it up with a blow dryer to give your snake a heat signature to target.

Try to move the mouse as a live one would, without being too "in your face" with the snake.

Good luck!