I tried to do the right thing (why I will now only feed F/T)

[Hartman3216]

I have a small BP collection so my need for feeders are rather small. I recently went to a reptile show (Manassas, VA) and purchased both live (9) and frozen rodents. As of this afternoon I was down to my last two live rats and I decided I would try to make their temporary home as comfortable as possible (I TRIED TO DO THE RIGHT THING). I was going to clean out the wood chips, shells, poop and all that good stuff. Now I'm sure I'm not the only who has had to deal with some rats or mice that don't care to be handled and freak out a little, well I got one into the container but as I was grabbing the other one I noticed 1/2 a second to late that I didn't latch the lid onto the container....so the first rat makes a break for the open fields of my room!! I put the second rat back in the cage snap it shut and begin the FREAK OUT!!!

It felt like an episode of Tom & Jerry trying to grab this thing, we're constantly running back and forth from one side of the room to the other. I don't feel like I'm an idiot but if there was a camera set up you would see us run all over my room for about 15-20 minutes. At one point I had him trapped under my bedside table and was able to grab him with my feeder tongs, but mid-air he freaked out, which freaked me out and he was off running into my closet. I noticed by the bedside table there was some blood, so now I'm thinking this rat is bleeding from somewhere and is going to get it everywhere! I get him trapped back there and as I pick him up with my hands he lets out this blood curdling scream and I in turn scream "SWEET JESUS" and drop him. I felt like at that point he knew his freak outs would free him every time so he's not actually scared, he just doesn't want to go back to the cage. Well I get him trapped under the same bedside table and a beautiful plan pops into my head, since the tongs didn't work and my hand doesn't fit under the table, I'll send in some reinforcements!

I pull out my buddy Puck and set him under the table and start the waiting game/catch my breath. Puck decided this was a perfect time to play another round of the staring game with me (see my post here http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...9-Do-they-ever ). I thought he understood what my plan was because I talked him through what I needed him to do, apparently he didn't hear me. I get another genius idea (I'm full of them) and I start blowing air under the table to get that rat smell moving around. After I adjust Puck a little to see the rat, its back to the waiting/sweating game. I have no problems with my BPs taking their time to eat but I wanted this event over, I kinda had a lot of carnage to clean up. After another 10-15 minutes of labored breathing and contemplation of whether a fully grown man is allowed to cry at this point with no shame, I finally hear the rat scream from Puck striking at him and I let out a huge sigh of relief while looking at the war zone that is my room from throwing things all over the place.

After tipping the table so I could watch Puck finish off the rat and then eat him, I looked around the room a little closer and notice another blood smear that couldn't possibly come from the rat....cue the realization that I was the one bleeding everywhere. So now I have a battle wound and room that has the cleanliness of a four year old after a long day of playing with his toys. So that is why I will now be feeding all my BPs F/T from here on out.

[elbee]

Wow. Sounds like quite the ordeal. Lol. Did you get bit or run into something that made you bleed?

[Hartman3216]

Wow. Sounds like quite the ordeal. Lol. Did you get bit or run into something that made you bleed?

I'm not 100% sure, I'm hoping run into something but probably was bit by the rat and will be infected with something and get really sick.....If nobody hears from me on the board in the next few days, we'll all know why! JK I think it was when I tried to make a diving grab for the rat and bumped a different table.

[Royal Chick]

Okay, I know this was really traumatizing.... but.... this is totally sounding like something I would have happen to me!

[Rob]

Don't feel bad I know I have been there before. Had a rodent jump out of a rack when I was turning for another. Spent about an hour running around the basement. It took myself and both of my cats to get the darn thing.

[33rpm]

Next time, have this playing in the background...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK6TXMsvgQg

[Wapadi]

And this is another exccellant point made on the joys of owning a small well trained dog. We trained our new dachshund puppy last year to track rats, mice and asfs. It has been great fun and if any ever hit the floor and run he either points to them or traps them! Its awesomea and was really easy to do. So about 3-4 months ago we uped the stacks and put a ball under a blanket and told him to find it, AND HE DID!!! Pointed right at him after one trip around the livingroom. Hahahahaha no more sweating escapees!!!

[Hartman3216]

And this is another exccellant point made on the joys of owning a small well trained dog. We trained our new dachshund puppy last year to track rats, mice and asfs. It has been great fun and if any ever hit the floor and run he either points to them or traps them! Its awesomea and was really easy to do. So about 3-4 months ago we uped the stacks and put a ball under a blanket and told him to find it, AND HE DID!!! Pointed right at him after one trip around the livingroom. Hahahahaha no more sweating escapees!!!

Sadly my dog has a hard enough time remembering his own name, so tracking a rodent may be a little too much for him HA

[Hartman3216]

Next time, have this playing in the background...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK6TXMsvgQg

I normally have Pantera or some other heavy metal band playing when its feeding time, looks like I'll have to add that for rodent cleaning time!

[barbie.dragon]

Oh my god this is hilarious! Sorry for laughing at your tr a umatic ordeal but it was too funny!

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