Thawing F/T - refreeze

Can you do that? I'm assuming the answer is No, but I am checking. If I've thawed out a rat and she doesn't eat it, it's been in the fridge for 2 days can I refreeze it?

Thanks,

i would say no if it has been in the fridge for 2 days. i do sometimes refreeze if i get one that isnt taken, but right after its offered. Sometimes it will get fed off the next time, and if it doesnt it gets thrown out. But with corn snakes and a growing female boa its rare that i have one that does not get taken.

I wouldn't refreeze. Once a feeder is only slightly thawed (in the fridge or actually being warmed for feeding) it goes in the trash if no one wants it.

I would say no if you have had it in the fridge for a few days. If you thaw it out, offer it to your snake and he refuses then its ok to refreeze it if you refreeze it right away. I have heard of people refreezing once or twice even. Im not saying i would definetly do this, but i would certainly hate to throw out a perfectly good rat. I mean what if you have like 10 snakes and half of them refuse? Youre gunna waste five rats and just chuck them. That means their deaths were pointless. I would feel sorta bad about this personally. Just my 2 cents...

If you refreeze you greatly increase your chances for the rat to pop the next time your snake tries to constrict it. If you've never had the pleasure of cleaning up after a exploding rat, I can assure you it's pretty nasty.

Thaw once, and if they don't take it, fertilize the garden with it...

I actually do re-freeze once but I have conditions I use. The rat cannot be thawed out for longer than 8 hours and not have been at room temp for more than one hour. If it smells anything other than rat it goes. I have had 5 pop over 3 years of feeding 11 snakes. 3 of them were pinkies, I never have re-frozen a pinkie. I agree that re freezing weakens the stomach wall but I find overzealous warming is a bigger cause.

I would not re-freeze the ones that have been in the fridge that long. I am fairly used to my group and plan accordingly and don't need to often I thaw what is likely to be eaten. The animals that show no interest just don't get offered.

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

I actually do re-freeze once but I have conditions I use. The rat cannot be thawed out for longer than 8 hours and not have been at room temp for more than one hour. If it smells anything other than rat it goes. I have had 5 pop over 3 years of feeding 11 snakes. 3 of them were pinkies, I never have re-frozen a pinkie. I agree that re freezing weakens the stomach wall but I find overzealous warming is a bigger cause.

I would not re-freeze the ones that have been in the fridge that long. I am fairly used to my group and plan accordingly and don't need to often I thaw what is likely to be eaten. The animals that show no interest just don't get offered.

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