Old dog (snake) new tricks?

So my MIL has officially gone crazy...our 6 year old BP has eaten live for God knows how long...and now she's banned live food...completely. Is it possible to teach him to eat f/t? He won't starve himself right?

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I'm starting to think you either need to put your foot down or find a new place. How long before she bans your snakes entirely? Or makes you jump through impossible hoops just to provide basic care (which it sounds like she already does).

It's possible to switch a live feeder over to f/t, but be prepared for a few weeks of refused meals and the money spent on those meals to be flushed. Persistence is key for both your dilemmas.

That is just ridiculous. It's possible to switch them over, but it will probably take awhile. However, some snakes will actually starve themselves to the point of losing weight and becoming unhealthy, especially if they are used to eating live. I would recommend looking for either your own place or a possible new home for your snakes.

I don't want this to come across in a mean way, and I understand you're in a difficult situation, but these 'rules' that you have to follow regarding your snakes care run the gambit from stressful to actively harmful. You can't mist and are apparently made to give them pre-shed soaks, I don't know if it's been resolved but you weren't allowed to provide adequately sized/enough feeders, you aren't allowed to properly gauge temp and humidity: These are all things we would insist new keepers have/be able to do before they went out and even purchased a snake in order to provide for its basic needs. If you can't provide these things, the proper thing to do is rehome the animals.

That being said, I hope you can get him to take f/t. Will your MIL consider allowing pre-killed? That's often an easier stepping stone than going straight from live to f/t.

You are married and living with your husband's mother? :O

My MIL is nuts. Full-on nuts. Fortunately she hates snakes so when the time comes for her to move in with a family member in her waning years it won't be with me!!!! :D

Sure its possible to switch, but the real question is will they want to.... do not be surprised if they refuse, especially if they have been alive this long and only been feed live... balls can be extremly picky about there prey.... btw your situation is messed up beyond all reason. your better person then me because i would have already flipped :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r: over a quarter of the thing you arent allowed to do or must do a certain way.

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Originally Posted by SCWood

So my MIL has officially gone crazy...our 6 year old BP has eaten live for God knows how long...and now she's banned live food...completely. Is it possible to teach him to eat f/t? He won't starve himself right?

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Hey Kiddo....at some point you are going to have to put your foot down....and that husband of yours needs to support you when you do so.

Sounds like your mother in law is the old dog that needs to be taught some new tricks. I would not let either of my parents treat my wife or my kids the way you are being treated....I;d go shutty on them real quick.

These things do not get better with time. She is using the fact that you are shacking up with her to be petty and unreasonable. Again, stand up for yourself and your husband needs to back your play 100%.

:taz: But for getting in trouble, the words I would have for that woman...... Tough love time. I would either 1) Tell that...person... to shove her rules and BS somewhere real special or 2) find a new place to live (I didn't move to CO cause my in-laws said we couldn't bring our cats. Either you really want us to be there, or you don't. But my animals and I are a package.) or 3) find a new home for my animals (Yes, this sucks. Yes, it would hurt. But TBH it is selfish to keep them cause you love them, if it is detrimental to their health.). If she can't be remotely reasonable about the care of your animals... She doesn't love you like she says she does if she is making it so difficult for animals you love to be healthy and happy. It would be like someone telling me I can't use a heating method for my reptiles, or saying I can't have my cats use a litter box, they have to use a toilet. It's POSSIBLE that it would work. But it is unlikely to go well. :snake:

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Originally Posted by bcr229

You are married and living with your husband's mother? :O

My MIL is nuts. Full-on nuts. Fortunately she hates snakes so when the time comes for her to move in with a family member in her waning years it won't be with me!!!! :D

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Fiancée 😶 and yes. Because we have nowhere to go.

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

Hey Kiddo....at some point you are going to have to put your foot down....and that husband of yours needs to support you when you do so.

Sounds like your mother in law is the old dog that needs to be taught some new tricks. I would not let either of my parents treat my wife or my kids the way you are being treated....I;d go shutty on them real quick.

These things do not get better with time. She is using the fact that you are shacking up with her to be petty and unreasonable. Again, stand up for yourself and your husband needs to back your play 100%.

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I know I just hate the situation altogether. So far, I've been able to sneak my way around her. I hide gauges, I hid a scale, I taught her snake to eat rats over mice and by the time she noticed, she was used to it...then I explained why for the THIRD time. I feed weekly even though she demands biweekly. Little things come a long way. I've started by showing her I know what I'm doing and she's learning little by little to let me do my own thing. Boots is a whole other story. Because every time I get him a fewder, I end up having it several days after he doesn't eat it until I can find someone or something to take it...and she says it's cruel. 😕 I don't want to be a cruel person.

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Having a feeder left over isnt cruel.. its part of owning a snake, its a very common thing to be stuck with the snakes food, after a few days ill euthanize it because im not going to find someone around me that wants a single little rat/mouse.

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Originally Posted by M.P.C

Having a feeder left over isnt cruel.. its part of owning a snake, its a very common thing to be stuck with the snakes food, after a few days ill euthanize it because im not going to find someone around me that wants a single little rat/mouse.

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We usually return it to the store

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