Ugh, I think I have a mouser....help!

So.....I brought home my JCP Mid-July and was told he was only taking live mice. His first feed with me he took a F/T rat without hesitation and had been eating them without issue until Mid-Oct when he started refusing them. Nothing in the presentation had changed and his husbandry is exactly the same.

I have another couple of weird-os that refuse for several months every year (a Rosy boa and a Black Rat). I decided to try to give him those rejects and he takes them happily and strikes at them. So now I try a rat every couple of weeks but it's a no-go.

Do I just keep him on the mice? He's eating two small mice (rejects) at the moment. His weight is fine but he is still growing (he's less than a year old). I don't really want to tough love him yet. Is it realistic to keep a JCP on mice? I know it would be horrible to keep my Coastal on all mice....I'd break the bank!

Any suggestions??

My JCP only eats mice too. I've tried rats half heartedly with no success. Not sure how big your JCP is but mines about 3.5' and 2 large mice per week seem to keep her happily full. Far as I know JCP don't get as big as coastals and stuff. I think they top out around 5-6' for females which even if it stayed a mouser, 3 or 4 large mice should be good.

I've tried thawing the mice with the rats, offering a mouse and then rat after and nothing. I've pretty much given up personally lol.

Jungles are pretty gluttonous once they get going. You could try thawing out the rat with the mice. If he doesn't take the rat with a bit of scent, touch it to his body after he coils the mouse. Most of mine will coil multiple prey items when in feed mode. There's a fair chance he'll eat them both after "constriction" is complete.

Thanks John and S! I will try that, John. I have tried thawing the rat with the mouse but it was a big fat no! If not, I'm not gonna stress it and just give Mice

Haha, yeah my JCP didn't fall for it either. She smelled the mouse and said yum. Then she smelled the rat and was like "hmm this kind of smells like a mouse but...yeah right, you aren't going to trick me, human!!!" and then turned around and wandered off lol. And yeah, I pretty much just said whatever and am feeding her just mice. I might try again later when she is bigger and mice start to be noticeably too small for her. Right now she is about 3.5' like I mentioned so its not a big deal yet.

I know this is the opposite of the standard advice, but I've had some luck scenting what they will eat (mice) with what they won't eat (rats). After a few successes, switch to the standard advice for a few, then try rats.

I've had only 2 of nearly 20 JCP over the years that never converted. If the snake never makes the switch, they will take quail, chicken and rabbit.

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Originally Posted by xcjumper

So.....I brought home my JCP Mid-July and was told he was only taking live mice. His first feed with me he took a F/T rat without hesitation and had been eating them without issue until Mid-Oct when he started refusing them.

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Once I get any carpet to take rats, they're never again offered a mouse. They can fast as long as they like, they'll take the rats again someday.

I know, DennisM, my bad. I can give my Coastal anything and she will eat it so I gave him some mice rejects from other snakes thinking the same thing. :colbert:

Make a effort to extend the time between scheduled feedings also. This may help.

Is it doable long term yes, it's just time consuming and more expensive.

When carpets are started on mice it's very hard to switch them it took me 1 and a half year to switch my IJ Jag, I tried scenting offering, smaller meals (one mouse and one rat behind) nothing work until one day it did, people think BP are hard to switch but Carpet can be as hard if not harder.