Any problems moving from large mice to small rats?

My young BP has been eating a frozen small mouse every 4-5 days or so without issue. Last night I tried offering a small frozen rat and he wouldn't go for it.

It's only been one attempt, so it's possibe he simply wasn't hungry, but he hasn't refused a meal in months.

Anyone have issues when looking to step up food sizes?

Different food.... different smell/taste.
Yes it can take some time to switch and yes some won't switch.

Try thawing the mouse and rat out in a ziplock bag together. Once they are thawed out in the bag, massage them together so the rat gets some of the mouse scent on it. That worked for me.


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Most of mine have switched with no problem...except my 2015 albino. He is a confirmed mouse eater so far. I try to switch every so often so that I can feed 1 rat instead of 2-3 mice, including scenting them as suggested by Jbabycsx.

mice to rat can be hard sometimes.. which happened to mine a year ago.. It took 3~4 months to switch him from mice to rats.
At first, I asked for mice bedding from feeder store and mixed with rat. Even this didn't work sometimes..
I can tell you, you will need big big patience if your snake won't eat rats. Some may take it right away but I guess it depends on the snake..
Good luck!

Switching can take time for some, but some switch right away no problem.

If you're feeding every 4-5 days the snake may not have been hungry.
One appropriately sized meal weekly is all your snake needs.

How much does the snake weigh?
What do the mice he's been eating weigh?
And how much did the rat you offered weigh?

I tried to feed the rat again last night and he took it without problem. On the first attempt, he just must not have been in the mood. lol

How much does the snake weigh?
What do the mice he's been eating weigh?
And how much did the rat you offered weigh?[/QUOTE]


i've no idea how much any of it weighs.

Should I be doign weighings?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sharpe

How much does the snake weigh?
What do the mice he's been eating weigh?
And how much did the rat you offered weigh?

---

i've no idea how much any of it weighs.

Should I be doign weighings?[/QUOTE]


Most keepers keep weights on their snakes. I personally do for a few reasons.

1) knowing the weight of the snake helps to know what size prey to feed

2) it's good to know in case of a food strike. If the snake isn't losing much weight, I don't worry about it. If the snake is losing a lot of weight, it's time for a vet visit.

3) keeping records of weight, feeding/refusals, unusual behavior, unusual poop/urates, etc...can often help a vet to diagnose the issue

I had same issue, so I followed others advice and stored my rat in the freezer with a mouse and mouse bedding I got from pet store. Worked like a charm and he has been eating rats ever since!

Good luck!




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