Mine often times will drop it then looks around and goes into his hide if I wait too long.
It's like he forgets it was a mouse he was chewing on and it's only a mouse if it's hanging above his head and fresh-warm.
I've left one in there for a while before and he refused to touch it.
He has struck the head many times before, and will move down to the middle and spit it out and I'll have to go in and try again.
It's incredibly frustrating when he looks down at it, and I know he knows it's there, and then he looks up at me in cobra/raised S stance like he's going to eat my face instead, so I have to distract him in order to pick the stupid thing up again with the tongs and BAM quick strike and he's usually good.
But every single time. Even on one he's already "killed" we have to go through the hugs before he starts chewing and trying to swallow. Instead of nosing about it, he will literally walk his jaws around trying to find a good angle.
My Corn on the other hand will boop and nuzzle until it's satisfied with the location.
Part of me wonders if Cookie is disabled in some way.
Herp Derp