BP Not Interested in Rats Anymore

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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

Wise words my friend! It can get a little depressing after refusals but I'm glad to hear that it's fairly common.

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Super common. Don’t worry. It’s harder on us when they refuse than it is on them!!!!

I had nothing but males over the last 5 years and they definitely eat when they want to. After I’d say about the first two years it gets interesting, lol. That’s why so many experienced members feed less often and practice skipping after refusals. Mine only really eat about 3 to 4 months a year with any regular pattern at best. And it’s always right before the now yearly annual fast. Hang in there, long as your husbandry is on point you should be good. You got some solid advice here.

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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

That's a good point but if he wasn't going to eat, I wouldn't expect him to come the whole way out of his hide and show interest. But maybe that's me trying to apply 'logic' to the situation ;)

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All the BP's I've had who refused prey do it this way- come out of their hide as if they are hungry, but then shoot past the prey or just kind of hover there for a minute or two before retreating back into the hide. I realized a refusal is a refusal LOL.

One of my male BP's consistently will only eat exactly once a month. If I offer at all before a month is over, he will refuse. It's possible your boy is just doing the casual refusal and eating less often now.

WELCOME to the world of Ball Pythons... As most will tell you, BP's are known to go off of food. It's not that they are not interested... it's just their way of stressing you out!! My guys will go off and on all the time. Some will eat one week and then not the next. It can be very stressful to you if you just have the one snake because you don't know if he will eat until you are ready to offer the prey and then he rejects it and you have a thawed rat on your hands to go to waste.But lucky you will now have your new boa coming and if the BP won't eat the prey then you can offer to the boa. Of course that is if they are both eating the same size of prey. Anyways I think you get the idea!! It's all good my friend :gj:

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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

Wise words my friend! It can get a little depressing after refusals but I'm glad to hear that it's fairly common.

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Congratulations, you are now owned by a male B.P.- :rofl: (been there...done that ;) )

You guys are awesome! I feel so much better after reading your responses. What a great resource to have as a fairly new snake owner. I can only hope to repay all the knowledge and support I’ve obtained in the last year from all of you.