Feeding problems

Lol sounds nasty. Yah well that's the thing her set up has been the same and now she's just not hungry. I don't know. Ill try the towel and leaving it overnight. I did it the one time and she ate it and then the next time not so much. But ill try again. Thanks for the suggestions :)

Ok I need some help. I tried the towel and overnight suggestions and they didnt work. I dethaw and warm the rat and it smells like rat. I put it in and she comes out of her rock and smells it and goes right up to it but then turns away. I don't get it. She use to eat the rats without hesitant before. The feeding and preparation method hasn't changed so its not that. She is just not eating. I worry cause its been two weeks and she won't eat. I intend to buy a live rat but will she eat these frozen ones anymore like I don't know what to do. She has eaten frozen since she was born. Any thoughts?

Okay so I bought her a live gerbil just so that she would eat. I would still like any thoughts and suggestions relating to my problem before. But I would like to add to that "problem," my concern about feeding her the gerbil is that maybe she will only want gerbils and/or love prey. So yah any thoughts on how you guys think I can keep her eating the frozen rats she has always eaten except of course for the last two times. Thanks :D

I personally would have waited her out rather than getting a live gerbil. It's only been two weeks, right? They can safely go for months without feeding, depending on weight/ body condition. It would be helpful if you could toss up some pics of her and the setup. Just keep offering a frozen appropriately sized rat every week, or every second week if it appears she's in it for the long haul.

So just continue trying with the frozen and if she doesn't eat then she doesn't eat sorta thing? It's just weird to me that she stopped eating. Ill try to get some pictures soon my comp is being finicky.

She'll be fine missing just a few weeks. When it gets up toward 2 or 3 months, or she starts actively losing weight, then you can be worried. But normally, waiting her out will do the trick.

Also, thawing note: I put my rats in the fridge the night before feeding day, it lets them thaw out slowly over the course of the night (the same way you would a frozen piece of chicken if you were cooking it the next day). Then all I have to do is pop it in 110* water for 20-30 mins and it's ready to go.

Her hot-side temps are too low. Raise it about 5 degrees (88-90deg). BPs won't eat if they are too cool. Make sure the prey is fully thawed and warm, also. Oh, and what size rats are you feeding, and how big is she?

I would not recommend feeding a live gerbil. Gerbils WILL fight back, given the opportunity. I kept and bred gerbils as pets as a kid, and had a dog who was always really interested in the gerbils. One day I heard a crash, followed by the dog howling like someone was killing him. Ran into the room to find the gerbil cage knocked over, and the gerbil latched on to the dog's nose by his teeth.

Ill definitely raise the temperatures I didn't realize it was too low that's good to know thanks :) with the gerbil I made absolutely sure not to let it attack her so she's okay. I got worried but I guess jumped the gun. She is 3ft 9in and 954g the rats I feed her are small adult mice only as big as her width. Today I dethawrd it and let it sit out at room temperature then put it in her tank so hopefully that works

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Originally Posted by Megz

Ill definitely raise the temperatures I didn't realize it was too low that's good to know thanks :) with the gerbil I made absolutely sure not to let it attack her so she's okay. I got worried but I guess jumped the gun. She is 3ft 9in and 954g the rats I feed her are small adult mice only as big as her width. Today I dethawrd it and let it sit out at room temperature then put it in her tank so hopefully that works

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Maybe she's not eating because she wants a bigger meal? Adult mice are pretty small, I feed my 500g girl small rats. My pin is almost exactly the weight of yours, he gets medium rats or a few ASF, depending on what I have in the freezer.