Please help! Flannery won't eat rats!

This is now the second time she has refused a perfect sized rat. She will eat mice immediately with no problem.
Mice are getting too small for her now, so I would prefer if she ate rats.

What can I do to help "change her mind"?

To start, scent the rat with dirty mouse bedding. You'll get her there!

She can go her whole life eating mice, and you can feed multiple mice at a feeding if you wish (wait until your snakes gets it down before offering another). Balls require very little food, and their natural food (African rats) are actually about the size of a mouse.

To get her started on rats you can try to scent the rat using used bedding from a mouse cage. Either put the rat in a paper bag with the mouse bedding, or you can try placing a little of the bedding in her cage about 10 minutes before you offer the rat.

Good luck!

One way that works for most people trying to switch your snake from mice to rats.Place a rat in some bedding(in a mouse cage) where a mouse lives until feeding time.If you do not have this type of setup,wait past a couple feedings and try a rat crawler(around the size of the mice) and see if this will work.It might take a couple tries though.Some snakes will only eat mice though.Good luck

Yes! I beat you both to it! I am das weiner!!

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Originally Posted by jglass38

Yes! I beat you both to it! I am das weiner!!

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:P

If I asked at the store, do you think they'd dump some mouse bedding in the box they put the rat in?

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Originally Posted by erinisnice

If I asked at the store, do you think they'd dump some mouse bedding in the box they put the rat in?

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I have no doubt! And if you come over here and ask, I'll give you some old cat litter from the cat box :) Its just less for them to throw out. Good luck!

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Originally Posted by jglass38

Yes! I beat you both to it! I am das weiner!!

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Doh! :doh:

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Originally Posted by erinisnice

If I asked at the store, do you think they'd dump some mouse bedding in the box they put the rat in?

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LOL. Let me know if they charge, or better yet... if you actually buy some. If so, I'll quit my job and go into the "Used Mouse Bedding" business. :)

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Originally Posted by xdeus

and their natural food (African rats) are actually about the size of a mouse.

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really? i've never hear that before:confuzd:

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Originally Posted by alexrls

really? i've never hear that before:confuzd:

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Here's a picture of one. They apparently have very little smell associated with them, and are becoming more available in the U.S. Many people are using them to feed WC Balls that haven't eaten in months, but they'll eat these things like candy. The problem is that they're pretty expensive and chances are you won't find them at your local pet store.

What I do when switching a snake from mice to rats is put a FT mouse in with the rats for awhile and then offer it to the snake. Works every time!

There's so many shinannigans you can pull to trick them into rats....one of them not mentioned so far is what usually works for me- skip feeding them for about 2 weeks and bump their temps up a degree on the warm end. They are usually hungry enough after that and will strike at ANYTHING resembling what they ate before, in this case a rat rather than the mouse they were waiting for.

That does work...elevatethis's...I forgot about that one.

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Originally Posted by xdeus

Here's a picture of one. They apparently have very little smell associated with them, and are becoming more available in the U.S. Many people are using them to feed WC Balls that haven't eaten in months, but they'll eat these things like candy. The problem is that they're pretty expensive and chances are you won't find them at your local pet store.

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Thats great info, I think I may forward that to a friend with a WC that simply refuses to eat...Shes had it for quite some time, so she may be interested in trying that, expensive or not.

We got a WC adult female to eat by keeping her in a really dark room, keeping her temps nice and toasty warm, putting her in a smaller than normal tub, no handling and very deep substrate so her hides were almost buried in it. Then we sort of "primed the pump" by putting a hopper sized gerbil in a container and setting it on the lid of her tub on the warm side for a good hour or so. Then we quickly put the hopper gerbil in and basically ran from the room LOL. She hit it like a freight train. We then backed it up right away with a very small rat, which she also took quickly. She didn't imprint on the gerbil though that was a risk to take but after not eating for better than 8 months and coming to us very underweight, it was a risk and expense we were willing to take on. She's never taken anything else since but rats for us and will now eat w/o us running away or the room being completely black. It's nice that nowadays we don't have to monitor her live feedings by sitting dead still with a dark t-shirt draped over a flashlight LOL

Credit to Adam Wysocki who helped us so much during those early and very worrisome days with Saorise. He walked us through a lot of the above ideas and was a godsend (especially the panicked..."omg Adam she must have 5 eyecaps stuck on her!" phone call) :)

Well when I try again next week, it will have been 2 weeks since she last ate, and she just shed, and it's been hotter here lately (so consequently the temps in her tank are a little higher too)- so hopefully that makes for a very hungry snake!

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Originally Posted by xdeus

Here's a picture of one. They apparently have very little smell associated with them, and are becoming more available in the U.S. Many people are using them to feed WC Balls that haven't eaten in months, but they'll eat these things like candy. The problem is that they're pretty expensive and chances are you won't find them at your local pet store.

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\
cool.

the downside to african rats are, they are expensive and if you get your ball to like them? well, you either have to pay out the ___ or breed african rats. they are also alot bigger than mice. people have been keeping balls successfully for a few decades without the african rats!


vaughn

O whatever Vaughn, you just don't want people feeding your new little pet to their snakes....! :)

that's ty's little pet, you can deal with her if you choose to!



vaughn

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Originally Posted by kavmon

they are also alot bigger than mice.

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Which rats are you referring to? The ones that I researched (muridae praomys, African soft-furred rat) are only about 40-80 grams which seems to be closer to mouse size than rat size, but actually somewhere in between.

I agree that they should be avoided if possible unless you plan on keeping a colony of breeders. Even then, you'll probably have a heck of a time trying to sell a snake that has been imprinted on them...

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Originally Posted by kavmon

the downside to african rats are, they are expensive and if you get your ball to like them? well, you either have to pay out the ___ or breed african rats. they are also alot bigger than mice. people have been keeping balls successfully for a few decades without the african rats!

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I can't believe that thing hasn't died of shock yet!! ... LOL

African rats ... just another "gimmick" ... like water softener for reptiles, or shed aid, or snake leashes ... when people smell $$$ they get creative.

-adam

i'm referring to this typehttps://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...9/DSCN0893.JPG

this guy has doubled in size, in 2 weeks! he is definatlety bigger than most mice.
i'm waiting until he is bigger, then i'm going to freeze him and sell his fur, a pinch at a time! lol


vaughn

i dunno it just looks like a regular white rat with some colouration to me, but i really am not an expert.

Ooooh, Busted! You're now on Adam's "gimmicky consumer" list. :D I'm waiting for my snake leash to come in the mail so I can get on his list, too.

BTW, just how soft is a soft-furred rat?

my 4 yr old got that one free, it stays upstairs in her room. it seems a bit less smelly and the fur is a little softer, i don't really compare rodent fur though! lol



vaughn

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Originally Posted by xdeus

Ooooh, Busted! You're now on Adam's "gimmicky consumer" list.

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Not even close ... Vaughn is definitely one of the guys that's "doing it right". ;)

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Not even close ... Vaughn is definitely one of the guys that's "doing it right". ;)

-adam

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i see you've been talking to my wife again? :partyon:


vaughn

Good lawd Vaughn what is that ummmmm thing!!! Some sort of rat? (wait I'll come up with something nice to say about it...granny taught me well...just give me a sec here!...errrrr.....ummmmm....wait...I've got it!)

I'm sure it has a lovely personality! :D

"it has exqusite manners and is always very polite" -quote my grandma
she'll only say that about anyone she hates!!!

for now, he's ok. our 4yr old loves this guy to death. it rides on her train, and plays house. as soon as she's done with him, evolution will prevail...



vaughn

Well, I think he's kind of cute. :wuv: I'd much rather have a somewhat homely looking non-smelly rat taking up space in my kid's room than a mouse any day.

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Originally Posted by kavmon

i see you've been talking to my wife again?

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LMAO! ... Check out the quick shots from Vaughn! ROCK ON! ... Yes, I have been, but she told me not to tell you that I was. :twisted:

-adam

as long as there is a yellow ferrari with black stripes in the driveway(with title /keys) it's all good!:banana:



vaughn

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Originally Posted by kavmon

as long as there is a yellow ferrari with black stripes in the driveway(with title /keys) it's all good!:banana:

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Then what am I supposed to use as my get away vehicle ... the mini van? :P

-adam

who said you need to go anywhere? the ferrari would keep me busy for a while, i would be the one leaving! lol


:hijackd: (with the african rat)


vaughn

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Originally Posted by kavmon

who said you need to go anywhere? the ferrari would keep me busy for a while, i would be the one leaving! lol


:hijackd: (with the african rat)


vaughn

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LMAO! ... This is one of the greatest threads on this site in the 2 years I've been here ... I like it!

Ferrari or not, think of it this way ... much better me than Pete ... remember the lobby of the Mark last year ... ouch! ;)

-adam

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Originally Posted by kavmon

who said you need to go anywhere? the ferrari would keep me busy for a while, i would be the one leaving! lol


:hijackd: (with the african rat)


vaughn

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dude, your wife is gonna be pissed if she reads this LOL

he would not have still been standing, if that's was me! i was bummed we had front row seats. a couple more shots and i think it would have been on!:groinkick :carouse: :sabduel: :slamhead: :matrixfig :absolut: :bye: :sleepy:



vaughn

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Originally Posted by alexrls

dude, your wife is gonna be pissed if she reads this LOL

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she lurks here at work, she is super cool. and for some reason thinks adam is cute:confuzd: no worries.


vaughn

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Originally Posted by kavmon

she lurks here at work, she is super cool. and for some reason thinks adam is cute:confuzd: no worries.

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She thinks Adam is cute? Well, I know of one person that should be worried...

:alien::alien::eek:watching us!?!:O i knew that they were watching us!:alien::crazy: lurking around, :alien::psychoticnot letting us know that they are here! :eyepoppinGET OUTA MY SITE:alien::siamesetw!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! ( :omfg:running away along with my paranoid delusions):alien::alien::bolt:

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Originally Posted by xdeus

She thinks Adam is cute? Well, I know of one person that should be worried...

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man, this thread is way off track. but i like it!


no worries, i'm a record holding gold medalist!

you don't want to knOw what sport!;)


vaughn

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Originally Posted by kavmon

you don't want to knOw what sport!;)

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LOL. :8: I think you're right.

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Originally Posted by kavmon

no worries, i'm a record holding gold medalist!

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too bad it's my records he got the gold for hanging on to, the filing cabinet was full ... that's why I get all the emails.

I like it too! ;)

-adam

I come here to learn things and look what I get instead :D