How the heck...?

So, I have a small rat that I would like to try and offer our ball python Naga.
The problem is, this rat is a little monster!! I stuck my hand in to get him, and he just started squeakin' and baring his teeth at me!
I'm trying to feed Naga live for these first couple feedings, because that is what she is used to, and then I'll switch her to f/t.

But how the heck am I supposed to deal with this little monster rat!? :mad:

sounds like a good one to prekill. i wouldn't trust it with the snake. hyper rats are often the ones that bite. i like the fat lazy type.


get another rat?

Yeah, I may trade him in tomorrow... I don't have a CO2 set-up, so I can't prekill him that way... :(

trading out sounds like your best bet. good luck!

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Originally Posted by Sune

Yeah, I may trade him in tomorrow... I don't have a CO2 set-up, so I can't prekill him that way... :(

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I close my hand and make this thing called a fist and punch right down on top of them when they act like that

Its called "blunt force trauma"...the cheaper CO2 alternative.

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Originally Posted by suzuki4life

I close my hand and make this thing called a fist and punch right down on top of them when they act like that

Its called "blunt force trauma"...the cheaper CO2 alternative.

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That is sick, why would you punch any animals?


OP, he isn't aggressive, but scared and screaming at you to leave him alone, they don't "bare teeth" like a dog, they have long incisors naturally, and you can see them very easily if they have their mouth open. Leave him alone overnight, I bet you can handle him tomorrow.

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

That is sick, why would you punch any animals?


OP, he isn't aggressive, but scared and screaming at you to leave him alone, they don't "bare teeth" like a dog, they have long incisors naturally, and you can see them very easily if they have their mouth open. Leave him alone overnight, I bet you can handle him tomorrow.

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its a feeder animal with an attitude.
it is going to die anyway.
I refuse to be bitten by a rat regardless of your beliefs.

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Originally Posted by Sune

Yeah, I may trade him in tomorrow... I don't have a CO2 set-up, so I can't prekill him that way... :(

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I have heard an alternative is to place the rodents in a plastic bag and give them I nice thud against a stationary object. Should be a painless, instant kill.

Your setting yourself up for a storm dude. Just a warning. What you do is your business, but, I'd have kept those replies to MYSELF.

Truth is, these are LIVING BREATHING animals NONE THE LESS. Show them some respect as they're dying to keep your snake alive. Why make the inevitable any worse?

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Originally Posted by suzuki4life

its a feeder animal with an attitude.
it is going to die anyway.
I refuse to be bitten by a rat regardless of your beliefs.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by suzuki4life

its a feeder animal with an attitude.
it is going to die anyway.
I refuse to be bitten by a rat regardless of your beliefs.

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And regardless of what you think an animal deserves, abusing animals is called animal abuse, and that is illegal and immoral.

It's not just MY belief, but the belief of those who write the laws. If you can't keep an animal healthy and treat it humanly, you shouldn't keep them at all.

You are talking out of your ass if you think this rat is really copping an attitude, it shows your ignorance and one more reason why you probably should not have animals.

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Originally Posted by Joe Cope

I have heard an alternative is to place the rodents in a plastic bag and give them I nice thud against a stationary object. Should be a painless, instant kill.

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Should, but sometimes doesn't. Then you have an animal in immense suffering pain. Why is it so hard to euthanize an animal humanely??? :confused:

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

You are talking out of your ass if you think this rat is really copping an attitude, it shows your ignorance and one more reason why you probably should not have animals.

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i have a solid black female who has quite the tude. she's much more active than her companions, and is the only one to make an escape attempt (waiting peacefully as i come in for the cleaning and POW! up my arm, over the shoulder and blazing across the floor). she's also hidden at food time, hiding on top of the water bottle to spring forward with pinching teeth of death..... ok ok, no teeth but..... still psycho :D

lol

Well apparently it's in the eye of the beholder. Your rat in my eyes is not copping an attitude either. She sounds like a flighty nervous animal. Just like the OP's. Why in the world do people have to anthropomorphize?

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

Well apparently it's in the eye of the beholder. Your rat in my eyes is not copping an attitude either. She sounds like a flighty nervous animal. Just like the OP's. Why in the world do people have to anthropomorphize?

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this is a rat i handle every few days, not a scared flighty animal. nervous? yeah, i'd say so.... afraid? no way; she eats out of my hand.

animals have unique and individual personalities. any species of any type will show this. this particular rat is a "hissy", and has "an attitude problem". doesn't mean i don't love her, it just means she's an individual. :P my rats have awesome living arangements, and i do interact with them so there is no reason for the animal to be afraid of me (will eat out of my hand, just does not like being picked up until after you have her in your hands).

some of the humans are too godlike in mind frame. we are animals too, no better or worse than the others (unless you take into consideration that humans have done more to destroy the earth than any creature to come before). keep this in mind always, it usually helps explain animal behavior ;)

Like I said, it depends on what each persons views as to whether it's an attitude or not. A nervous animal to me is going to be flighty (doesn't like to be held). I guess I don't understand how you don't see that simple connection between nervous -> flighty.

Afraid? A nervous animal is under stress when being held, and can be interpreted as afraid. I have several animals that are nervous or flighty, they take treats from my hand too, go figure. They come to the front of the tub, I can handle them once I get them out, but I wouldn't go so far to say that this animal is simply pulling an attitude with me, and is easier in my opinion to explain the behavior by calling it a nervous and flighty. :rolleyes: