So, something weird happened today...

Today, like every Friday, is feeding day.

Onyx ate his two fuzzies without any problem whatsoever. It was practically like watching a fat person devour a buffet at Golden Corral.

However, something weird happened with the rat I was going to feed Atticus.

As I was getting ready to put the rat in the tub with Atticus, I was doing the whole "Come and get it" thing with the rat. However, this is about the time that the rat starting flailing like crazy. It then started to spin itself around (with me still holding it's tail) until finally, the piece of tail that I was holding just slid right off. Blood dripped everywhere, and the mouse acted like nothing happened. Atticus didn't seem to discouraged at first as I watched to make sure the rat didn't do anything to hurt her. But instead of trying to wrap the rat up, Atticus simply attempted to strike at it until eventually, she lost interest. I don't really know what happened between today and last week (last week, she had her first rat and she ate it like a champ). So I removed her from the tub and placed her back in her cage.

So yeah, that was weird.

My question is, should I just try and feed her the rat again later tonight or hold off until next week?

On a random note, I finally weighed her for the first time. She's a solid 535 grams. I'm a happy camper.

that does sound realllly weird!!


I would skip until next time so if there was some kind of stressful situation that made the snake react the way it did. One week wont hurt.

Congrats on the weigh in!!! :banana:

I really do believe BPs can get into a routine & if something they are not used to happens... that's it until the next feeding day. I'd wait until the next interval & let your buddy settle down.

It's called degloving. The skin just pulls right off the tail, like a person removing their finger from a glove.

Why are you doing the "come and get it" with a live rat? Either feed live (the appropriate size) and let the snake do it's job or feed F/T. What happened was cruel to the rat and unneccesary

There sure are a lot of live feeders on this forum.

I take the water bowls out and then take the hides out and wait a few minutes. They already seem to know whats coming after that. Then I drop the rat in their tubs and close them, and they are eating after that. There is no need to treat a live rat like that :(

Yeah. I never pick up Rats by the tail......I've seen one get degloved at an old job....pretty gory, if you ask me.

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Originally Posted by jglass38

Why are you doing the "come and get it" with a live rat? Either feed live (the appropriate size) and let the snake do it's job or feed F/T. What happened was cruel to the rat and unneccesary

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Hardly. But thanks for the input regardless.

Thanks for the comments guys!

I think I'll just plan on waiting to feed her until next Friday and allow her to just keep to herself for a day or so.

:D

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Originally Posted by rynpckrd

Hardly. But thanks for the input regardless.

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Not hardly. Clearly... :colbert:

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Originally Posted by rynpckrd

Hardly. But thanks for the input regardless.

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It may be "just a feeder", but they should not have that happen to them. I think Jglass was correct in saying that it was unneccesary. I am sure that the rat will be in pain a long time. A full week if it is not fed to something else before that. Compared to any pain it may feel durring a normal feeding, this is like a lifetime. If you insist on doing the come and get it approach, try using a pair of feeding tongs, and get them by the scruff or something with a little more bulk and strength than the tail.

Just my $.02 . Due to the economy, this may be totally worthless to some.

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Originally Posted by jglass38

Not hardly. Clearly... :colbert:

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Honestly, I openly welcome differences in opinion regarding the handling of animals (obviously in this case, the handling of a rat).

However, I think that it might be proper if you displayed some tact in how you go about saying that I cruelly handled a meal for Atticus. Personally, the way that I've gone about holding live food for both of my snakes has been to hold the mice and the rats by the tail. But, I am more than willing to go about picking up said mice and rats a different way if there is one. Admittedly, the "come and get it" dangling that I was doing was unnecessary, but I hardly believe that it was cruel.

EDIT: It wasn't my intention for the rat to lose a piece of its tail, though. I didn't even know it was something that could happen...

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Originally Posted by Fallguy

It may be "just a feeder", but they should not have that happen to them. I think Jglass was correct in saying that it was unneccesary. I am sure that the rat will be in pain a long time. A full week if it is not fed to something else before that. Compared to any pain it may feel durring a normal feeding, this is like a lifetime. If you insist on doing the come and get it approach, try using a pair of feeding tongs, and get them by the scruff or something with a little more bulk and strength than the tail.

Just my $.02 . Due to the economy, this may be totally worthless to some.

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Thank you. That's what I would have appreciated a bit more to hear.

:gj:

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Originally Posted by rynpckrd

Honestly, I openly welcome differences in opinion regarding the handling of animals (obviously in this case, the handling of a rat).

However, I think that it might be proper if you displayed some tact in how you go about saying that I cruelly handled a meal for Atticus. Personally, the way that I've gone about holding live food for both of my snakes has been to hold the mice and the rats by the tail. But, I am more than willing to go about picking up said mice and rats a different way if there is one. Admittedly, the "come and get it" dangling that I was doing was unnecessary, but I hardly believe that it was cruel.

EDIT: It wasn't my intention for the rat to lose a piece of its tail, though. I didn't even know it was something that could happen...

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I say what I feel. I am not big on sugarcoating. When I see something I believe is cruel, I say it. The point I attempted to make is, if you feed the appropriate sized prey item, there is no need to dangle it. Just let nature take it's course. Best of luck!

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Originally Posted by jglass38

I say what I feel. I am not big on sugarcoating. When I see something I believe is cruel, I say it. The point I attempted to make is, if you feed the appropriate sized prey item, there is no need to dangle it. Just let nature take it's course. Best of luck!

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I wouldn't want it any other way. :)

And I definitely plan to invest in tongs and stop holding them by the tail. Every opportunity I can take in learning about responsible animal care is one I want to take.

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Originally Posted by rynpckrd

I wouldn't want it any other way. :)

And I definitely plan to invest in tongs and stop holding them by the tail. Every opportunity I can take in learning about responsible animal care is one I want to take.

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That's what it's all about! :gj:

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Originally Posted by jglass38

I say what I feel. I am not big on sugarcoating. When I see something I believe is cruel, I say it. The point I attempted to make is, if you feed the appropriate sized prey item, there is no need to dangle it. Just let nature take it's course. Best of luck!

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I agree. Mona is a live feeder (as are my others when I can't get F/T), and I don't have to do any enticing... I hold rats around the belly and gently place them in, close the lid, and let Mona take care of the rest. I will hold mice by the tail, because they're so darned squirmy - but only for a second, just to get them in the tubs.

I had no idea rats could de-glove their tail, though - poor thing! :( Are you keeping him comfortable until the next feeding attempt? Maybe he/she needs a wound dressing in the meantime?

If you want to hold the rat by its tail, hold it closer to the base. You'd have to be holding it close to the tip for that to happen. As someone who handles a -buttload- of rats, if they start flailing, let them go or support them with something other than the tip of their tail. Odds are (very high) that it won't bite you if you just put your hand under it for a second. That's a lot of stress that can be easily avoided for all 3 animals taking part.