Ball Python obsessed with box hide

[Edwardein]

Hello,

So over the past year my normal ball python Bailey grew really quickly and out grew her hide that I had in there for her as a baby. As a temporary fix I put in a shoe box that I cut into the shape of a hide. She instantly took to it and loved it. However, as it should have only been temporary I bought a new hide, cleaned it really well and put it in her enclosure and she got moody! She stopped eating, wouldn't go in her new hide and also acted skiddish and didn't want to be touched and would ball up into a knot as soon as I would open her cage after I put it in with her. The hide doesn't seem too big for her and I've even tried packing moss in it just in case it was too big and she didn't feel secure but that didn't work. I tried several other hides as well but she refused to use any of them. I even found some that were in the same box shape as the one I made for her but she hated them all. I checked to make sure all of the hides weren't getting too warm for her and the humidity in her cage is fine. I tried for over a month to find a hide that she would accept but since she stopped eating (and I was starting to get worried) I gave up and took the new hide out and put the box back in. She instantly went into the box and got comfy and I was able to get her to eat that day and she stopped getting defensive. She's loves this damn box but I really don't want to keep it in her enclosure with her as it is not the most sanitary thing and the humidity will also destroy it eventually and I'm afraid of it growing mold from getting damp. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to get her to accept a different hide? Any suggestions would be awesome as this snake it attempting to make me lose my mind!

[sakura_noir]

LOL, clearly Bailey the diva has spoken. Have you tried any other types of cardboard boxes? Like maybe a cookie or cracker box? Curious to know if her preference is limited to shoeboxes. I'm not an expert, but if one of my BPs was like this then I would arrange to replace the hide regularly with fresh cardboard. What type of enclosure is she in? If feasible, you might try adding some bedding she can burrow in with a ground cover on top, like fake plants...thinking along the lines of making her feel more secure overall. It's worth the effort to keep her eating. Hope this helps!


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[Monty's_Mom]

Is her enclosure large enough to switch that beloved hide to the cool side, wait for a month while a new warm hide is in place?

[Edwardein]

Bailey is in a 40 gallon tank with lots of vegetation and stuff to climb on or hide. I keep the substrate at least 2.5 inches thick so that she can burrow which she doesn't do too much of. Only when I put new substrate in the tank. I have put other cardboard boxes into the tank with her but she still prefers that damn shoe box. Sure she'll slither in and check it out but as soon as she's bored with it she would rather curl up outside of it (or in most cases on top of it). I will try moving the hide over to the cooler side of the enclosure and putting another one in the same spot the box is usually in. Hopefully she'll take to it and move into the new one. Thank you for the suggestions!