I feel like an arse

[Highyeena]

So my ball hasn't eaten yet and it was due to his food not being live, we have been working on that and he just hates striking dead food and only goes after live.

I guess I had enough, so when he started refusing I moved it around him, he got pissed and I kept up until finally he striked at it and wrapped around it. He's eating it now but I feel bad. Like I don't feel great about having him have to get aggro'd into striking.

The mouse was heated correctly, yes I did the blow dryer trick, wiggled and waggled and it's night, tried smaller containers left him alone for weeks, chicken broth, braining, nothing worked. Pissing him off to the point he finally struck at it, that is what got him and I feel awful.

Like he ate the thing, but idk, I feel like I just stressed him out and he's gunna be stressed or on a hair trigger if I open his tank.

[Treeman]

Sometimes that's what it takes to get them off live. I would see it as a positive for you, as you have been able to "animate" the prey in such a way that the snake was willing to take it.

[Sonny1318]

I feed frozen thawed. Every once in a while if they’re just not sure, I will drag the prey item gently along their back. If they start to throw their body on it, a little more teasing will turn into a feeeding. If they retreat, I just leave them be til next feeeding.

[Bogertophis]

Like the other posts above mine, I congratulate you on getting the job done, & you don't need to feel bad, IMO. It should get easier & until it does, it's better
to be a bit of a pest (or tease) than to feed live & get your snake injured. For me, it's not a hard choice at all. Different snakes react to different techniques-
if my rosy boa hesitates, I use tongs to nudge her neck with the f/t mouse & she'll usually whip around & grab it. My super-shy Korean rat snake usually goes
after a "dancing" f/t mouse from his hide, but sometimes I just have to leave it (at night) & it will be gone by morning. Most of my snakes are "rat" snakes, &
mostly they just easily take f/t from my tongs, but I've lived with BPs & many other kinds of snakes...it comes down to whatever works... No guilt!

[the_rotten1]

Yeah, I wouldn't feel too bad about it. Live prey is annoying, so sometimes you've gotta harass them with a thawed prey item to get them to respond.

[Zincubus]

So my ball hasn't eaten yet and it was due to his food not being live, we have been working on that and he just hates striking dead food and only goes after live.

I guess I had enough, so when he started refusing I moved it around him, he got pissed and I kept up until finally he striked at it and wrapped around it. He's eating it now but I feel bad. Like I don't feel great about having him have to get aggro'd into striking.

The mouse was heated correctly, yes I did the blow dryer trick, wiggled and waggled and it's night, tried smaller containers left him alone for weeks, chicken broth, braining, nothing worked. Pissing him off to the point he finally struck at it, that is what got him and I feel awful.

Like he ate the thing, but idk, I feel like I just stressed him out and he's gunna be stressed or on a hair trigger if I open his tank.

My Royals only eat from within their hides ... I wait until they're well settled then dangle a warm ( hairdryer) rat in front of the hide entrance ..


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[Jellybeans]

No it's a GOOD thing that you got him on f/t....better for all involved to not use live

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