trouble changing from mice to rats

[Mike Cavanaugh]

I am trying to change one of my ball pythons from mice to rats. she has been regularly eating a full size live mouse once per week. She is the ONLY snake that refuses to eat f / t. Would love it if she started eating f / t rats like everyone else, but at this point I would be happy if she at least ate live rats.

7 days ago on normal feed night, i offered a live pinky rat in the cooler (where I always feed my snakes) she showed absolutely no interest at all. Didn't offer anything else.

3 nights ago I tried feeding a very small live rat, the same size as an adult mouse in the cooler. again no interest. Didn't offer anything else.

Tonight I tried feeding her a live fuzzy rat that could barely walk. I rubbed a mouse all over the rat. This time i put the rat right outside her hide in the cage and left it there for an hour. Again, not intersted... But I could tell by her movement that she is getting hungry. Didn't offer anything else.

She is a healthy weight and has not lost any weight. How long should I do this tough love thing? How long should I keep telling her, eat the rat, or eat NOTHING!?? Will most balls convert if you stick to it? she has gone 2 weeks without food so far. Should i give it another month? less? more?

I know you are all wondering... I prefer rats because I am breeding rats now, and want everything to eat the same thing if possible. I also believe that rats are more healthy to eat then mice (i know there are lots that might disagree, this is just my preference.) If it doesn't work, I will feed her a mice every week for the next 30 years... But first I want to try my hardest to convert her!

Mike

[stangs13]

I am going to make the switch with my corns. Try the tough love with him a few more times, while rubbing him with a mouse maybe mouse brains on him? Its worth a try. I am going to feed my corns like that, but I think they will switch fast as there feeding response is amazing.

[joepythons]

I am going to make the switch with my corns. Try the tough love with him a few more times, while rubbing him with a mouse maybe mouse brains on him? Its worth a try. I am going to feed my corns like that, but I think they will switch fast as there feeding response is amazing.

Justin its way easier to switch a corn snake then it is a ball python .To the poster just give him a couple tries but be aware some may never switch over

[joepythons]

I am trying to change one of my ball pythons from mice to rats. she has been regularly eating a full size live mouse once per week. She is the ONLY snake that refuses to eat f / t. Would love it if she started eating f / t rats like everyone else, but at this point I would be happy if she at least ate live rats.

7 days ago on normal feed night, i offered a live pinky rat in the cooler (where I always feed my snakes) she showed absolutely no interest at all. Didn't offer anything else.

3 nights ago I tried feeding a very small live rat, the same size as an adult mouse in the cooler. again no interest. Didn't offer anything else.

Tonight I tried feeding her a live fuzzy rat that could barely walk. I rubbed a mouse all over the rat. This time i put the rat right outside her hide in the cage and left it there for an hour. Again, not intersted... But I could tell by her movement that she is getting hungry. Didn't offer anything else.

She is a healthy weight and has not lost any weight. How long should I do this tough love thing? How long should I keep telling her, eat the rat, or eat NOTHING!?? Will most balls convert if you stick to it? she has gone 2 weeks without food so far. Should i give it another month? less? more?

I know you are all wondering... I prefer rats because I am breeding rats now, and want everything to eat the same thing if possible. I also believe that rats are more healthy to eat then mice (i know there are lots that might disagree, this is just my preference.) If it doesn't work, I will feed her a mice every week for the next 30 years... But first I want to try my hardest to convert her!

Mike

Mike try letting the rat lay in some mouse bedding for awhile to "switch" the smell

[stangs13]

Justin its way easier to switch a corn snake then it is a ball python .To the poster just give him a couple tries but be aware some may never switch over

Yeah! I know. Prolly should have worded it better. I'm still worried bout all 7 of them switching... LOL.

[bait4snake]

If you're really worried about the weight (eventually), here's an interesting technique I tried with at least a 75% success rate.

Offer a live adult mouse, you know the ones it loves so much.

After it kills it and starts to eat it, hold up a frozen thawed rat right behind the mouse's hind end. Your snake will opens its mouth wide during that last pull of it's "throat" muscles, and when it does, make sure the rat's head is in your snake's mouth.

Usually, the snake continues eating, and it gets used to bigger food.

I had some time on my hands and got tired of my one ball python that was a mouse eater. Obviously I couldn't do this every time, but it's worth a try. I liked the mouse bedding idea.

[Mikkla]

My spider wouldn't eat anything but mice. I left the rat in mouse bedding, gerbil bedding and every other trick in the book. Then I took my spider to a friends house and after a week there he took rats and as been on rats since then.

[FIREball]

Continue to feed him the mouse consistently for 4 weeks so its on a schedule, dont even mess with a rat. On the 5th week put a live rat in mouse bedding for 30min-1hr and that should do the trick. They key is to keep it consistent, dont feed it amouse and then 4 days later try a rat fuzzy then a pup. Get him on a regular feeding schedule than try throwing a rat in there.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Try offering live rat pup which are the same size than adult mice.

Once your BP switched you can attempt to switch to F/T (remember once step at the time)

Switching might take a while and if your BP has a good body weight you might have to practice tough love (If your BP refuses the rat do not offer a mouse instead just wait until next feeding day to offer a rat again)

Some BP are just stubborn I have a few that did not switch and it does not matter to me the bottom line is to feed what works, mice or rats does not matter.

And remember there is no study on BP’s nutritional requirement, so grams per grams, mice or rats it’s all the same.

[BPBeth]

Why make the switch at all? If the snake is happy and healthy with mice, then keep him on mice, though a full grown ball will need more than 1 mouse a week. 2 of my balls will only eat mice, while 1 will only eat gerbils. None of them like rats, so I don't force the issue. All are very healthy, good weight and my oldest is 15+ years old and my other 2 are over 10 yrs. The 2 on mice now, were once eating gerbils until they decided they didn't want to anymore. They refused to eat for months, until I wised up and went back to offering them mice! They gobbled them up like kids in a chocolate factory. Point being, your snakes know what they want and need, its up to you to provide it.

Tough love may result in the snake just refusing to eat period. We all know how finicky BPs can be about eating. I'm not saying don't try and offer your snake some variety, but I wouldn't agonize over it. Give them what they want, live, frozen, or whatever they want. Make life simple for yourself, and your snakes.