It was not as difficult as I thought it would be - Snake Feeding.

[ranapipiens89]

Some of you might know and/or remember me and my question about Artemis and feeding her live and my worries and my parents hang ups on feeding live at least until I can switch.

Well I have been giving it the valiant effort with the f/t, but she was having none of it. She shed this morning (beautiful one peice with eye caps attached and everything ) So today after being unable to get her to eat f/t for 2 weeks, I decided it was time to get over my squeamishness and ignore my parent's dirty looks and told them we MUST get a live mouse, she's only a juvenile, very young, I didn't want her to starve to death.

I'll admit I almost chickened out a couple times after watching the mouse meandering around in her tank for 20 minutes and her not showing any interest. I almost started to get attached So I went to sit at my computer desk across the room, so I could observe, but not see the teeny mousey paws and ears up close, lol. While I was watching, Artemis struck it and coiled, I hurried over with the camera, and was making sure the mouse wasn't putting up a fight, I watched her kill and eat it and I didn't feel NEARLY as upset about watching it as I could have sworn I would.

My parents on the other hand aren't speaking to me or Artemis now, hehe.... But Just thought I would let you guys know, I did man up and not let my snake starve to death for the convenience of my parents's timid hearts..... I DID have one, but I like seeing my baby eat better than I like the little mousey I have no attachment to.

Which is not to say I don't feel a little bad, I'm not a sociopath, I don't like seeing little critters get killed, but It didn't bring me bursting to tears like I feared it might. (I have owned pet mice before, that was why I was worried).

So now Artemis has shed, pooped, ate, and gotten mite free in my care, I think I can do this.

PS: She did have mites, but I got rid of them very easily.

[ranapipiens89]

I had to have the petstore lady go in the back to get my a mouse, the ones for sale were too large for her, all the way adults. She took me back to the breeding room and I got a nice weanling for her, there were SO many more rodents in the back than in the store front, I was amazed!

[Elise.m]

Huge congrats on getting her to eat!

The first live feeding is always the worst cuz you really don't know what to expect. Just in my experience. They get easier as you go on, I think since you just get used to it. My BF and I say a "Thank you" to the mouse each time we feed live. We figure it's the most we can do

Here's to hoping you have many more successful feedings!

[ranapipiens89]

I think I will start doin that, I know the mouse isn't actually volunteering, but I SHOULD thank it for giving life to my baby.... I know it will get easier, I'm just really glad she ate, I was getting soooooooo scared, because it was all stacking up, she was taking "too long" to shed, she wasn't eating, she hadn't pooped yet, she and I were fighting the mites, I was seriously about to consider finding her a more experienced home, and say "beginner snake my left foot". But now every problem is solved and I WILL be keeping her .

[Elise.m]

I think the actual beginning is pretty hard for newbies, but once you get ahold of things and they start falling into place they are pretty easy to take care of. I think if I had read alot more of this website, my beginning would have been alot easier. Being that she was more than willing to eat, just not in a 20g tank! lol.

After the first few weeks, it's smooth sailing and you'll be thinking about what you can get your hands on next!

[icygirl]

Congratulations. I'd tell your parents that feeding a mouse to a snake is the same thing as feeding dog food to a dog, or a person eating a hamburger (unless they are vegan). There's really no argument that holds water against that, IMO.

[ranapipiens89]

You know, the mites weren't as much of a nightmare as everything I've read had made them out to be, sure I had to do the work, but it's not like it was difficult, I just changed her bedding to paper and changed it daily, soaked her in warm water daily and sprayed her tank down with weak bleach water and reptile relief a couple times, plus putting it on her twice. It only took a week. Which I'm not sure if that's supposed to be a long time, but it wasn't that long to me, especially not seeing her go from mites literally all over her and in her heat pits to not seeing any at all in a week, it was very very nice.

[ranapipiens89]

Well, they'd have an argument, Icy and that is "the hamburger isn't alive when I get it" lol, they aren't vegetarians, and we do feed our dogs dog food, and they were okay with me trying to feed f/t, but I think the idea of a snake (which they reallly don't like that much anyway) killing a warm fuzzy critter in the house is too much, lol.

[MsPrada]

You should show them "Our Daily Bread" or "Food Inc" And they'd think different.

[CoolioTiffany]

Does that make me a psychopath if I enjoy watching my snake eat a live rodent?

Good job with feeding your snake live, you had to do what ya had to. I had to do this with my Dumeril's boa when she was refusing F/T, and now she eats F/T but today she refused.. like last week too.. I think I have to get a live rat next week. But anyway, congrats on your snake eating!

P.S. Snakes, especially Ball pythons, can go several months without eating.