First rat failure

[SpecialGreg]

So i have had my boy Raiden for 3 weeks now and he has eaten 2 hopper mice no problems. So today i wanted to switch him to rats so when he is larger i wont have to buy multiple mice. I feed him in a seperate container so i put him in and then added the rat.... nothing Raiden was smelling around they kissed and Raiden went about his way trying to escape so i left them in the tub for an hour and nothing. So i removed Raiden and put him back into his home and put the rat into a bin with some aspen.. im not sure what to do with the rat now that he wont eat it. I was possibly thinking of trying to drop it in his home later tonight when he is crusing around... but i really dont knos what to do with this rat. Do i feed it and give it water.. what does it eat.. idk just looking for some advice. I love this community you all have been so helpful thus far. Any advice would help. Thank you all.

[somnambulant]

I adopted a BP who was stuck on mice... what finally worked for me was rubbing fresh mouse blood all over the rat. He wouldn't bother with the rats, but after I rubbed mouse blood on it, he took it right away. It took a couple of tries for him to really stick to it after that though. Then the next time he wouldn't eat, so I offered him a mouse that had been housed with rats (for the smell) first and then a rat. He ate both. Then the next time, I offered him a mouse, he killed the mouse, but left it there and ate the rat. BPs are weird.

But yeah, mouse blood helps. I read about someone exposing the rat's brain matter too. Sometimes owning reptiles gets gnarly.

[Spoons]

Balls are picky, and he might not want to switch. You are feeding live? Will he eat F/T? I know to switch some people will thaw a rat and a mouse and rub them together really good so the scent of the mouse is on the rat and the snake will be more apt to taking it. Few times of doing that and it usually stops being an issue. I'm not sure rubbing a live mouse with a live rat would go over so well, though...

[SpecialGreg]

He is on live. Tried ft but he wants nothing to do with em.

[SpecialGreg]

I adopted a BP who was stuck on mice... what finally worked for me was rubbing fresh mouse blood all over the rat. He wouldn't bother with the rats, but after I rubbed mouse blood on it, he took it right away. It took a couple of tries for him to really stick to it after that though. Then the next time he wouldn't eat, so I offered him a mouse that had been housed with rats (for the smell) first and then a rat. He ate both. Then the next time, I offered him a mouse, he killed the mouse, but left it there and ate the rat. BPs are weird.

But yeah, mouse blood helps. I read about someone exposing the rat's brain matter too. Sometimes owning reptiles gets gnarly.

I feed him live... if he doesnt eat it with blood all over it then i will have a blood coverd rat running around. Should i try and drop him in his home tonight and see if he goes for it.

[Spoons]

He is on live. Tried ft but he wants nothing to do with em.

It's worth trying again. If he's only eaten twice with you, that's not enough time to really have a good go at switching. Mine took three weeks even to switch from mice to rats, and he was already on F/T! Try one at a time - either mice to rats or live to F/T, instead of both at once. He's still new to you, things might take a bit.

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk

[Bogertophis]

It's worth trying again. If he's only eaten twice with you, that's not enough time to really have a good go at switching. Mine took three weeks even to switch from mice to rats, and he was already on F/T! Try one at a time - either mice to rats or live to F/T, instead of both at once. He's still new to you, things might take a bit.

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk

Um...look at the date of the post you're replying to...it's from 2014 . I have a feeling the OP has dealt with it by now? LOL

[Spoons]

Um...look at the date of the post you're replying to...it's from 2014 . I have a feeling the OP has dealt with it by now? LOL

Holy crap how did I do that?

I think I must have been under my subscribed tab on Tapatalk and thought it was my timeline. I'm still new to it!

Move along, nothing to see here... Hah!

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk

[Zincubus]

Apart from anything else I'd stop moving him into another container to feed !!

I have some Royals who eat FT every single time but if I disturb them before hand they won't even sniff the mouse !!

In general I'd suggest moving Royals is the WORST thing you can do ... they're just not like most other snakes ..

Leave for a week , feed at night in dim light , warm the thawed rat up well with a hairdryer and offer INSTANTLY . ..... Don't blink !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Zincubus]

Holy crap how did I do that?

I think I must have been under my subscribed tab on Tapatalk and thought it was my timeline. I'm still new to it!

Move along, nothing to see here... Hah!

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk

That's another ten minutes of my life I won't get back !!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk