mice to rats

[jay618]

Hi i am just wondering if there is anyone out there who can help me. I have a royal who is bout 2 1/2 and i am trying to get her to change from mice to rats but sadly she isnt having any of it. It is getting sooooooooo frustrating pleeeeeeeze help.

[rabernet]

Is she in good condition? IE - does she have good weight on her?

If so, tough love is what I used to get all of mine converted to rats (I used to just a mouser). Each week - offer an appropriately sized rat. She doesn't take it, she doesn't eat. After about four or five weeks - they're hungry enough to eat. If you give in and feed a mouse - start over with the tough love.

Another trick, get some mouse bedding (ask the pet store for some in a bag) and put a handful in the enclosure. Watch for her to start hunting and drop in the rat.

[starmom]

My hypo is on live mice, she's now 450g, and she will always be a mouser I'm afraid. I'll try switching her again after she puts on more weight (she is a totally slow grower being an '07) but I'm not holding my breath....

[Muze]

The scent trick definitely works. I just go two of my mousers to take rats for the first time yesterday by rubbing a F/T mouse all over each rat. But my female Pastel did not care for one. So, I'll try again next week when she's hungry (she's at a good weight & will not be ready to breed until next season, so she can skip one meal). I have youngins that I need to switch to rat pups next week. Let's see how that goes...

[jay618]

Thanks all been a great help and ill be sure to try those ideas.......fingers crossed

[boachick]

ive used the rubbing mice on rats method with great success too snakes that wouldnt even look twice at the rat would strike immediately after it was scented.

[syearout]

A trick that i have used is to put the rat in a small box on used mouse bedding for say, an hour. Then put the rat in the snake box, and walk away, give it thirty min, uninterupted, and not hanging over head watching. Works 99.9% of the time for me...... If they still don't take it.....tough love.....