Brand new BP owner here back with more newb questions. Second time feeding Buddy and it's not going very well.
I thawed the mouse in cold water for four hours, then heated it up to 104 degrees by dangling it in front of my space heater for a few seconds, wiggled it with tongs to Buddy who came to the front of the hide and seems very interested but he won't strike at all. He'll occasionally put his head closer to the mouse but then retreat back into the hide and just stare at it for a few seconds before repeating. After dangling it softly for about 20 minutes, I just laid the mouse a few inches in front of his hide and covered all sides of the tank.
Last time, he struck and coiled the f/t immediately but didn't eat right away. He finally ate a few hours later after I left the tank covered and the mouse just lying there. What should I do?
Is he too stressed to eat or not hungry?
For the past two days he's been staying in his hot hide undisturbed but he hasn't moved much. I've been handling for ten minutes every other day for the past week so maybe the stress from handling is causing him to refuse food? Sorry for all the questions but I'm really new to this.