Hi guys,

I've had Kyle since December and he's been model bp from day 1.
The guy who sold him to me said he was eating live so I was worried about switching him to F/T. However he took it right away and has been a fantastic F/T eater ever since.
His set up is in a ~70 qt tub with a UTH and 2 hides for each side. During his shed cycles I put in a humidity box and he's had 2 perfect sheds.
He has been a happy, sweet boy who ate like a pro ever since the day I brought him home.
Until ...
A few weeks ago I figured I'd try switching to rats. He's getting bigger and it's hard to find the right size for him since he's in between the large mouse and small rat.
So I offered him a small rat and he was NOT having it. I tried 2 of them before accepting that he just doesn't like rats.
Ok, no big deal. I switch back to mice.
He won't take it. First time ever he refused a mouse!
Tried again a few days later. Phew, he takes it!
Go to feed him again a few days after that and he won't take the mouse.
Try again a few days later, won't take one.

So he's eaten one mouse since the rat debacle a few weeks ago, and now he's trying to escape all day and night. I've cleaned his enclosure to remove all rat smell, added plants, switched from paper towel to Aspen, adjusted his temps up and then down...no change.

Last night I took him out and made a little fort for him on my bed. He slid under the blanket and poked his little head out from under it and stayed still for what seems like the longest period of time in weeks.

It's like I traumatized him with the rat and now he's not himself. I read they can sometimes go off food in the spring but that wouldn't explain his constant escape attempts.

Any ideas why my little guy suddenly changed so drastically?