My snake is addicted!

[DutchHerp]

I've only heard about it with carpets, and the guy had a very picky JCP, who after several of the feedings just described had his snake take rats voluntarily.

[zackw419]

I've only heard about it with carpets, and the guy had a very picky JCP, who after several of the feedings just described had his snake take rats voluntarily.

hm, interesting

[Flicker]

My snakes used to reject rats too! My best suggestion would to ask the petstore to drop the rat in with the mice for a few minutes, so the rat will smell like a mouse. (or take the rat home in mouse bedding) Eventually, your snake will associate rats with food again.

[frankykeno]

When we've changed mousers over we just did the tough love deal. No mice, no smell of mice, skip 2 weeks of food offering, then offer a nice plump rat of a small size (pink, fuzzy or very young pup). Something easy for that size of snake to catch. Most of ours switched over fairly easily. I do have some VERY dedicated ASF's eaters but they tend to be the wild caught rescues we've taken in and a couple of picky eaters.

Some bp's like Slim said are very prey specific so you can only try and see how it goes.

[DutchHerp]

I'd hate to just feed mice... I mean, my normal is only 570g but he would have to take at least four at a time...

[frankykeno]

I hated feeding live mice for two reasons - #1 mice stink! one or two mice in the snake room stink worse than 100 of my rats I swear! - #2 for some really stupid reason I'm afraid of mice. I can work all day long with big rats and the ASF's and I'm good to go, a mouse feeder gets loose and I'm on a chair screeching like a damn fool.

[Slim]

Mice are very nasty creatures. Funny that rats get the bad rap, and a Mouse runs Disney Land.

[frankykeno]

That mouse had a better PR agent!

[zackw419]

When we've changed mousers over we just did the tough love deal. No mice, no smell of mice, skip 2 weeks of food offering, then offer a nice plump rat of a small size (pink, fuzzy or very young pup). Something easy for that size of snake to catch. Most of ours switched over fairly easily. I do have some VERY dedicated ASF's eaters but they tend to be the wild caught rescues we've taken in and a couple of picky eaters.

Some bp's like Slim said are very prey specific so you can only try and see how it goes.

so its a good idea to start small. the rat I am offering is bigger than the mice she has been eating. I should of though of this.

[rabernet]

Kevin McCurley shared a trick with me that worked a time or two. When you pick up your rat from the pet store, ask them for a small handful of dirty mouse bedding. Put a handful into the snake's enclosure at the front and watch your snake. When he/she starts coming out of their hide, actively tongue flicking and looking for that mouse it can smell, drop in the small rat.

Worked like a charm for a few weeks, until she caught onto the trick! LOL

After that - I've converted every mouser in my colony to rats by using tough love (note, this should only be used on animals that are healthy weight, and older - I wouldn't use this on babies). I'd offer a rat each week, never a mouse. Eventually, they've all converted.

If you "give in" and give them a mouse because you feel badly that they haven't eaten, then you need to start the tough love clock over again.

With all that said - the animal's health always comes first - if they are rapidly losing weight (which a healthy animal shouldn't) - stop tough love and give them them the mice.