Should I wait until she eats?

[Lolo76]

My big girl Mona is a proven breeder, and more than ready to go for this season... I'm planning to put Toby the pastel in her tub, as soon as he's finished shedding (should be done tomorrow or Friday). But Mona has been on - what I believe is - a seasonal fast, and hasn't eaten since August 11th. I offer about once every 7-10 days, both F/T and live, but no go. I doubt it has anything to do with husbandry or stress, since she ate fine until August... I've had her since June, and she was pounding live rats except when in shed.

Does it matter that she hasn't eaten in so long, and/or should I try to end her strike? Or is this most likely just preparation for breeding? Her tub was pretty cold before moving it into the rack (~2 weeks ago), so it was suggested that she was fasting because of the temperature drop. Now the temperatures are perfect, but she still has no interest in eating. Her weight prior to going off feed was 2056g, and now she is weighing around 1850... is it safe to breed her? This will be my first breeding attempt, so ANY suggestions or comments are welcomed!

[Lolo76]

P.S. In case it matters, Toby is just shy of 600g... that's big enough for a male, right?

[pavlovk1025]

Start pairing them up. I noticed that once I started pairing up my female, she's become a better eater. Good luck.

[Lolo76]

Thanks for the reply... I guess we'll just see what happens! Toby is literally shedding as we speak, so I will probably introduce them on Monday (since he'll be fed on Saturday).

One more question - Mona is in a 41qt tub with one hide & a bowl, and Toby is in a 28qt with the same layout. I've read that most breeders put the female in the male's tub, but I think that would be too small for them. So should I put him in her tub instead? That might be a good way to upgrade him anyway, since he'll probably outgrow the smaller tub in a few months. Also, will they be okay with just one hide? Both of them use their hides practically 24/7, so I was thinking about adding a second one... but then it would be rather crowded, leaving little space for lovin'.