I agree. I have seen a snake get chewed up pretty bad by a very small rat that was left in with it for days. If you leave a live prey item in the cage unattended I would leave a little bit of food and make sure there is water for it. But never leave them in for a prolonged period of time if the snake is not interested when the rat gets hungry or thirsty it will start to eat the only edible thing in the cage which is the snake.