Quote Originally Posted by KatStoverReptiles View Post
Weaned rat is not the smallest size rat. Daybreaker got the scale right:



They are called weaned rats because they have been weaned off their mother's milk and are eating regular food.

You can go here: http://www.frozenfeeder.com/sizing.html for a good conversion chart.

Some snakes switch right away and some are picky. There are a few methods for getting them to switch. You can try the "hungry" method where you wait it out and only offer rats till they get so hungry they take it. This takes a lot of willpower. There's the "scenting" method where you scent the rat with either a mouse or soiled mouse bedding in order to sort've trick your snake into eating the rat. I've used this method with quite a bit of success. I either thaw the rat in the same bag with the mice or I take the mouse and rub it all over the rat.

Just because a snake takes live once doesn't mean they're necessarily stuck on live for life. I've got a few that prefer live and will take them more readily, and then I've got some that will eat anything warm put in front of them. I've got an albino that I'm trying to switch to ft. He takes live great, but it takes quite a bit of the "zombie rat dance" to get him to take the ft. I have another who took live for me last week and ft tonight. So it really depends on the snake.

Well I don't want to go down that road. If I can continue feeding frozen/thawed I want to continue down that road not only for Snickers' safety but for my well being as well! I don't think I could watch Snickers "kill" a mouse or rat.

I have RESCUED mice from being killed by cats before with my own hands. My friend had a very nice half million dollar house but he did have a mouse problem and he had a cat that killed those mice. Twice I was there and his cat found mice and got them them and played with them and the mice "played dead" instinctively and I scooped up those mice both times and ran outside a few blocks and then opened my hands on the ground and they bolted!(Everyone was amazed by my tenacity...though I'm pretty sure that cat hates my guts! Tough luck for the cat. Go eat your cat chow!)

I love all animals except for insects and arachnids(YUCK!)

Anyway I would have a difficult time feeding live prey to Snickers because not only would I worry about her safety doing so but It's just easier for me to feed prey that is already dead anyway.