Stop flinching during feeding

[Maddumpling]

How did you stop flinching when you feed your ball pythons? I have a bp that doesnt need tongs for feeding f/t thawed and another is off food so I don't know. But my albino does eat f/t food sometimes without tongs, but I feel like he would eat for me everyday if I fed on tongs. But I keep flinching when they bite the rat, making my albino miss the food. Is it something that I have to get used to to stop flinching or what.

[mikel81]

Don't watch.

Just wiggle it and wait for that tug like you are fishing.

[Rob]

Lol you flinch that bad that they miss?!! You probably could use a good bite and see how little it hurts to get over the flinching.

[MJT_23]

This same thing happens to me. No matter how much I say I won't jump I always do, I agree I just close my eyes and when I feel the hit I know. Lol

[AK907]

Lol you flinch that bad that they miss?!! You probably could use a good bite and see how little it hurts to get over the flinching.

Haha! Tough love! I approve of this message!

[Trochu]

Can't you just throw it in and let it be? That's what I do and my ball eats regularly.

[Mike41793]

You can flinch faster than they can strike lol? Ive never seen someone twitch out that much. I guess try just thawing it out and leaving it in the cage over nite. Two of mine eat just fine like that. If i do zombie dance they will strike and constrict but if i just leave it in there they just go up to it and start to eat it...

[Slim]

Reading your post, I'm having a hard time figuring out if you do use tongs or you don't use tongs?

My advise...use tongs.

[Klogue1]

I feel your pain! When I fed my very first snake for the first time (f/t) I remember flinching terribly. It wasn't scared of being bitten, it was that they just move so dang fast! My first corn snake's cage was under a shelf and I remember several occasions of bruising my knuckles when I went to feed (the cage was a couple inches under it and I pulled the cage out some, but still managed to hit the shelf).

I agree it's much easier to just not watch. That way you don't even know it's coming! I have to get blood tests done a lot and I still have to look away when the needle goes in or I'll freak out, but afterwards I'm fine. And tongs are best as well. That way you have a very tiny chance of even being bitten

[Maddumpling]

I use tongs but lets just say they are not the best tongs to use. And I think its also a bit of a reaction kind of because I still watch the snake and right when it gets the rat I move my hand a bit. And I can't just throw it in because although he coils it, he later doesnt eat it.