Quote Originally Posted by Kinra View Post
Are you trying to hand feed him? If you are I wouldn't recommend that. It sounds like he's a small guy right now and your hand might be scaring him (and you could get bit). I use a pair a tongs when I feed and it makes it easier if I drop the rat because I can usually still pick it up without any problems. The only ones I can hand feed are the ones that eat the larger rats because I can hold the tail. I would try to following:

1.) Get a set of tongs, I don't even use reptile hemostats I just use a cheep pair of tongs from walmart (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-...Tongs/15750047)
2.) Let the rat sit until it reaches room temp
3.) Blast it with a hair dryer or put it in a bag and then put the bag in super hot water
4.) Almost immediately after heating offer it up (you can grip it with the tongs behind the head and do the zombie dance if you want

Almost everything I own is currently eating f/t and most of them I barely get it in their tubs before they strike so I don't bother with the zombie dance usually. I only have 1 who isn't eating f/t and I humor her because it's not that far out of the way to get a live rat pup.

If he still won't take the rat, try f/t mice first or p/k rat pups. It might be that he prefers mice to rats or it could be too much of a change for him at once.
Oh good heavens there's no way I would try to hand feed him the way he goes after his food! Hahaha. I have some long tongs I use, but even with those reaching into the cage was a little dicey, he can rise up and strike well past the top of his tank, and it's a 40 gal breeder! Especially when he's hungry.

I've given him p/k rat pups and he takes them with abandon, so I don't think it's mouse/rat problem. Given how easily he could distinguish between the live mouse and the p/k rat pup even after thawed in the mouse cage and warmed up with a hair dryer I think there's something else he's triggering on that I'm missing. Hrrrrmmmm......