HELP: Problems switching from LIVE to F/T

[themarshall18]

Lots of good advice above. Holding the rat by the scruff is usually best, like MrLang said. Also, bumping the snake (like another member posted) can work as long as the snake isn't a shy feeder. I found that that can scare them off f/t if they are shy. However, if they are aggressive eaters normally, bumping them works pretty well. Sometimes I will run the feeder under their body and they get excited and strike at it right away. If they just coil it with their body but don't actually strike, sometimes they will still eat it if you leave them alone. If they drop it just re-heat it and try again. Sometimes it takes a few tries before they eat it. Just don't leave it sit too long or the rat will decompose too much.

Another trick that you can try, and has worked for us, is rolling the thawed, warm rat in dirty rat bedding, knock off all the bedding, then offer it right away. It will have more of a live rat smell.

Don't get too discouraged. It can take a while to switch them over sometimes. Good luck!



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Wouldn't you be afraid of the snake hitting the tongs if you have the rat grasped by the scruff? Just curious. Also, I'm not sure on his weight yet. I know he's 44" and not fat by any means. I really appreciate all the advice on this. I will try heating the rat up more as it sounds like that's the problem and let you all know how it works out.

Thanks!

[Annarose15]

Wouldn't you be afraid of the snake hitting the tongs if you have the rat grasped by the scruff? Just curious. Also, I'm not sure on his weight yet. I know he's 44" and not fat by any means. I really appreciate all the advice on this. I will try heating the rat up more as it sounds like that's the problem and let you all know how it works out.

Thanks!

Sometimes they hit the tongs - they'll survive. Just make sure they aren't those rubber or plastic-tipped tongs, because his teeth can get stuck on them.

[Rob]

Don't know know if its been said yet as I only skimmed the thread. But try leaving the F/T in over night. It's worked in the past for me with shy eaters.

[themarshall18]

Don't know know if its been said yet as I only skimmed the thread. But try leaving the F/T in over night. It's worked in the past for me with shy eaters.

I have tried that without any luck. He'll even crawl over the f/t like it's nothing. I'm going to try another heating method either tonight or tomorrow night and see how that goes.