These stories make me lol.
I also have a similar story to share.

I have a young lucy rat that will not eat unless I hold onto his prey item till he swallows it half way. I've tried letting go once it's in his mouth, but he'll just drop it and then stare at me like "why did you do that?"
He doesn't even strike at it, I can enduce him to strike but he gets bored with that and returns to his lazy self..... every single time I go to feed him he'll just open his mouth and will bite the head......... BUT I have to set the mouse inside his mouth before he bites down and THEN hold onto it until he either pulls it away from me or until he's nearly swallowed it.
Idk if he and I have a bond, and trust, or if he is just plain old lazy