Tired of Eating Problems

[Libby]

Titanboa, I understand exactly where you are coming from. My son is also extremely allergic to everything (see sig below) and my husband and I got a ball python as a family pet, knowing that it would not be like having a cat or a dog. I'm also glad you felt comfortable sharing your real feelings with the forum.

Our bp is 17 months and over 1300 grams. After being an extremely good eater for a year and a half, she has turned down 3 of the last 4 rats we've offered her. I did figure out that we had been feeding her rats that were too large, since we didn't realize the 10-15% of body weight guideline was only for younger animals. Hopefully we'll get her back on schedule.

The thing that has helped us most in feeding Millie in the past has been to check the temperature of the f/t rat with a heat gun. If the rat is under 90F, she just won't eat it, but we don't want it so hot that it would hurt her. I would also suggest a digital kitchen scale to track your snake's weight and make sure the size of his meals is appropriate.

Most importantly, though, I want to tell you that while a snake may not be a "real" pet to you, it is your child's entire experience. If you cannot care for the bp, then do please rehome it. Whatever you do, though, do not teach your child that it is ever appropriate to neglect an animal by deciding to stop feeding him.