All 13 of my bpz, jcp and hoggie eat f/t. Make sure the rat is good and thawed. Use a hair dryer and get it up to body temp. The warming up process will also scent the room where your ball is. I use a temp gun and scan the rat prior to feeding. Once the rat is b/t 95-100 degrees, grasp with tongs and offer it. Usually my snakes are all ready to go since they can already sense the rat from the lovely aroma in the air. Good luck and keep us posted.