Hello people.

I've had my royal for about 3-4 weeks now. I just want to pick your brains about his temperament change...

When I first got him, I let him settle for about a week, and then fed him. He struck, constricted and ate (I only saw him strike and constrict because I then turned lights out and left him to it on his own for a few hours as I didnt wanna stress him by peering in while he was trying to eat.) I then waited 48 hours and handled him. He was lovely. slithering around my hands, up my shoulder etc... I only had him out about 5 minutes because he'd been on his cold side of his vivarium and felt a bit cool so I didnt want him to get too cold (im very paranoid about my reptiles getting too cold while they're out of their viv)

anyway, ive fed him twice more since then (every Wednesday) and as soon as ive been heating the rat up with my hairdryer hes *woosh* out of his hide and up at the glass in his strike pose just waiting. Safe to say he struck and ate perfectly everytime.

now, to the part I'm concerned about, the other day while he was going through a shed, I misted his viv with water to up the humidity and I accidentally got him, and he didn't like it at all. I said sorry even though he couldnt understand obviously and carried on around him, and im not sure if he hissed at me or not or it was the sound the water was making when it hit his hot spot. But I left him alone for a day or two after that just in case i'd made him angry.

I got him out after a couple of days and he seemed to be okay again, my older brother handled him for a bit too and fell in love and said he looked healthy and stuff (he's a bit of a snake man himself). Then not last night but the night before I wanted to get him out and he seemed angry? Like very tense and like he wanted to bite me. So I didn't bother him. (And I'm sure I heard him hiss again? I'm unsure whether he's hissing or not, I wish I knew what their hissing sounded like so I knew. Is it loud or quiet?) and today I went to get him out and he seemed jumpy and like he wanted to bite me?

I've tried giving him a few days between handling so I don't stress him out but he still seems like he wants to bite me...

I feed him on 1 Large Weaning Rat every Wednesday. He's a year old, just over 2 feet in length and 700grams in weight. Do you think maybe he's hungry by now and I should feed him every 5-7 days instead of every week? I thought maybe he could be striking out of hunger?

Unless he's holding a grudge against me for spraying him, which I really didn't mean to do! I said sorry for goodness sake, snake!

his hot side spot is 90f, and his cool side is 80f. His humidity is 49% which I up when he's shedding. He is in a vivarium which is far too small for him, I know (it's a 2foot one) but I dont have funds to get him a bigger one yet but as soon as payday comes on the 28th, I will be ordering one for him.

So, any advice would be appreciated? any more information needed, just ask!

I just find it weird how he was fine with me at first and then suddenly doesn't want to know

just to clarify - because someone jumped down my throat on another forum I'm on - I didn't attempt to handle my ball at ALL during him shedding, I only put my hand in to mist to raise the humidity and also to remove his shed once he was done. And I never handle him for 2 (sometimes 3) days after he's eaten, too

(this was copied & pasted from another forum I'm on, but someone got a bit arsey with me so I decided to try posting here hoping for a nicer answer in stead)