Yes, the prey is thawed for an hour or more and then warmed with a blow dryer or warm water. I make it dance, but the last time or two she seemed a little scared by the zombie dance (I'm guessing it's her age). The prey is definitely the right size, she used to take these just fine. I'll check her environment for anything that could be stressing her out, but I can't think of anything off the top of my head.