Bubbles' Arrival!

[butterballpython]

It sounds like the problem is her not you. She sounds like she is super wary. I had one that was like this. I learned that she had "security issues" rofl. I had to turn her tub into a junkyard when she was a baby. I could have put her in a smaller tub I guess but it was easier to just clutter her tub. Most of my younger ones get two hides, she had five. It honestly took me awhile to figure her out. She wanted her rat really dead and wet and only after dark. I would leave the dead wet rat outside of her hide and cover her tub with a towel. If she was hungry she would eat within an hour. It took almost a year but she now eats "normally". I never gave in and gave her live.

That's reassuring, thanks. I'd really, really prefer not to deal with live rats. She can have more stuff in her cage, that's no problem. Once she eats I plan to try handling her more often. She really needs to get better at being handled before she gets bigger. So far she's been fed in the late evening when the room was really dark, but if a towel might help, I can try that, too.

[butterballpython]

This morning she weighed in at 238 grams. The ad said 260, so they must have weighed her after a heavy meal. She doesn't look thin or anything, her weight actually looks good. I held her for a few minutes this morning and got struck (but not bit) twice before she settled down.

[BMorrison]

She's a beaut! Congrats!

[butterballpython]

The good news is that today she did much better. She was only semi-balled up and didn't offer to strike. She must have just been in a lousy mood last time. Tonight is feeding night, so everybody keep your fingers crossed that she takes the rat.