Questions to Digest

[Eric Alan]

Is it normal for a Ball Python to refuse to relieve him/herself in their tank? Not that I'm complaining, but I feel I might be spoiling him a bit. I'm a bit worried that he will retain it for too long and force himself into constipation.
Additionally, I want to know when to start spacing his food out from 5 days to 7 days.

if he is going into food mode right after a poop on the fifth day, I see no issue with feeding him. However, I don't know if this is just a routine he's used to which means I could still be overfeeding him, or if he's actually hungry.

To answer your question, no - not normal. It is normal, though, for new keepers to think they should relieve themselves on a schedule. Animals will relieve themselves in stressful situations. All of the signs you're pointing out could be his way of saying "that's too much for me right now".

If I were you, I'd basically ignore his bathroom habits and how they relate to his feeding schedule. BP metabolism is completely different than our own and if you try to anthropomorphize him, you'll end up getting frustrated. In short, he'll go when he needs to.

Feed him an appropriately sized meal every 4-5 days until he's big enough for small rats. Then you can back down to every 7 days. When he's being fed the right amount of food at the right time, he'll go the right amount. Simple as that.