Striking but not eating

[rufretic]

I agree, 10 minutes is a long time lol. If mine don't take it in a minute, they're done. They learn quick, if they are hungry take it fast! I never had one take it with a strike and then not eat it, some just take longer than others. Next time you get it to take the rat, just leave it alone and the rat will probably be gone when you come back to check later. I don't leave them over night though, don't want to wake up to a stinky rat. Just try feeding about an hour or two before you go to bed, if the rat gets taken, just check to make sure it's been eaten before you go to bed.

On a side note, when the snake struck the first time you tried, did it coil it? If not that's probably your problem, it may of been striking just to be defensive but not to eat. I have a couple scaredy cats that never strike unless its because they are scared and trying to agitate them to strike will only scare them more. Those ones like to just have a warm rat laid in the tub and left, I check back and the rats usually gone. Then others need to strike and coil the rat before they will eat it. I have good eaters of both types of feeding that almost never deny food and then I have a few that will only eat when they feel like it. Best not to pester them too much, just try again in a couple days. Luckily I've learned my picky eaters so I only defrost a few rats at a time and no rats ever get wasted, if they don't take it in a minute I just give it to a good eater and try the picky eaters a few days later. Every few days there is always someone ready to eat. If you only have one snake, best to only try once a week so your not wasting a bunch of rats. The next time you try, it might be worth trying once just laying the rat in there without disturbing the snake to see if it comes out and finds it on it's own.

Good luck