he's about 8 months old, I thaw directly in water, which is what the pet store i got him from did, and also the only way he used to eat (he refused the hairdryer heated when I tried that at the start). one thing im worried about is that i stressed him too much by rubbing the mouse against him to get his attention- that's how I got him to strike the first time i fed him, after we had some issues getting him started- but dont know if that explains the general stress when not eating