Mine spent his first year taking lots of extra time to eat his rats because he tended to try the ear first, then move to the middle, then the butt before finally finding the head. I wouldn't take it out to warm the head if I were you unless he's actually leaving it. As long as he's still working on figuring out, just let him work his way around to it. Mocking, however, is not at all disturbing to them and I engaged in it freely.