How to know if you've overheated a prey item?

[Newbie39]

Been feeding F/T for many years.

I use the "water" method. However, I don't use HOT water right away.

I put them into COLD water to defrost. Usually I do that mid day/early afternoon if I want to feed that night.

Once they are defrosted in the cold water (safer that way) and I'm getting ready to feed, I drain the cold water and add HOT water. Hot, not boiling. I wait 10 minutes, drain that water and add hot water once again. Wait another 10 minutes and feed.

If I have LARGE food items like medium rats (or bigger) I add a third cycle of draining and adding hot water for 10 minutes.


I have a few cheap/square/white cotton towels who are used only for drying the rats. I put the rats into that towel, roll it up, and by the time I carry it into the rodent room the rats are sufficiently dry and still nice and hot. Those towels are washed separate, on short cycle.

Certainly better then going through countless paper towels. I got that idea from someone on this forum, years ago. At first I thought..ewwww. But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Works very well.

Putting the frozen rodent into HOT water weakens the cell structure even more, and you run the risk of a feeder that is mushy, or hot on the outside while cold on the inside (or even frozen still)

It's a great method. I use the same. Plus she eats the rat wet. I don't even need to dry it.