How to stop flinching when feeding?

[303_enfield]

Depending on the bedding drop feeding works. You can use a paper plate an see what happens. Or the plate (or bedding) an pull the prey tail. Hint, don’t pull the tail with your hand.

Good luck!

[Zincubus]

Depending on the bedding drop feeding works. You can use a paper plate an see what happens. Or the plate (or bedding) an pull the prey tail. Hint, don’t pull the tail with your hand.

Good luck!

Yeah .. .. though drop feeding can work really well , if fed over a plate as mentioned or just a piece of card .
Again though this works better if you give the mouse / rat a real good blast with a hairdryer ( plugged in close-by ) and in dim light .


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[Bo 17]

I used to flinch pretty bad too when I first got my BP. My guy is a good eater and always strikes pretty fast. I’ve had him for about 2 years now and I’ve gotten used to it. At first I would rest my arm on the side of the cage like mentioned above. Just do your best to prepare for it and you’ll probably get over it. I also just looked away a few times which made it a lot better. You can try this as long as your snake is a good eater and will come to the mouse himself. Good luck!

[arpowell]

Almost forgot to post an update, but good news! She's eating great for me now. Thanks to the advice you all gave me to look away/brace my arm better, the next few feedings went off without a hitch. I still flinch, but I've been draping a blanket over the side of her tank so she can't see me as well and I think that helped too - I think part of the problem was that me flinching was scaring her.

Thanks so much to all of you for your advice. I'd been so worried about her that I feel like I've been walking on clouds ever since she first ate for me.

[Bogertophis]

That's great news! Very glad you're "adapting"-

[Zincubus]

I mentioned somewhere that when using the hairdryer method the feeding response/strike is sometimes exaggerated and they lunge well past the mouse / rat in their enthusiasm...so averting my eyes is simply not an option

I sometimes have to suddenly lean backwards just to avoid a feeding strike


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