Live to F/T

[Bogertophis]

Wow, 12 years of eating live rats might be quite the habit to break for your snake. But some snakes switch easily, while others don't, so the first thing is not to assume the worst.

I'd wait until you're sure he's good & hungry- this time of year (it's winter where I am, not sure where you are) some snakes may decide to fast no matter what you do.

You could just try offering a f/t (frozen thawed) rat at his next meal, but the way I like to get snakes to switch is by feeding 2 smaller items instead of one larger, with the first one being the live "appetizer" & then while he's still pumped up ("in feed mode") offer the thawed & warmed (!) f/t rat using tongs. Some snakes will easily grab that second item, but not all do. If yours will though, it gets him acquainted with the fact that f/t rats are perfectly edible. I hope you have time to try it this way, but if not, you'll just have to go straight to the f/t rats & hope for the best.

It's important to thaw frozen rats correctly to make this work. Thaw in COLD water- change the water as necessary to facilitate thawing (larger rats take a while, & you need to feel them by hand to make SURE they're soft throughout, otherwise if it's still frozen inside, your snake will be regurgitating it- & you must avoid that. Besides being gross, snakes can choke & aspirate into their lungs- regurgitating food is a health risk for snakes- they're not good at it.)

Once the rat is thawed in cold water (warm water causes spoilage* which your snake can smell & which is likely to cause him to refuse to eat- BPs are not into eating carrion!) only THEN immerse it in very warm water briefly- a few minutes. Not boiling hot water- do not cook the rat!

*About spoilage & thawing rats: remember that this isn't a steak you're thawing- it's a whole animal with a gut-load of bacteria just waiting for a little warmth so they can party-hearty. Freezing keeps bacteria from growing, but it doesn't kill them- they're quite patient, actually. Your snake doesn't want spoiled food. (gag) Thawing correctly will help prevent wasting prey items that get refused.

At that point, your snake make accept it from tongs (blot the water off, & offer quickly before it cools) but what many here also do is a heat-blast from a blow dryer, especially on the rat's head, where your snake should be aiming for a heat signature.

One thing before your rat source closes: ask them for a bag of dirty rat bedding (urine & feces- well used!). When you thaw rats in water, much of their scent washes off, so a trick is to roll that thawed rat in some dirty shavings too, for the proper "aroma" he's used to. YUM!

No telling if all these steps are needed- every snake has their own opinion. By now, you know what your snake looks like when he's hungry- so offer when he's "ready to eat". And good luck, let us know how it goes?