Trouble switching to the next size up of rats?

[Bogertophis]

I'm so sorry, I DO feed f/t, I just really didn't want to waste that rat 😅 Didn't realize I didn't mention that at all. That would be terrible! Thanks for the advice! I read that I should be feeding 10% of his body weight. I'm not sure if he has a lot more growing to do or not, but if you would stick with smalls, you would just feed him more frequently?

Oh that's a relief! Snakes don't assess the size of prey very well as far as deciding beforehand what prey will "fit", but when you spoke of your snake showing fear, I assumed you meant live prey, as that certainly could make a snake fearful. Rats bite hard, once their eyes are open & the older they get. Sorry I misunderstood you.

As already noted, I'd agree that the snake's reaction might be due to improper thawing. It's essential to thaw in ways that don't allow spoilage, since your snake can smell that. BPs don't normally consume carrion.