Smake has demonstrated great fear when exposed to tongs. I don't use them at all with him. I place the rat on a little "rock" dish that is on the hot side so it's not too cold. I've always placed the rat on something flat for him to take at his own pace. Mimicking life has also scared him in the past. I tried feeding him a live mouse in years past but he didn't take it and instead hid from it. He has always had little to no response to food. He has never struck at food and never coiled around food, only slowly taken meals inch by inch down his throat until he's done. It is an extraordinarily slow process for him. He used to stick his head out of his cave or roam around the tank, but that's never been a reliable indicator for me if he was ready to eat or not. I say "used to" because, since moving here, we no longer sleep in the same room, so I don't catch glimpses of him at 2-4am anymore when I wake up at night. I may go downstairs before bed tonight to see if he's up and out, but he generally gets active in the wee hours of morning when us diurnal folk are most quiet.