Mine took probably over an hour trying to get one of the rat's legs to fold in so he could get it down once when he took it sideways. I wanted to help, but what can I really do? It was already halfway down his throat, and obviously he was determined to get it down that way (or else he'd have spit it out and tried again like a smart snake would).... they're not the brightest creatures sometimes, but hey, it keeps things interesting.