Don't seem like hungry ball python behavior to me. You should not need to roll the rat in mouse bedding or try to scent the rat any way.

The rat my be too big for your snake (how big around is your snake, just estimate, like "D" size battery around or what not and how big is the rat around?), the snake may not be hungry right now (when was the last time the snake ate?).

Since the python is used to mice, a rat is obviously going to be bigger then what he is used to, you may need to get a rat that is about the size of an adult mouse, a fuzzy rat (a small rat with hair but still has its eyes closed) and present it to your ball. True, it may look like a small meal, and a small rat with its eyes open would look like a more sizable meal, just remember, the mice the ball python attacts is smaller then a small rat. So the animal may be intimidated by bigger prey items

Since you attempted to feed today, wait a week, let the animal relax, get hungry, then find a fuzzy rat (or two) and drop it in with the snake. If you have hemostats, you can grab the rat by the scruff of the neck and present it a few inches from the snakes face and hold it there. Kind of tease the ball with the rat, a fuzzy rat is not going to move like an adult mouse will, just kind of wiggle the fuzzy back in forth, make it appear the rat is checking the snake out, but just don't shove the rat in the snakes face, keep it a a distance.

Have you seen Adams feeding video:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=61201

check it out.

Just remember, to start out small and slow while switching to rats.