Question about feeding

[Melicious]

Forgive my ignorance. Like I said I am new to this. But scent the room? Is this something like allowing the box with the food near the air holes so she scents the prey? Or something else?

Well, I buy my rats and mouse(squee!) from the pet store just down the street and I just set the boxes near the rack system that I have for about half-an-hour to an hour. I will turn the fan on if my windows aren't open(summer!) and allow the scent of the feeders to waft through the air for the snakes. This will get them squirming around and ready.

One other question. The guy we bought her from has never fed alert prey, and her first feeding was actually the first day she was with us (She was hungry, just came out of hibernation), but he has always stunned the prey before feeding. I have read that you want to watch until the prey has been eaten because bad things can happen if the snake is disinterested. But do you or anyone else have any suggestions to easing her into taking live and alert prey? I do not ask for any other reason other than it is the natural way for them to eat, and am having a hard time wrapping my mind around her not doing her thing naturally.

-Smiles.- You are more-than-welcome to feed frozen/thawed. I know that a lot of people do, but I have more experience with feeding live. I don't stun my prey. I hold them gently by the nape of their necks with a pair of tongues about three to four inches away from the snakes' heads. (YouTube - 8 Ball Pythons - Feeding Lessons)

As soon as they get a strike, I let go with the tongues, and I close the tubs to give them a few minutes alone. I'll check on them every five or six minutes to check out the progression, and I try to make my presence as noninvasive as possible. Afterward, I give them about two hours to relax and then I check to make sure there are no nicks or puncture wounds. After that, they're left alone fully for no less than forty-eight hours.

Oh, and I'm just here to help. Anyone else here can edit something I missed, but I'm more-than-willing to help.