Urgent!!!!!! feeding problem

[BallPythonLover]

Hi i have a boa and he has been feed live through out his life.
so i have had it for 3 weeks and he is one a 5 day schedule till 2 feet he is currently 23 inches. the first feeding was live and he took it the second it came by him. the last 3 feedings i tried f/t
this is how i thaw it
1 incold water for 1 hour
2 in warm water for 5 minutes
3 in hot water for 5 minutes
then the temp is 89-94 degrees
he showes no intrest in the rat.
at the pet store they tried it and had no luck as well.. so they fed it live and he took it they had done that for 1 month and i for 3 weeks.
should i just stick to live.

[Linds]

Sometimes it takes a little perseverance. I wouldn't waste time bringing it to the store, your boa is not likely to start eating in a strange environment, it has to be comfortable.

What methods have you tried? First, I would try offering it off tongs, though make sure it is very warm (they cool out quickly once outo f the water). If that failed, try leaving it overnight in front of your snake's favourite hiding spot. You can also try methods such as braining, as well as try offering it at different times of day and night. Don't bug your snake with handling and whatnot until he has started feeding for you, and above all, be patient. Also, I would skip the 'warm water phase' of thawing. Well, if it were me I would just skip straight to the hot water, but it is fine to thaw in cold water first.

[BallPythonLover]

i tried the tongs and every thing.
the only other thing i can think of is force feeding but he is to young to even consider doing that.
i think i am going to keep him on live.
i read that if they are given live for over a month that you should keep it on live cause thats what it will take.
i bet you anything that he would take f/t till he got to the pet store.
you know how some snakes get spooked from the traveling and refuse to eat f/t or snakes that only take live get switched to f/t. any way
should i wait till he is bigger ( age wise id say till he is a year old.
i heard that when they get 3 feet they no longer care what it is as long as it is food.
what if i cant get him switched ovver to f/t no one out here sells live rats.
only f/t..
my brother had a boabefore it was about 4 or 5 feet when it died from getting a infection in its "vent" .
well it only took live and we had bought pet rats for him to eat because they were calm and didnt bite or scrach when held or touched.
i know a place that sells pet rats should i go there for the food???

[BallPythonLover]

and my boa isnt very nice to the mice i feed him.he had such a good aim and force that he hits the neck andwell he broke one of the mouse' neck and the others died in about 5 seconds because of the strenght of constriction.
and when he is bigger should i feed rabits or guinie pigs.

[Linds]

There is absoltuely no cutoff age for when you can switch them over, nor should you give up. While some snakes it is true that they will only take live, it is rare for a boa to only take live. Patience, privacy, proper husbandry, and perseverance is key in switching a stubborn boa. Do not give up, the longer you wait, the harder it will be, so don't put it off til a later date. You boa will not starve to death if it misses a few meals, so there is also no reason to consider forcefeeding. Another mthod you can try is feed it a live rodent, and immediately follow by offering a f/t. Also, some f/t are different than fresh rats, so it is often a good idea to try to transition them to freshly killed before trying frozen.

[BallPythonLover]

ok, how do i kill it put it in a pillow cage and smack it against the ground several times??
and could it be that i have the wroung setup.
Cage Size-30 Gallon
Temps-Basking 94 f Hot 86 f Cool 78-80 f
Nite 74-80 f
large water dish
pine bedding ( mom wants the cheap stuff) i want to use repti bark but i think that when he is bigger and in a larger cage i will use new print.
lots of branches ( still trying to convince parents to ge mor so it really seems like a canopy and al
3 hides
if there is anything i am missing please tell
me

and my garter is currently having babies.
she has 2 so far and i bet she has had more but eaten them.
i found her eating a albino garter snake. all white with yellow,
are those rare

[foman]

How long have you had this snake?...maybe he has not completely setted in quite yet and is stiil a little nervous about snatching the mouse outta your hand or off the tongs. I would also heat up the food longer, maybe the insides are not warm enough yet, skip the cold water and start off with warm water. Also you have a while before you have to start with rabbits and pigs, get him on rats first and those will do him for years.

Aspen shavings are the way to go as far as wood shavings are concerned, But I use good old newspaper. I like newspaper cause its cheap, easy to get and makes maintaining clean cages nice and easy........just the way I like it.:)

And Linds has given you some great advise too.

[Linds]

Honestly, it wouldn't hurt to cut down the size of the tank for now since you are having trouble. I would put your snake in a small rubbermaid with hides, branches, etc. and definitely ditch the pine shavings. Repti-bark is a rip off as well. If you are set on using bark, just get the stuff from the local garden centre. Cypress mulch is another natural looking alternative. Like foman, I just use newspaper for mine.

I just use the pillowcase method for my rats, except for the really young babies. I pinch their skulls in with my thumb and forefinger, because they do not fare well when using the blunt force method. They often split open, and sometimes do not even die when that happens, not humane and very messy.

Your boa can eat rats for its whole life, or you can switch it to rabbits if you'd like. Guinea pigs are not a good choice because they are too fatty.