JCP not eating

[jamesb]

So i've tried giving my JCP who is estimated at about 8 months old a Rat pup for the past 3 weeks. Nothing. I've tried dangling, touching her with it, leaving it overnight...nothing. Not even a strike of any sort.

This is the 4th week and i've defrosted yet another, smaller than the others this time and make sure it is warm enough and nothing. She is hissing like crazy when I touch her with it, but doesn't even strike to say "get away!" When she did eat a rat pup before this started, she took it right off the tray. Nothing major just a simple grab and wrap around.

Her temps have been mid eightys most days with nights around 80 degrees with a cool spot for her to adjust.

She has been very active every night like normal. Going all over her cage all night long.

She looks heathly, doesn't seem like she has lost weight, i've seen her drink water, i'm stumped. My next try was going to be an adult mouse, then if she ate that I would try a rat pup again scented with a mouse.

She has been eating rats for all except her first 4 meals.

Any ideas?

[Coffee Black]

I'd say do a smaller mouse and then a rat pup, if she takes the mouse.

[Will0W783]

Don't worry too much...4 weeks isn't a big deal. Carpets, and most snakes, are fine for months without eating.

Second, whatever you do..>DON'T offer it a mouse. Carpets get hooked on mice easily, and if it's already been taking rats, don't undo all that good. It will need rats as it grows...and mice are like crack to carpets. But who wants to feed 8-10 mice at a time to a full-grown carpet?

Leave him/her alone for two weeks. Don't handle, don't mess around in the cage, don't offer food. Just make sure it has water and leave it alone. Completely. After that two weeks, try offering food again. If it refuses again, repeat the process and try again. If you keep bugging it with food, it could just be angry and stressed and not calming down between what it perceives as attacks.

I used to freak when my snakes refused food, but over the years I've mellowed a lot. I don't bat an eye unless it's been more than 6 months, or the snake is showing signs that something else is wrong (bad shed, popping/wheezing, etc). I have a big old male mutt carpet that eats about 3 times a year. He's offered food every two weeks along with the other snakes, but if he doesn't strike, he's left alone again. Remember that in the wild, snakes gorge themselves and then hide out for months. I'm sure your little one will be just fine.

[Lankyrob]

Personally i wouldnt be touching the snake with the prey, more likely to anmoy the snake than anything.

As long as the snake is healthy and not losing weight then dont worry and keep trying each week. Dont handle or disturb the snake in between attempts apart from changing water.

When you attempt to feed make sure the head of the ratis hottest and hold it up to the snakes nose but dont bump it against, if it doesnt take it leave it overnight and if it is still there throw it away in the morning.

[red ink]

So i've tried giving my JCP who is estimated at about 8 months old a Rat pup for the past 3 weeks. Nothing. I've tried dangling, touching her with it, leaving it overnight...nothing. Not even a strike of any sort.

This is the 4th week and i've defrosted yet another, smaller than the others this time and make sure it is warm enough and nothing. She is hissing like crazy when I touch her with it, but doesn't even strike to say "get away!" When she did eat a rat pup before this started, she took it right off the tray. Nothing major just a simple grab and wrap around.

Her temps have been mid eightys most days with nights around 80 degrees with a cool spot for her to adjust.

She has been very active every night like normal. Going all over her cage all night long.

She looks heathly, doesn't seem like she has lost weight, i've seen her drink water, i'm stumped. My next try was going to be an adult mouse, then if she ate that I would try a rat pup again scented with a mouse.

She has been eating rats for all except her first 4 meals.

Any ideas?

Bump the temps up into the 90s

[Coffee Black]

oops. didn't realize it had already taken a rat. poor reader.

[shaunyboy]

what ever you do i would not offer mice,i've found the older the carpet the harder it is to cross them onto rats

4 weeks is not a lot of time to be off feeding

i have carpets who stop feeding for 8 to 10 weeks for no apparent reson

they always get back to feeding in their own time

some of my carpets go off their food 3 or 4 weeks before a shed,some eat up to the shed then go off their food for a few weeks after the shed

personally i would leave your jungle in peace and quiet only going near it to change the water every 5 to 7 days

leave it 2 weeks like that then try offering again

you will have to try and read the snake....


if it appears nervous when offering food then try quietly leaving the prey item in the tank overnight

i have found feeding attempts work best just as its getting dark.

offer the food in the dark if need be with just a small light on in the opposite corner of the room from the tank (just enough light to let you see what your doing)

if all attempts fail you could try braining the prey

heat prey item up with a hair dryer,giving the head an extra heat

take a pair of scissors and puncture 2 or 3 holes through the skull

you will see a grey liquid coming out the puncture holes

give the head another extra heat and offer right away

let us know how it goes as there are other methods you can try

cheers shaun

[jamesb]

So I waited a month before trying another rat pup....nothing. I didn't handle her or anything. Just watched temp and changed water. I then waited another 5 days (today), tried an adult mouse (which was smaller than the rat pup) and I just checked and she is gulping it down as I type this. Maybe next week i'll try a rat fuzzy instead and scent it with a mouse. She ate a few rat pups no issue, but then stopped. Don't know why she stopped eating the rats.

Normally I know that rats are better for larger snakes, but if I can't get her to eat rats are medium (3.5" +) adult mice OK while I try rats every now and then? I would think if she is eating the mice right away when I just tried the rat a few days ago either it was too big or she just didn't like the smell of it.

[stephanbakir]

Some snakes are picky. Is it possible its older then 8 months and in breeding mode?

[NennaMeerkat]

Why oh WHY did you do a mouse when more than one person said NOT to feed it a mouse?!?!? Good going asking for advice and then not taking it.

Whatever the case good luck getting it eating anything but mice. Scenting might work since it can work for other snakes (hognose snakes love toad scented mice).

[stephanbakir]

Why oh WHY did you do a mouse when more than one person said NOT to feed it a mouse?!?!? Good going asking for advice and then not taking it.
Constructive criticism :P

[jamesb]

Constructive criticism :P


LOL, by his response you would think I fed it a cheeseburger:yes:

I can't be tossing rats out every week she doesn't eat. At least I know she ate something. She is probably picky. When I first got her I fed her mice, then switched to rats no problem. I'll try a smaller fuzzy rat instead of rat pups next time and i'll rub a mouse over it to scent it to see if that works. I'm just happy to know nothing else is wrong and she is just being picky. Now that I know that I'll just keep trying rats scented with mice. She is still young so I don't think it will be too much of an issue.

It may have also been the size of the rats I was feeding her. They may have been on the large side. Rat fuzzys are around the size of the mouse I just gave her. I'll try again in two weeks and see if she takes it.

[youngster]

LOL, by his response you would think I fed it a cheeseburger:yes:

I can't be tossing rats out every week she doesn't eat. At least I know she ate something. She is probably picky. When I first got her I fed her mice, then switched to rats no problem. I'll try a smaller fuzzy rat instead of rat pups next time and i'll rub a mouse over it to scent it to see if that works. I'm just happy to know nothing else is wrong and she is just being picky. Now that I know that I'll just keep trying rats scented with mice. She is still young so I don't think it will be too much of an issue.

It may have also been the size of the rats I was feeding her. They may have been on the large side. Rat fuzzys are around the size of the mouse I just gave her. I'll try again in two weeks and see if she takes it.

If the rats are f/t you can just freeze them again if the herp doesn't take it

[Lankyrob]

If the rats are f/t you can just freeze them again if the herp doesn't take it

Not really the best idea - if they have been froxen and defrosted then they shouldnt be frozen again - certainly not something i would do - for my food or theirs.

It is a good reason to have more than one snake tho - if one doesnt feed the other gets a treat!! Thankfully no wasted rats or mice in our house!

[morelia4life]

Wow.... I really hope you don't have a 6 foot Jungle that is stuck on Mice. That will not be fun. Anyways, I hope everything works out for you and you can get it back on rats in the future.

[brylecc1989]

I know people that will do one refreeze if their snake refuses and he never had a problem. I'm neurotic though so won't do it myself. Just my .02 cents.

[shaunyboy]

LOL, by his response you would think I fed it a cheeseburger:yes:

I can't be tossing rats out every week she doesn't eat. At least I know she ate something. She is probably picky. When I first got her I fed her mice, then switched to rats no problem. I'll try a smaller fuzzy rat instead of rat pups next time and i'll rub a mouse over it to scent it to see if that works. I'm just happy to know nothing else is wrong and she is just being picky. Now that I know that I'll just keep trying rats scented with mice. She is still young so I don't think it will be too much of an issue.


if she's being picky when young it will be near on impossible to cross her over to rats as an adult

the reason folk advised you NOT to give her mice is.....


it takes an a lot of mice per feed to keep an adult carpet fed and content

instead of taking a medium or large rat you may well end up having to feed mice into double figures.time consuming and a much higher fat content for the snake

imo if you don't percivere and show patience getting her onto rats now you will find her stuck on mice for the next 20 to 30 years mate

cheers shaun

[shaunyboy]

I know people that will do one refreeze if their snake refuses and he never had a problem. I'm neurotic though so won't do it myself. Just my .02 cents.


imo your not being neurotic mate

why risk a snakes health for the sake of a cheap prey item

you wouldn't re freeze a steak for your own dinner now would you ?

i agree with you in chucking out instead of re freezing

cheers shaun

[brylecc1989]

Yea shaun that's how i feel. This guy has like 120 snakes, so i guess for him it gets pricey. I guess theres ONE benefit to less snakes :p:rolleyes: