Switching to rats, problems

Kiljosh · 09-18-11, 07:17 PM

Trying to get my snake on rats as soon as possible, I just fed him the last of his large mice tonight. Last night I attempted to feed him a baby rat and cold not get him to strike. I even brained it, did the zombie dance. That didn't work so I left it in a tupperware dish in his cage overnight to find it there the next morning untouched and smelling pretty nasty.

I have thought about getting mouse bedding and keeping the rats in it while in my freezer for scent but am unsure if used bedding residue on the rat poses a health risk to my snake.

Any suggestions to get him to eat?

Snakefood · 09-18-11, 07:52 PM

do you have a mouse you could rub on the rat to scent it?

Kiljosh · 09-18-11, 08:51 PM

Like a live mouse? No I don't but I suppose I could get one, they're pretty cheap.

N1T24M · 09-18-11, 08:56 PM

my stubborn snakes are usually starved until they break. snakes can go without food for quite a bit and their instinct is to feed not to starve to death. give it time and it will eventually have to eat the rat. a live fuzzy/pup doesnt hurt either, to get the wheels going.
ive never had to brain or scent or any of that stuff... the snake will eat eventually just dont let it break you, you have to break it.

NennaMeerkat · 09-18-11, 09:22 PM

You could get a frozen mouse and scent the rat. I have to scent my f/t pinkies for my hognose with frozen toad. Don't see why the mouse would need to be alive...unless they are used to eat live rather than frozen.

shaunyboy · 09-19-11, 09:02 AM

heat up and burst open a frozen thawed mouse and smear the blood and guts all over the rat

after the snake starts taking heavily scented rats,you can reduce the amount of scent you put on it every few feeds,until its taking un scented rats

cheers shaun

**lady_bug87** · 09-19-11, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaunyboy

heat up and burst open a frozen thawed mouse and smear the blood and guts all over the rat

after the snake starts taking heavily scented rats,you can reduce the amount of scent you put on it every few feeds,until its taking un scented rats

cheers shaun

lol lovely visual there

ZARADOZIA · 09-23-11, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaunyboy

heat up and burst open a frozen thawed mouse and smear the blood and guts all over the rat...

Quote:

Originally Posted by lady_bug87

lol lovely visual there

My face just scrunched up...ew..lmao

I hope that works because it didn't for me. After the first attempt I said "Blank that!"

shaunyboy · 09-24-11, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lady_bug87

lol lovely visual there

i've known people to sew chick heads onto rats to get them to take them

now there's a better visual for you

cheers shaun

Gungirl · 09-24-11, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaunyboy

i've known people to sew chick heads onto rats to get them to take them

now there's a better visual for you

cheers shaun

Lol I remember reading that one...

Snakefood · 09-24-11, 05:50 PM

wouldn't the thread bung up the snake??

Kiljosh · 09-25-11, 07:25 AM

Stubbs ate a rat last night

Defrosted a rat and a large mouse together in hot water, took them both out 5 minutes early and put them in a tub on top of his cage. Put the mouse on top of the rat. Literally took like 15seconds and Stubbs came out of his hide and was trying to find where that delicious smell was coming from.

First I just offered the rat to him, he seemed scared of it. So then I rubbed the mouse all over the rat. His demeanor changed as you could tell he could smell food but it still seemed he was scared or unsure of the large white feast presented to him. So I tried rubbing the mouse on the rat's face for a good couple minutes and tried again. He was definitely more interested but still no strike.

So I opened the mouse's abdomen much like you would if you were gutting a deer. Then I just rubbed the rat in the mouse guts paying special attention to it's face. This did the trick. I could not "dance" the rat like a mouse or he would get scared, so I just held it there. I think everyone knows the look on their snake's faces when they are like, "Oh! Thats food, Imma eat that."

But yea, he got it down, it was very impressive, by far the most I have seen his mouth stretch. It reminded me of the movie, The Anchorman. When Will Farrell's dog Baxter eats the whole wheel of cheese. "You ate the whole wheel? I'm not even mad, that's amazing."
Hope this helps someone in the future.

Xochiquetzal · 09-25-11, 08:58 PM

I was gonna ask the size of the rat? Im glad he ate it for you! I was told a couple of months ago to use " fuzzy rats'' when trying to switch a snake over! I had a pair of Dums that hadnt eaten more than twice in a year , i started them both on rat fuzzies 4 months ago and they are now eating huge rats and havent missed a meal! 4 weeks ago I brought home a new baby super pastel BP, the breeder said she hadnt been able to switch them from live mice or asf's . I took 4 weeks but last night I offered him his first frozen thawed rat fuzzie and he took it with no hesitation! Apparently no snake can resist the smell of frozen thawed a rat fuzzy! I just wanted to share this because it saved my two dumerils .