Rats...I made a mistake

faroutinmt · #1 (**permalink**) 10-10-2008, 02:02 PM

Unlike my Irian Jaya, my Irian Jaya/Coastal cross immediately took to rats the first time I offered her one. She has eaten several meals of rats and never had a problem with them. To my own hurt, however, I have been feeding her mice for the last couple of months. I had run out of rats and wanted to empty my freezer before I placed another order, so I fed her a few meals of mice.

I just offered her two rats the other day and she showed the same disgusted response my IJ normally shows. She took a whiff and ran the other direction. She kept going back to them several times, looking them over, but she just wouldn't bring herself to eat one. When I put in some mice the next day, she took them immediately (and my hand too, almost).

I think I made a mistake by going back to mice for her. I was trying to save money by whittling down my mice supply. Now I don't want to waste money trying to get her back on rats, like I did with my IJ.

Pets are like kids. They wont eat what you give them sometimes. I swear, sometimes I think they talk to each other through their cages.

Rats

jbt123 · #2 (**permalink**) 10-10-2008, 02:28 PM

I feel your pain. My Dumerils boa, Folgers, was attacked by a small rat about 4 years ago...so he's scared of them now. I was a dumb 16 year old and didn't understand the concept of "f/t", or think that he would even take it.

Now the little fatty gets 3-4 jumbo mice every other week.-__- I wish that he would take rats...

But I think you should be able to eventually switch them over. They haven't had any bad experiences in the past that would make them unwilling to eat a rat. It's all a matter of preference to them. I'm sure they just need to be only offered rats from now on, and they will eventually eat them.

A feeding strike might ensue but eventually they'll get hungry enough.

faroutinmt · #3 (**permalink**) 10-10-2008, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbt123

I feel your pain. My Dumerils boa, Folgers, was attacked by a small rat about 4 years ago...so he's scared of them now. I was a dumb 16 year old and didn't understand the concept of "f/t", or think that he would even take it.

Now the little fatty gets 3-4 jumbo mice every other week.-__- I wish that he would take rats...

But I think you should be able to eventually switch them over. They haven't had any bad experiences in the past that would make them unwilling to eat a rat. It's all a matter of preference to them. I'm sure they just need to be only offered rats from now on, and they will eventually eat them.

A feeding strike might ensue but eventually they'll get hungry enough.

I've tried a few times to switch my IJ to rats. He hates them. I've tried every trick suggested. I tried only offering rats for two months, but he still wouldn't take them. He was hungry to the point of making aggressive efforts to get out of his cage and I was worried about him developing wounds on his mouth or head, so I just went back to mice. I'll probably try to switch him again next year.

What frustrates me a little is that my female, Claire, did indeed accepts rats immediately, and now won't. I now have a couple of rats, so I'll try to offer them again next time.

KarleyandBrad · #4 (**permalink**) 10-10-2008, 07:08 PM

Have you tried soaking the rats directly in warm water to unscent them, then rubbing a thawed mouse on it?

Maybe if she smells the mouse she'll take it.

owen.richards · #5 (**permalink**) 10-10-2008, 07:23 PM

that sucks dude. Thats why I never feed mice to anything

Adrya · #6 (**permalink**) 10-10-2008, 07:24 PM

Wait a few weeks or more until she's hungry enough to take rats without much hesitation... had to do that with my male ball python who ate mice all his life until they weren't enough for him anymore.

faroutinmt · #7 (**permalink**) 10-10-2008, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarleyandBrad

Have you tried soaking the rats directly in warm water to unscent them, then rubbing a thawed mouse on it?
Maybe if she smells the mouse she'll take it.

Yes, Karley. I've tried that many times without success. I've tried soaking them in chicken broth, braining mice and rubbing them on rats. I've tried all I can think of.

Quote:

Originally Posted by owen.richards

that sucks dude. Thats why I never feed mice to anything

I wish I had known better early on. I would have ordered rat pups when the snakes were younger to switch them as juveniles.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adrya

Wait a few weeks or more until she's hungry enough to take rats without much hesitation... had to do that with my male ball python who ate mice all his life until they weren't enough for him anymore.

I waited two months once with my male IJ. After about a month and a half, he began rubbing his nose very hard against the edges of his enclosure and I was concerned about him injuring himself in his desire to get out and find food. After two months of rejecting rats, I gave up. I only offered them every two weeks during that time.

KarleyandBrad · #8 (**permalink**) 10-11-2008, 03:32 AM

I know I'm probably going to have to come across some controversy here.. but maybe you should try a live or p/k rat. Maybe their hunger will get the best of them if the see a live rat running around.

faroutinmt · #9 (**permalink**) 10-12-2008, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarleyandBrad

I know I'm probably going to have to come across some controversy here.. but maybe you should try a live or p/k rat. Maybe their hunger will get the best of them if the see a live rat running around.

Well, I think I'll wait awhile before trying again. I've got a fresh supply of mice and cannot spend any more unnecessary funds on experiments.

As long as their healthy and eating well for now, I'm happy.

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