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My BP has eaten a F/T mouse every 5 days for the past two months (she was a few weeks old when I got her). I thought I would try a F/T rat (about the same size as the mice). On Sunday I threw in a rat (I feed in a large rubbermaid container - not her cage) and she went over and sniffed it and then just crawled away. I tried moving it around with some tongs, but she was not interested. I waited until last night (Tuesday) and tried a different one (slightly smaller) and she did the same thing.

Is it difficult to switch to rats? She doesn't seem interested at all. The last mouse she ate was pretty big, so I am wondering if I should wait until she is very hungry and try again. I am going to be leaving Friday for a week. since she hasn't eaten now for about 10 days, should I feed her a mouse tomorrow night before I leave, or should I just leave her until I get back and hope that she will be hungary enough to eat a rat?

Thanks,
Nick

I just had this problem a few hours ago with one of my jungle carpet pythons. In a flash of insight, I gave her a smallish rat after giving her a mouse, and she ate it right away. If your BP isn't big enough to eat both, perhaps you could try scenting a rat with a mouse. If neither of these works, you could try the battle of wills thing, and it will probably work, but I personally can't resist those puppy-dog eyes... pleeeease, just ONE mouse?

Since your python has been eating regularly, there is no need to worry about it starving in a week or two. Therefore, I'd wait until you get back from vacation to offer it a thawed rat. If you are lucky, it will just eat it and that will be that. If not, I'd let it go on a hunger strike for a while, offering it a thawed rat once a week (make sure it has plenty of water). You can try the usual stuff, like rubbing a mouse on it to give it the scent that your BP likes, or dipping it in chicken broth (you can read them all in the old posts, and they all work for some snakes and not for others), but I'd just let the desire to eat run its course. I have a perfectly healthy Jungle Carpet Python that went on an extended hunger strike to protest the switch to rats (many Jungles don't like them). That was years ago, and she's eaten rats ever since. A snake that isn't really all that hungry can afford to be picky, one that hasn't had a meal in a while has to take what nature (or its keeper) offers.

Good luck

Why have you switched to rats?

She'll be fine without a meal for ages, try again when you get back.

Although, I'd stick with the mice if that's what works.

I wanted to switch while she is younger. When she gets older I would rather feed her one rat rather than multilple small mice. Plus I am hoping she will eat less often when she is older if she has one large meal.

>>I wanted to switch while she is younger. When she gets older I would rather feed her one rat rather than multilple small mice. Plus I am hoping she will eat less often when she is older if she has one large meal.

And this is smart to me. Switching younger is much easier than switching older snakes. I would scent the next rat and make sure it is warm enough. Sounds dumb, but if you have a male (stinkier)live mouse that will tolerate handling well I would rub that rat all over him. The second you are done rubbing then offer it....fresh. I did this with dwarf hamsters for one snake and you know those hams thought I was nuts.
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Sonya