Adventures in feeding

[MedusasOwl]

Thought I'd share with you my adventures in trying to get Gomez to down 2 fuzzy rats (I really underestimated how fast he grows and ordered too many!) Jo gave me a few tips after I had tried and failed several times to get him to take a second one, he just ignores it. I always try to give him the fattest one first just in case he doesn't take the second.

He took the first one like a pro as usual, pounce tackle wrestle into his mouth. He got a bit of substrate stuck in his mouth/to the rat and he swallowed it before I could do anything about it which scared the hell out of me till I searched on the forums here and was reassured by Adam's wisdom that he should be able to digest it. I think he's comfortable enough with us now I should start moving him to a different container for feedings so I may try that again next time.



Whew... so then I dangle the second rat.
"Oooh" says Gomez. "That smells neat!"
"Yes!" says I. "Eat it!"
"Potpourri for snakes! I sniff it forever!"
"No, its food... eat it! See, it dances!"
"Eee, dancing potpourri!"
"No, food, you just ate one! Please?"
"I'm gonna sniff it and rest my chin on it. Its cozy!"
"Its food Gomez!!"
"Don't I look excited? Aren't I cute?"
"Yes!"
"I like this rat, it smells pretty and interesting!"
"EAT IT PLEASE"
"I will name it Mr. Fuzzington!"



So I put it in the mouth of the skull near his favorite hide and walk away, as this has worked in the past. I come back a little while later, and he has his head on it, sniffing it, while the rest of his body is in the hide. He's obviously fascinated with it and not in digest/sleep mode so... I dangle it again, and he continues to be excited but not strike. So I put it with it's head dangling over the front of his hide and walk away again.

I come back and he's pulled it off the hide and is using it as a pillow.

"Oh for crying out loud!"
"What?"
"Stop being cute and eat it!"
"Stop being cute??? That's unpossible! I luv Mr. Fuzzington!"

So I take the rat out, and it's room temp now. I decide one last try before it goes in the fridge. I steam it again with the Arctic Rodent Defroster dealy and realized the fuzzy had probably cooled off a bit while he was eating the first one.

So I come back with the re-steamed rat and do the zombie dance.

"NOW will you-"
*CHOMP*
"Oh... YAY!"

So down the hatch it goes. All that trouble when he just wanted it reheated! Also all of this stimulation has him all excited. Its as if a little light has gone on in his head that says "Hey... you can have more than one!" He's all hyper and excited and just settling down now. He even bothered to check *under* the substrate for a third rat, and he *never* burrows!

Weeee, adventures in snakes, lol. More than worth the regular heart attacks of maternal concern. Anytime he does *anything* different I turn into a ball of anxiety hoping he's okay. *shakes head* Oy vey. The things you do for love!

[SnakeySnakeSnake]

good story


Some like it hot!

[frankykeno]

hahahahahaha...omg Sheree you have made my day! What a great and incredibly hilarious little feeding story! Mr. Fuzzington!!!

With our live feeding snakes we do tend to feed multiple smaller prey items so we've gotten to know whether or not they are interested in course #2 that particular week. Once they figure out they can have another, boy do they quickly get into the habit of snarfing down #1 and then going right into the "gimme more rat" attitude. When Rionach moved up from 2 pups to 1 bigger weanling rat she actually had a couple of weeks where she more or less threw a snakey temper tantrum because we weren't offering a second prey item. She isn't big enough to need two fat weanling rats but it took her time to adjust back down to 1 prey item weekly. Snakes are fun!

Malachi is such an aggressive eater he basically demands his second rat pup lol. Soon as number #1 is consumed he's right back into full strike position just vibrating waiting for his next pup to get put in his enclosure. Nothing lasts but a second or two with this fast growing boy snake. LOL

Congrats on figuring out what Gomez wanted. Sometimes it seems to just take a degree or two more of warmth to trigger them properly on f/t prey.

[ErikH]

Great story. I will keep it in mind too, because soon I am going to try feeding two mice to Monty on feeding day.

[cassandra]

"Oh for crying out loud!"
"What?"
"Stop being cute and eat it!"
"Stop being cute??? That's unpossible! I luv Mr. Fuzzington!"

ROFL!!! That is too cute Sheree! =D

[JLC]

I was up before dawn this morning, and sat down here to read and try to wake up. I read this story then....and what a GREAT way to wake up! LOL!! Went out of the house with a smile on my face and a picture of Gomez cuddling sweet, dead little Mr. Fuzzington!

[MedusasOwl]

I figure there could be only two reasons Gomez had the change of heart, either he wanted it warmer or he had time while it was away from him reheating to figure out a way for him and Mr. Fuzzington to be together FOREVER. Or at least 3 to 5 days

He was just being so freaking cute about it. It was in the tongs dancing in front of him and he leans up, rests his chin on it, and gazes up at me like "Hi, Mommy! I'm cute!" Whatcha gonna do. Have def created a monster tho, he was SO excited by the idea of more than one. Well, it's a good thing, because there are lots of fuzzies, and I feel silly now for the ones that went to waste because I didn't think to heat it up after he finished his first one!

[rabernet]

Very cute story! Loved reading about Gomez's adventures!

[jglass38]

That little piggie is still on fuzzies? His brother and sisters are pounding weaned rats..

[MedusasOwl]

Don't worry Jamie, I know, I just ordered too many fuzzies and didn't want to see them go to waste! If he hadn't taken two this time I was gonna switch right over to weaned and try to find someone local to take all the extra fuzzies. I underestimated how fast the lil chunker grows! Taking two like a pro now though, I think like Jo said it'll be hard to get him back on one later, lol.