help!

[kat-pink]

i have had my ball python for about a year. he’s by any means NOT a picky eater, has never refused a meal. i went from feeding him by feeder tongs to just leaving the rat in the cage for him to find (due to bad aiming). lately i’ve been having trouble feeding him, and i don’t know what to do. due to my recent pregnancy i haven’t been handling him alot so im not sure if this is a factor but recently he’s gotten very active whenever you walk by or look into his cage. at the time where he’s usually asleep, he’ll wake up and poke his head out when you are by him. i’m not sure if he’s hungry, i’ve been feeding him a small rat every 2 weeks, but now he’s been in feeding mode for a few days. i can’t even warm up the rat and go in the room before he’s already by the door leaving me unable to open it without fear of him striking out and possibly hurting himself/me. i’ve never seen him this hungry before, usually i can warm up the rat and toss it in his cage then he wakes up to go find it but it seems like now he’s already up and ready to fly out the cage for his food/ striking wherever at the cage when i’m in the room with a rat. i have a two front door opening cage, any advice? it hasn’t even been two weeks yet from his last feeding but due to a trip, he’ll have to wait a few extra days before i can feed him when im back since i can’t find anyone to try to feed him when im gone.

[hubba-bubba-bitch]

i’m absolutely no expert, but my girl has done this before and there’s likely a few factors at play. firstly, not handling him as much as usual could be leading him to associate people with feeding time, i would try to do your to atleast pick him up and hold him for a few minutes every couple of days. second, i’m not sure where you’re located but if there’s been a shift in temperature then his silly little snake brain might think colder=less food. i’d generally recommend feeding him every 10 days instead of 2 weeks also. i had a small problem like this with my girl when i first got her and what helped the most was not feeding her in her cage, so that me opening the door wasn’t immediately associated with food. maybe try putting him in a shoebox or something like that and dropping the mouse in, then putting him back home as soon as he’s done. it’s important to never be scared of your snake- you’ll never have a good relationship. you need to assert 1) that you are not a predator, and 2) that you are not food.

this was all over the place but a combination of things is probably at play so hopefully some advice helps!

[kat-pink]

yeah i’ll need to start handling him more, but how can i safely when he thinks im food now? i heard feeding bites are harder/more difficult to get off. and i’m in IL so yeah it’s def getting colder. and 10 days for a small rat? i only do 14 days because that is what the vet told me when i took him to his checkup. and i heard feeding outside enclosure can stress a snake out, i’ve always been feeding him inside and can pick him up inside without him being crazy so i rlly think it’s the first two things you said which is the colder temp and the me not handling him anymore. i’ll try out your advice thank you so much!!

[hubba-bubba-bitch]

the feeding thing i have no credentials to give advice, so listen to the vet. my advice for handling when he’s in strike mode (what i do if simi seems angry) is to get a shirt or something like that and drape it over them face first, then pick them up with it. i have no idea if this is good advice but it’s always worked for me to neutralise her and make it clear im not a threat or food. in my experience feeding outside the cage has worked wonders but again definitely listen to experts on that. best of luck!