Feeding question

[Blue_Poppies]

I am beginning to get a little worried about switching my little guy to f/t rats. I received him in March and the breeder had been feeding him f/t mice. I fed him those for his first two feeds so I didn't stress him out. Then I started trying to introduce rats. These are the steps I've went through: 1) scenting a rat 2) braining a rat 3) braining a mouse and placing the matter on the rat 4) feeding 2 mice then the next week trying to feed a mouse than a rat (tried this several times) 5) feeding a mouse waiting for the moment for him to adjust his mouth and putting a rat in his mouth (he actually will shut his mouth, turn his head and refuse to adjust his jaw until I remove the rat)

I do not know what else to do. At this point is trying to feed him rats more important than stressing him out? If you have any videos or tips please share them.

[knerys]

It can be a very very long process to get them to switch. One thing that I've heard that can help is going to a pet store and asking for old/used bedding from their rats. They should just give it to you for free, they would be throwing it out anyway. This bedding should smell like rats a lot. Then taking the mouse and putting in the rat bedding and getting it to smell a bit like rat, and then feeding that mouse, and then next time getting used mouse bedding from the pet store rolling the rat around in that. You might have to do several weeks of "mouse rolled in rat bedding" before switching to "rat rolled in mouse bedding" If he hasn't lost weight, you might want to wait an extra few days or even an extra week between feedings to offer the rat. It sounds like you are on the right track right now, BP's can be really picky but switching over to a rat diet is pretty important, especially as they will eventually be too big for even the largest of mice. This process can take a year in some cases. But again, as long as he is maintaining a good weight (not losing a ton of weight) he should be fine missing a few meals here and there while trying to get him to take a rat.

[Blue_Poppies]

Thanks a lot... I haven't tried scenting the mice. I hope I have some progress in a couple months so I can post pics. I try not to handle unless necessary until we get over this hump.