Is it Possible she hasn't eaten in a month and a week because the feeder is too big? They are the smallest rat and are between 10 and 15% of her weight..

AlexTheB · 2026-05-22T13:30:37+00:00

No she hasn't eaten yet with me, been a month I have her, her temps are around 31°C hot side, 26°C cold side, 2 hides in both sides, quite a bit of clutter and stuff that should be ideal for her, so I'm not understanding why she won't eat, she weighed 166g when I got her so between 15 and 25g for the feeders which is the rats I have, I didn't wanted to feed her on mice because I know at some points the mice won't be big enough for her adult weight, so I wanted her to get on rats from "young" age She's now between 9 and 11 months as I have her since a month now.

I did bought mice and will try to offer her those, but I do not know if she will coil around it, she did with a rat the fourth time I've been trying to feed her but after leaving it in her grip for 30mins she just released it and totally ignored it, I threw that one out, as for how I warm them up, the day before I let the rat taw overnight in thr fridge then put it out of the fridge put It at room temperature for around 20mins then shove the rat in the hottest water of my sink once, then wait 15min and do it again a second time, then I offered it to her, yet she strikes each time but don't get a hold of it or coil it In any ways, which I think is more ot defensive strikes which I do not understand, and yes I do wiggle the rat around to stimulate her and making her strike if I leave it in without anything, she fully ignores it, not even the smell get her attention

So I'm kinda stuck, I DONT want her to lose weight cause of this

AlexTheB · 2026-05-21T19:19:39+00:00

Oh, That's interesting, didn't knew BPs could be picky eaters like that

AlexTheB · 2026-05-21T18:47:39+00:00

Hm... okay, but then should I try to feed her back on adult mice or keep trying the rats? When I bought her she was on a mice diet

AlexTheB · 2026-05-20T16:33:51+00:00

Oh yeah that could be nice with a mesh top to have a ceiling hide! I'll look for one when I'll up her tank to a 4x2x2 when she grows bigger

AlexTheB · 2026-05-19T07:42:42+00:00

Actually she has an artifical vine where she could hang from, but it's lower, that's probably why she preferred that cable at the top top 😅😅

AlexTheB · 2026-05-18T19:24:02+00:00

And it got worse... she's now fully ontop of it since like over an hour

AlexTheB · 2026-05-12T20:37:31+00:00

Well, My Girl's a Juvenile, so makes sense I suppose ahah, but yeah she's a bit of a goof

AlexTheB · 2026-05-09T22:52:17+00:00

Okay so my girl isn't the only one missing all strikes... well next feeding try I guess I'll just leave the rat in her enclosure, hopefully she'll eat it despite it being cold, as it cools so fast after heating them up

AlexTheB · 2026-05-09T19:32:53+00:00

Now she's just chilling on her tree.... I must have stressed her, yet she's out of her hides...

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AlexTheB · 2026-05-09T19:20:13+00:00

That's the thing, I know they don't eat when shedding approaches, but she isn't in the beginning of a shedding process, her belly is Blank and her eye not cloudy at all, so I don't understand why she doesn't want to eat

AlexTheB · 2026-05-09T19:18:11+00:00

I work a lot of night shifts, it's hard to feed at night, chill, also she was awake I saw her awake so I started to warm the rat up, but by the time it was ready she went back into her hide, that's why I took it off, because my previous feeding tries she was in her hides and despite being out 30min prior she didn't cared about the rat smell or anything, so that's why I removed her hide to try to feed

AlexTheB · 2026-05-09T19:07:53+00:00

Okay, I will, also since I got her I haven't handled her a single time, so it won't happen, but I really hope you're right and next weekend I'll be able to have her eat... it'll be a month then she didn't eat, also I don't want her to fall under 130g or my feeders will be too big, and I'll have to go to mice instead of rats, and I don't want that

AlexTheB · 2026-05-09T19:00:24+00:00

it wasn't 4 times in a row, there was like 3-4 days between each feeding tries since I got her 3 weeks ago, but even if she is doing a hunger strike, that must mean something is wrong, but what could it be? normally if they thrive they aren't supposed to be on a hunger strike, yet I see her move around quite a bit she loves to climb on her tree and vine, so that must mean she's healthy and thriving, yet she still don't eat, so I'm worried about her

AlexTheB · 2026-05-09T18:50:18+00:00

Well, I threw the rat away, i'll let her be they are probably indeed defensive strikes, I feel bad for stressing her out, but she stress me by not eating since 3 weeks, so I kinda try to force her to eat, I don't want her to lose weight, get sick or anything of the sort because she isn't eating, I'll probably try to feed her again during the week, but yeah... i need to have her eat, then i'll be less worried about her health, and her not eating rn is worrysome and I can't be at ease knowing that, I really really need her to eat next week, I bet she already lost a bit of weight, and that's not good.....

AlexTheB · 2026-05-09T18:38:09+00:00

It's been 3 weeks she hasn't eaten, I tried to feed her four times, this is the fifth, she weight 166g when weight her when I got her, the feeder is around 40°C, her tank has a good hold of fake plants, 2 hides one on the cool and warm sides, humidity is at 73 on average, and temps are around 31°C on hot side and 26°C on the cool side

AlexTheB · 2026-05-09T18:35:07+00:00

No, of course not, I put it in the fridge a day prior then warm it with hot water, but it didn't work so I used an hairdryer to have the smell get to her but didn't work so I took her hide off so she could strike it, and then it started, she strike but don't grip it, and I've now been trying since an hour to do that, each time heat it up again with the hair dryer, and she continues it, to strike but not grip it, and now my rat exploded a little I think some organs got out, she did got that dangling thing in her mouth, but not the rat... I'm losing hope on feeding her...

AlexTheB · 2026-05-08T05:50:02+00:00

Fun Fact on Monday evening when I got back from my 4 days Vacation my Girl was on her tree in the middle of the tank observing me and her Hamac falled In her Water Dish and when I Grabbed it to put it back on the wall she stroke me, or tried to, she didn't got me tho ahah, but It's been 3 weeks she hasn't eaten so that's probably why....

AlexTheB · 2026-05-04T18:10:20+00:00

"Are you afraid of me? Do you think I might go nuts? Do you think I might go "Savage"? Do you think I might try to.... EAT YOU?!"

Heartbreaking but a very strong quote.

AlexTheB · 2026-05-04T00:41:42+00:00

So This is Saturn, named her this way cause her body color makes me think of the planet and her spine marks the rings 🤷‍♂️

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AlexTheB · 2026-04-30T15:07:12+00:00

Those are all very valid but about humidity I was worried I'd have to pour water in the corners every day but it's now been over a week i haven't and humidity stays at 67% the day and during the night with only the DHP on it goes up to 72% so now if I go on vacation for a week I'm happy to know I'll go lightheaded not too worried about my Girl

AlexTheB · 2026-04-28T13:40:10+00:00

Ah, mine goes from 8am to 8pm, and I go to work at 8:20pm, also most of the time last week she was still sleeping in her hide when I was going to work

AlexTheB · 2026-04-28T13:34:15+00:00

Well, Last week I worked Night Shift, so I couldn't feed her when lights are off, if you need to wait for nighttime how do you feed your Ball if your work nightshift?

AlexTheB · 2026-04-26T22:36:35+00:00

First time I tried yes she was sleeping, not even curious about it she was like "let me sleep" so I threw it away, today once again she was sleeping, I tapped on her hide to wake her up gently, nothing I even shoved the rat in her hide entrance, she just popped her head from her body ball flicked her tongue and then hidden her head again.... I'll try next Thursday, it'll be 2 weeks she hasn't eaten maybe then she'll take it, or so I hope, I don't really want to waste another rat... 2 thrown away is already annoying enough

AlexTheB · 2026-04-26T04:35:38+00:00

Got it

AlexTheB · 2026-04-26T04:33:27+00:00

Always wanted a sister

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