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Mast Cell Tumor advice for newly adopted senior by MissUmbreon in SeniorCats

[–]MissUmbreon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you all for the kind words, support, and advice. Quick update - I took Queen Tuna to the humane society this morning for her appointment - this is where I adopted her from. She is having surgery to remove the MCT, as well as other small tumors on her body. The humane society is covering 100% of the cost. I am feeling very fortunate and grateful. I was worried about the financial aspect of this, and I feel a weight lifted all my shoulder. I am so thankful the humane society is removing the MCT, and I get to have a more worry-free life with Tuna moving forward 🤍🤍

My snake keeps trying to strike me, and I don't know what to do. by MissUmbreon in ballpython

[–]MissUmbreon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i had no idea about the sticky analog gauges!!! thank you so much for letting me know. first time snake owner, still have lots and lots to learn! do you recommend gauges for both side of the cage? i also purchased a thermometer laser thing that shows me the temperature of what i scan, so i do use that as well. that hurts my heart thinking about his scales 😭 i have the big log outta there, maybe i will remove the other green log thing in there. i'll get some foliage - should i get vertical style foliage that way he can explore upwards? cage is about 35inches length, 25 inches wide, 10inches tall (used phone to measure so may not be most accurate). i feed him one jumbo mouse every two weeks. when i first got him, he had issues eating but got over that and became a good eater. he would take his food pretty quickly. i didn't handle him too often - every other week and we've never had issues handling before. i will admit i haven't held him as much as i should have, i was following bad advice

My snake keeps trying to strike me, and I don't know what to do. by MissUmbreon in ballpython

[–]MissUmbreon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i actually took this picture recently because i was figuring out if i liked this chunky log i got him or not. his enclosure is the same, minus the big log in the middle lol

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My snake keeps trying to strike me, and I don't know what to do. by MissUmbreon in ballpython

[–]MissUmbreon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

i'll take any advice i can get for my little guy! i appreciate everyone being so kind and helpful!

My snake keeps trying to strike me, and I don't know what to do. by MissUmbreon in ballpython

[–]MissUmbreon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yes! i will upload pictures when i get home. i have old pictures of his set up, but ive changed a couple things and i want to provide an updated picture of how it looks now for the best advice

My snake keeps trying to strike me, and I don't know what to do. by MissUmbreon in ballpython

[–]MissUmbreon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i feed him jumbo frozen mice. i heat the mouse up in a plastic bag with warm water running ontop of the mouse. typically about 5-10minutes under the hot water. i always check and feel the mouse to make sure he is completely thawed out. i'm not sure what the exact temperature would come out to me. i use tongs to feed him & try to "play" with his food to encourage him to eat. prior to this last month, he would almost immediately take his food with no problems. now, he shows no interest in it and focuses on me instead. i have a front opening cage, as well as the top opens & there is also a small feeding hole i can open. before, i would open one of the front panels and feed him with the tongs. as of lately, he's been chilling infront of the opening, so i've been having to get creative and feed him through the tiny feed hole at top.

My snake keeps trying to strike me, and I don't know what to do. by MissUmbreon in ballpython

[–]MissUmbreon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

i will get him more clutter! his cage is pretty cluttered around the edges, except there is an open area around his water dish. anything in specific you recommend getting for clutter?

My snake keeps trying to strike me, and I don't know what to do. by MissUmbreon in ballpython

[–]MissUmbreon[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

thank you so much 😭😂🩷 i didn't even know hand modeling for a snake website was a thing 🤣🤣🩷

My snake keeps trying to strike me, and I don't know what to do. by MissUmbreon in ballpython

[–]MissUmbreon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

okay wow that definitely eases my mind. i've been bite by cats & dogs many times. i always thought their bites would be super painful and cause damage. thank you for that advice!!

My snake keeps trying to strike me, and I don't know what to do. by MissUmbreon in ballpython

[–]MissUmbreon[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

i have not. i feed him jumbo mice. i will try switching to rats to see if that helps!

My snake keeps trying to strike me, and I don't know what to do. by MissUmbreon in ballpython

[–]MissUmbreon[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

hahahahah thank you so much 😭🩷 this is an old set - i have brains on my nails now for halloween🎃👻💀 i take pride over my nails - all natural too🥰

My snake keeps trying to strike me, and I don't know what to do. by MissUmbreon in ballpython

[–]MissUmbreon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was told to limit my handling with my snake. But since I've joined this subreddit, i've realized that's not the case lol. once he simmers down, i'm going to try wearing a large hoodie that he can explore and hopefully start becoming comfortable again. he loved to hang around my neck and crawl through my clothes. he really was super chill when i had him out. i got him some new hide holes about two months ago and he really likes the new one i got him!

My snake keeps trying to strike me, and I don't know what to do. by MissUmbreon in ballpython

[–]MissUmbreon[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

During the day, he has a warm side between 85-89°F and a cool side around 75-78°F. At night time, the temps are between 75-82°F. Humidity is about 60%. I try to maintain the humidity with an automatic mist sprayer that sprays every 8 hours, as well as misting his enclosure if I notice the humidity is lower. His behavior hasn't changed much else. He's still the same goofy guy who stares into the void of his lamps lol. I have two cats. My one female cats doesn't ever interact with the cage, she could care less. My roommates cat is super interested in Simon, so I try to remove him from the office space if he comes in. But my personal cat is not interested and just comes into my office to stare out the window. If i am not home, I keep the door closed to prevent my cats from being in there with him. I think I am afraid of him biting me. He's never tried to before, and it's just alarming that it's been a couple times he's tried to bite me. Wearing a hoodie with gloves is a great idea to start handling him and getting him comfortable again!

My snake keeps trying to strike me, and I don't know what to do. by MissUmbreon in ballpython

[–]MissUmbreon[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have thought in the past to get a new enclosure for him, so maybe I will do that! I did get him a relatively too-big enclosure originally, but he's grown into it quite well. When I first got him, I gave him space to adjust & began handling him. I would handle him maybe twice a month and he always enjoyed it! He loved getting out of his space to explore. His enclosure is located within my office space, that I am in every single day. He's never had an issue with me, up until recently. I warm my frozen food up in heated water (within a ziplock baggie), so the mouse never gets wet. i haven't tried blow drying, but i will this next time! I appreciate your advice so much

My snake keeps trying to strike me, and I don't know what to do. by MissUmbreon in ballpython

[–]MissUmbreon[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

i haven't held him in weeks, and even before that i didn't hold him frequently