mouse in cage question

[phazei]

Since my snake hasn't eaten in a while I was thinking of just putting a live mouse in his cage with some mouse food and letting him chill there a while. The pet store said that would be a bad idea because the mouse would start nibbling on the snake and the snake wouldn't do anything about it.

I've put a mouse in the cage with the snake before for a few minutes and the mouse didn't seem to fear him or anything. He just wondered around the cage and even crawled over the snake. Then even touched noses and sniffed eachother and went on to do their own thing.

As long as the mouse had his own food wouldn't he not eat the snake? Or perhaps if I put the mouse in a tiny box with a little food and water inside the cage itself? So he was seperated but the snake could go in the top and get him if he wanted.

Any suggestions on this?

The snake is used to froozen food, but can kill a live mouse (he learned how after the first time when he half ate a live mouse playing dead till it was half way eaten, neither of them were very happy about that, he makes sure they're dead now)

Thanks,
Adam

[MightyNutteR]

I don't have anything against feeding live or anything, but I wouldn't leave a live mouse with my snakes, just leave a f/t mouse there over night, I did it, and I do it everytime they refuse, most of the time they eat it

[kimbyra]

For once pet store employees were right. lol
Never, never leave live food in there unattended. Just keep trying to feed frozen every week, (no more than that), and he will eventually eat. Have you tried wiggling the mouse with tongs?

[ickle_moose]

I agree, if you have to feed live because your snake won't take anything else, then you must stay there so you can seperate them in an emergency. Even then it's a gamble as I found out when a mouse managed to bite my snow corn 4/5 times in about 10 seconds flat. After that I went onto f/t. She refused the first 2 but eventually they get hungry enough to go for it. There's plenty of things to try with f/t, use live as a last resort. Try the pinkie zombie dance, slicing, scenting, in that order.

[Wachee]

I would not put a live mouse with my snakes especially unattended. I have seen pics where a mouse got a lucky bite in and ended up killing the snake.

I am not going to risk my babies.

[phazei]

Most of the time I feed him f/t in a seperate box. If he doesn't eat I take him and the f/t and leave it in his cage over night. Though he hasn't touched anything lately.

He stopped eating I always held the mouse by the tail and dangle it over him. Maybe brush it by his nose and he'd snap it out of my hand while i jerked back pretty fast. Once he jumped at it from about a food away and hit, i was surprised. He's never gone for my hand though :)

[phazei]

*Before He stopped eating...

[phazei]

*foot away...

damn typos, and no edit.. :\

[Wachee]

I use tongs (you can buy them in the housewares dept. of most stores) to feed because mine do like to strike and then coil. They seem to like the movement and have all been good eaters.

You didn't say how long it has been since it has eaten.

[Cflaguy]

And you say most of the time you fed in another box. Back before I knew better I had two adult corns in the same cage. I took the female out and put her in a separate box. When I did separate them she would not eat in her cage. I still had to take her out and feed her in a box. It was dark, maybe he would prefer this?
Can it be possible he is looking for love? My Sunglow feeds sporadically until mid May. Then he eats every thing that moves.