frozen fish

[acovert]

Alright. So I picked up frozen silversides from my local pet store sometime before Christmas. I've tried to get Cuddles to eat it three or four times, with no results. He did shed within the last week or so, but he's been acting hungry since then. Still, I haven't had any results.

He's been going to his dish looking for food, and he's had a couple worms in the last few weeks, but I really want him eating more than just worms. But he's absolutely refusing the fish. Even if I wiggle it with tweezers, he just runs off and hides. And he ignores it if I leave it in there with him. I've also tried rubbing the thawed fish in worms, and he still doesn't seem interested.

Any other suggestions? Something I haven't tried?

[guidofatherof5]

Cut up the worms and mix fish chunks in with it. Using more worms then fish the first time.
After that reduce the amount of worms.
Make sure the fish gets plenty of worm slime on it.

[EasternGirl]

Try going to the grocery store and getting the salmon fillet or tilapia fillet...a different kind of fish might work. Make sure it's American and wild caught...not from a foreign country and farm grown. It can be expensive but you get can a very small piece..get a fresh piece from the seafood counter...or from a seafood store. Cut it up into small pieces and mix with the worms like Steve said..making sure to put more worms than fish, and get plenty of worm slime. You may have to try frozen pinkies... I know you said you don't want to do frozen rodents...but you may have to if your snake won't eat anything else. Your pet store might have them. You can cut them up frozen, thaw them and feed them. We can tell you exactly what to do.

[acovert]

I actually did try frozen pinkies once...with similar results to the fish. I bought both at the same time, before christmas, to have them just to try. So far it hasn't gotten me anywhere.

I'll try the worms and fish mixed together either tomorrow or Tuesday. I have to do it when my stepfather isn't around or he'll tell me to get rid of it all. It's difficult to get the fish ready in my room.

[chris-uk]

What Steve suggests should work for both fish and pinkies. You just need to build a taste for the different food without the snake realising.
For prepping food (I'm lucky the wife let's meet do it in the kitchen) I have a plastic chopping board, knife, jam jar for defrosting in warm water, and jam jar lids etc as feeding plates. If you have a surface to cut stuff up on it should be fairly easy to prepare the food anywhere, as you're cutting up small amounts you'd probably get away with using some sort of plastic food container lid instead of a proper chopping board.. Just some ideas.

[EasternGirl]

Yeah...you can use plastic baggies to thaw stuff. Just put the frozen stuff in the baggies and run it under hot water...or put hot water in a small cup and put your fish or pinkies in the cup to thaw for a couple of minutes. You can do that in a bathroom. Like Chris said, you can take a knife..or even use scissors to cut stuff...on a small plate...I cut stuff on paper plates all the time...you could do that in your bedroom...you just need some paper plates, something to cut with, and a couple of paper towels. You can be fairly sneaky about it if need be. Many of us have to deal with people who don't react well to some of this stuff. I'm sorry your family isn't more supportive .

[chris-uk]

We had a vegan friend visit last night. It was feeding night. She had to walk past Vlad's viv with it's 3 thawed pinkies on a platter for Vlad (and the fussy !$%$!%$£ didn't eat for the first time since we've had him, so one of the pinkies went to Lacrimosa and the others were still there this morning, not happy, 50p's worth of pinkies in the bin. Grrrr. Rand over). Not the same as an unsupportive family, but another way that others don't always appreciate that the snake they like to hold also has to eat.

[tress29]

as you're cutting up small amounts you'd probably get away with using some sort of plastic food container lid instead of a proper chopping board.

I use the lid from a dip or margarine tub. I cut up the pinkies and fish on the lid, let them thaw to room temp, then feed. Only one knife and lid to wash. My guys wouldn't eat the fish by itself but when mixed with the pinkies, usually eat every piece.

[jamromhem]

My trick to get mine on pinkies was to get some small gold fish from the store and get her to eat one from her water bowl. That was an easy task as the movement made her extremely excited. (gold fish are not a good regular food BTW, but got her excited about it.) I then took a pinky and put it in a bag with some gold fish with minimal water to make sure the fish rubbed all over it. The smell was enough to catch her attention and get her to eat it after a couple tries.

Perhaps getting her used to a fish in a stimulating way might get her interested in migrating to the thawed fillets. I tried getting my checkered to eat fish fillets, but she wanted little to nothing to do with them. She will eat mice now (she is on large now that she is 3), so the fillets haven't been a pressing issue. also the mice give her a good source of calcium.

[PINJOHN]

We had a vegan friend visit last night. It was feeding night. She had to walk past Vlad's viv with it's 3 thawed pinkies on a platter for Vlad (and the fussy !$%$!%$£ didn't eat for the first time since we've had him, so one of the pinkies went to Lacrimosa and the others were still there this morning, not happy, 50p's worth of pinkies in the bin. Grrrr. Rand over). Not the same as an unsupportive family, but another way that others don't always appreciate that the snake they like to hold also has to eat.

enjoyed this Chris ...you always know where you are with garters.....they always let you down