Urggghhh!! So I'm having some horrible troubles with one of the two remaining juvenile boas.
It has not eaten since it's birth on May 1st. It is skinny and really worrying me. It is still active though.
Can anyone please tell me some ways or tricks to get it to start eating?
I've been trying to feed it live fuzzies, but am open to trying pretty much anything. I have been placing the boa and the fuzzy in a brown paper bag, but all the boa wants to do is get out of the bag. Even though I am totally against feeding in the enclosure, I put them both in there last night to see if the boa would be more comfortable eating in there. When I was holding the fuzzy with tongs in front of its face, it seemed interested for a few minutes, then just slithered away from it.
I am wondering if something is wrong with its brain as it is the runt of the litter. Could there be a problem with its feeding responses?
I have seen the pinkie press on the internet. Is this something I should try?
Does anyone have any experience with it?
Please, I am very worried.
I am also worried that it will die if it eats, seeing as the others appear to have died from intestinal issues.

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<3 Tessa

0.0.2 painted turtles (Mo and Squirt)
1.0.0 yellow bellied slider (Jebidiah)
0.1.0 Amelanistic corn snake (Rose)
1.0.0 Hog Island/Colombian Boa (Kah)
0.2.0 Colombian Boa (Jasmine) and her baby(no name yet)
1.0.0 Suriname Boa (Kayne)
0.2.0 Cats (Lilly and Reese)

just getting this post out there again, hope some one can help me.
thanks.

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<3 Tessa

0.0.2 painted turtles (Mo and Squirt)
1.0.0 yellow bellied slider (Jebidiah)
0.1.0 Amelanistic corn snake (Rose)
1.0.0 Hog Island/Colombian Boa (Kah)
0.2.0 Colombian Boa (Jasmine) and her baby(no name yet)
1.0.0 Suriname Boa (Kayne)
0.2.0 Cats (Lilly and Reese)

You might have to start out force feeding it some large pinkies or small fuzzies. It will probably take two people to do it since its small and squirrelly.

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MARSHA
A man without a woman is a bachelor, A woman without a man is a genius!.

We have enough youth, how about a fountain of smart!

That is what we are starting to think, but how do you force feed something so small?? I know how to do it to a larger snake, but I'm really worried about hurting her.

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<3 Tessa

0.0.2 painted turtles (Mo and Squirt)
1.0.0 yellow bellied slider (Jebidiah)
0.1.0 Amelanistic corn snake (Rose)
1.0.0 Hog Island/Colombian Boa (Kah)
0.2.0 Colombian Boa (Jasmine) and her baby(no name yet)
1.0.0 Suriname Boa (Kayne)
0.2.0 Cats (Lilly and Reese)

Before you force-feed, you can try the "Indian" trick. Go to a pet store that sells birds and collect a few of the soft down feathers that little birds drop all over the cage and outside. (It's a good idea to freeze them or boil and dry them to get any possible parasites off.) Put a feather into the mouth of the thawed, warmed up pinky. Then lightly tickle the snake's mouth area with the feather end. This usually got our reluctant eaters to eat. Do NOT use feathers from pillows! Those may have been treated with chemicals. Pet stores don't usually mind you cleaning up a few of the feathers for them and seem interested when you tell them what you want it for!) Here's a pic of what an "Indian pinky" looks like.
This method helped to get some of our Green Tree Python babies to start eating.
Good luck with your boa!

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Andrea

Awesome idea!! See, now you guys know why I love this site!! If you try it, Tessa ,please let us know how it works for you. Good luck. I hope it eats soon for you!

Is the feather supposed to entice her to eat, or aggitate her so she strikes at it and eats it?
And how long should you boil the feathers? How long should they be in the freezer?
Are there types of birds that work better?

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<3 Tessa

0.0.2 painted turtles (Mo and Squirt)
1.0.0 yellow bellied slider (Jebidiah)
0.1.0 Amelanistic corn snake (Rose)
1.0.0 Hog Island/Colombian Boa (Kah)
0.2.0 Colombian Boa (Jasmine) and her baby(no name yet)
1.0.0 Suriname Boa (Kayne)
0.2.0 Cats (Lilly and Reese)

Forcefeeding neonates is the same as with the larger snakes. You have to be more careful due to the smaller size.
If you are going to try forcefeeding, try using the tails of rats. It is much easier to manage.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Keep us posted and good luck, that feather trick looks interesting!

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Just because you have an animal that isnt dead doesnt mean you know how to take care of it

Well I couldn't try the feather trick because no one answered my questions.
She was being very active, so we thought she was hunting. Well, she wasn't because, again, she didn't eat. Her sister was moved up to hoppers this time. It aggravates me because I don't want her to die.

Merlin: What size rat tail should I use? Or how much of the rat tail? I only have one snake that will be eating a rat soon, as Jasmine just ate last night. It will be a medium pre killed. Maybe I'll just get a small f/t and use it's tail. Or I'll call the pet store and see when they are going to feed their snakes, and see if I can borrow a tail lol.

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<3 Tessa

0.0.2 painted turtles (Mo and Squirt)
1.0.0 yellow bellied slider (Jebidiah)
0.1.0 Amelanistic corn snake (Rose)
1.0.0 Hog Island/Colombian Boa (Kah)
0.2.0 Colombian Boa (Jasmine) and her baby(no name yet)
1.0.0 Suriname Boa (Kayne)
0.2.0 Cats (Lilly and Reese)