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With everything that's been going on lately, I haven't had much of an inclination to write about Aristotle and how he's been doing.
That being said, he's fine. Ornery little bastard, but fine.
Last week and part of this one, he's been going through a bad shed that I had to help him through. I think I got the majority of it off him, but there's still a tiny bit of skin left around his neck area that just won't come off. He was overdue for a feeding, so I decided to try last night.
One thawed and blow-dried mouse deposited in his tank. Leave the room.
Come back a few hours later and he's doing this...dance of indecision around it. Inch forward, then nonononono back away from it. Lather, rinse, repeat. For the entire night.
I get up in the morning and the prey is still in the tank, so I decide to leave it there and maybe he'll eat it during the day (stranger things have happened). I come home from work/school and the prey is still in the tank, albeit a little bit moved to the side. And he's lying next to it, so I can't take it out of the tank without him either a. flipping the fuck out or b. striking at me. So, I leave it in the tank again and wait to see what happens.
Just now, as I was getting ready for bed, I go in my room and peer in the tank to see if I can remove the mouse. And he's still frigging lying next to it. Is it his new little friend? What the hell?
Now, I've decided that it can't stay in there another night and the mouse has to come out of the tank. So, I start going through the process of opening everything up and getting ready to get it away from him when I hear this noise that sounds suspicously like air being let out of a balloon. At first, I thought it was my fan on the other side of the room until I put my head closer to the tank. Then I realized it was Aristotle. Hissing at me.
And he was S-coiling at me, like in preparation to strike.
You little jerk. If you would stop making friends with the mouse and just eat the goddamn thing, I wouldn't have to take it away from you. You're obviously not going to eat it, so stop being so protective of it. Almost two days of it being in the tank and you haven't eaten it? It's not staying in there; it's going to start to stink. And what's with this S-coil shit? Who do you think you're trying to intimidate?
So, I start moving the mouse tongs in his plants, in an effort to get his attention away from the mouse. And then have to sneak it out from under him. He goes into his log hide and proceeds to sulk.
He's eaten for me once before, the very first time I tried to feed him, about a month ago. He went all Om nom nom nom not long after the prey went into the tank, that time. I know that he's most likely off his feed because of the bad shed (and he hasn't pooped yet from the first feeding), but I can't help being paranoid because of what happened with Charlie, though. I'll try again next week.
His levels are perfect. He's still fat and sassy. And he's a joy to handle. I need to get him a light set-up to get him on some kind of day/night cycle though, which will be happening this weekend.
That being said, he's fine. Ornery little bastard, but fine.
Last week and part of this one, he's been going through a bad shed that I had to help him through. I think I got the majority of it off him, but there's still a tiny bit of skin left around his neck area that just won't come off. He was overdue for a feeding, so I decided to try last night.
One thawed and blow-dried mouse deposited in his tank. Leave the room.
Come back a few hours later and he's doing this...dance of indecision around it. Inch forward, then nonononono back away from it. Lather, rinse, repeat. For the entire night.
I get up in the morning and the prey is still in the tank, so I decide to leave it there and maybe he'll eat it during the day (stranger things have happened). I come home from work/school and the prey is still in the tank, albeit a little bit moved to the side. And he's lying next to it, so I can't take it out of the tank without him either a. flipping the fuck out or b. striking at me. So, I leave it in the tank again and wait to see what happens.
Just now, as I was getting ready for bed, I go in my room and peer in the tank to see if I can remove the mouse. And he's still frigging lying next to it. Is it his new little friend? What the hell?
Now, I've decided that it can't stay in there another night and the mouse has to come out of the tank. So, I start going through the process of opening everything up and getting ready to get it away from him when I hear this noise that sounds suspicously like air being let out of a balloon. At first, I thought it was my fan on the other side of the room until I put my head closer to the tank. Then I realized it was Aristotle. Hissing at me.
And he was S-coiling at me, like in preparation to strike.
You little jerk. If you would stop making friends with the mouse and just eat the goddamn thing, I wouldn't have to take it away from you. You're obviously not going to eat it, so stop being so protective of it. Almost two days of it being in the tank and you haven't eaten it? It's not staying in there; it's going to start to stink. And what's with this S-coil shit? Who do you think you're trying to intimidate?
So, I start moving the mouse tongs in his plants, in an effort to get his attention away from the mouse. And then have to sneak it out from under him. He goes into his log hide and proceeds to sulk.
He's eaten for me once before, the very first time I tried to feed him, about a month ago. He went all Om nom nom nom not long after the prey went into the tank, that time. I know that he's most likely off his feed because of the bad shed (and he hasn't pooped yet from the first feeding), but I can't help being paranoid because of what happened with Charlie, though. I'll try again next week.
His levels are perfect. He's still fat and sassy. And he's a joy to handle. I need to get him a light set-up to get him on some kind of day/night cycle though, which will be happening this weekend.