Feeder mouse overnight

Question
I'm not sure if you know a lot about feeder mice but I bought a fuzzy to feed to my other pet. However, he won't eat it and so I will have to wait until tomorrow to try again. Will the little fuzzy survive overnight? He seems relatively healthy but I keep reading that they need to be constantly fed and cared for.

Answer
Hi Lauren,

I am sorry, and I hope he is okay.  AllExperts provides three days during which to respond to questions, and although I try to get to them as soon as I can, that is not always possible for me. Should this happen again I would strongly encourage having a vet, breeder, pet shop, or rescue on hand who can help you with an emergency such as this one.

Fuzzies do need fed every few hours, kept warm, and need help going to the bathroom.  For your other pet's health, I would recommend trying frozen/thawed rodents if you have not already tried doing so.  That will minimize diseases, passing on sickly animals (like when he won't take the mouse immediately), biting, and allows you to feed him on your schedule (and his), instead of hoping the fuzzy survives long enough.  I am not trying to preach to you or anything (I have three snakes myself), as I understand that some reptiles refuse frozen/thawed, but it has so many benefits all around, mostly to you and your pet, that it is always worth at least a try.

If your fuzzy is still with you please contact a veterinarian who works with pocket pets like mice, the pet shop, a rehabilitator, or even a local rodent or reptile breeder *immediately*.  Even if they cannot help him to be healthy again, absolutely any result is better than slowly starving and freezing to death.  You might also try making friends with other reptile owners so that if your pet refuses a meal, someone else could try it more quickly.

One more note - please give your pet another few days, instead of one more day, before offering food again.  Some do not eat while shedding or feeling poorly, and it may take a couple of days before they will take food.  I would hate for you to be in the same position again!

Best of luck, and I hope all has resolved in some way since you wrote me.  Please let me know if I can help you with any other questions.
-Tam