The Gourmet Rodent

The Gourmet Rodent

Reptile pet parents are faced with many feeding options for their snakes or carnivorous reptiles, some of which are better than others. The Gourmet Rodent makes it easy for reptile and snake pet parents to feed their pets wholesome frozen reptile food that’s appropriate, responsible and convenient.

While snakes eat live prey in the wild, you should never give your snake live feeder rodents. Enclosing a terrified rodent in a small space with a hungry snake creates a scenario that could lead to inhumane distress for the prey rodent and create an unnecessarily dangerous situation for your snake. In a small enclosure with no means of escape, a rodent may bite, scratch or severely wound your snake.

For these reasons, frozen feeders are the wise choice for responsible snake owners. But even when selecting frozen rodents for snakes, it’s important to look for quality and customization. Frozen mice and rats—like live ones—can carry diseases and parasites, so finding a reputable source of clean feeders is crucial. And different snakes have different food preferences based on their age, breed and individual tastes. That’s why The Gourmet Rodent is a go-to brand for snake lovers. Petco carries Gourmet Rodent frozen rodents for sale in various forms and sizes—from small pinkie mice to jumbo rats—to nourish and satisfy snakes with a wide variety of dietary needs. Gourmet Rodent’s frozen feeder rodents are also free of internal parasites, mites and ticks, increasing the safety of their contents for pet snakes.

Now that you’ve made the smart choice to give your snake feeder rodents from The Gourmet Rodent, how do you do it? The process of getting frozen feeders from the package to your snake is simple, but there are a few precautions to remember. To prepare frozen rodents for reptiles:

• Handle with care Use the same storage and cleanup safety approach with feeder rodents that you’d use with raw meat, avoiding cross-contamination with food preparation areas or utensils. It’s a good idea to use a pair of dedicated feeding tongs or gloves when handling frozen feeders, and everything the rodents touch should be cleaned after the feeding.
• Defrost properly Gourmet Rodent frozen feeder rodents should be removed from their package and allowed to thaw at room temperature. Alternately, they can be placed in a plastic bag, and either thawed in the refrigerator or run under warm water until they’re completely defrosted. Never defrost rodents in a microwave. Remember that frozen feeders must be defrosted entirely and soft throughout before being given to a snake.
• Use tongs to feed When lowering a defrosted rodent into your snake’s habitat, use tongs to avoid being bitten. A hungry snake will take the dangling rodent from your tongs. Eventually, you will probably be able to simply place the rodent in your snake’s habitat without needing to entice it to this meal.

Understanding the breed of your snake will help you determine the frequency of feedings and the type of feeder rodents that are most suitable. Discover Petco’s selection of Gourmet Rodent frozen feeders to nourish and satisfy your snake.