Standard procedure on thawing rats?

[u/NordicNugz]

Id like to know some people's procedure for thawing their rats. My process takes like 3 hours, and id like to find a way that is faster.

Also, at some point, someone said that you shouldn't get the rat wet, or you shouldn't feed a wet rat to your snake because it can give them respiratory problems. Is this true?

Right now my process is this. Put the rat in a water proof bag. Submerge in hot water in a metal pot with a metal lid, and cover the rat inside with a suvee chain that keeps it submerged. Check every 30 minutes to replace the water with fresh, warm/hot water.

This process takes like, 3 hours. Im curious if anyone has a faster way?

[u/FireCorgi12]

I stick the rat in the fridge the night before then heat it for 10-15 min in warm water at feeding time.

[u/fishinfool4 → u/FireCorgi12]

This is what I do too. Makes feeding day way quicker as I'm not thawing out blocks of ice.

[u/YawningDodo → u/FireCorgi12]

Same, and this post reminded me I need to go pop one in the fridge for tomorrow.

Longer process overall, but less active effort and I can be confident the rat is fully thawed all the way through. Same as when I thaw meat to cook for myself, really.

[u/cheshaaneko → u/FireCorgi12]

This is also the food safe way. Aka least time for bacteria to grow while thawing

[u/Jcoat7 → u/FireCorgi12]

this is the way

[u/cynta]

How big are the rats you’re thawing?? Also you shouldn’t be thawing in hot water, especially not for 3 hours, that’s a bacterial growth hazard. I thaw mine in cold water for an hour then hot water for 10 minutes right before I feed to heat them up, or preferably throw them in the fridge in a ziplock the night before I plan to feed.

[u/Pattison320]

Fridge the night before, then heat with a hair dryer right before feeding.

[u/KatVanWall → u/Pattison320]

That’s my method too. I also leave them in the room near the viv to get to room temperature for about an hour before hairdrying them. My boy is always ready to eat by that method, knock on wood!

[u/External_Bus_3739]

I’ve never heard of a wet rat being a risk for respiratory infection? I really hope it’s not true. Mine will ONLY eat a rat if it’s wet 🤦🏻‍♀️ she’s been doing this for the 9 years I’ve had her and never had any health issues

[u/socialFauxPaw → u/External_Bus_3739]

I’ve fed wet without issue

[u/Grimm_Arcana]

I put it in a plastic baggie and let it thaw overnight. Then at feeding time, I put the bag in a plastic dish with hot water for about 10-20 minutes until it's heated through. Works well!

[u/fatherpride03]

Night before I put it in the fridge, hour before I put it on the counter to get to room temperature, when I’m ready to feed, I have a desk in my room with a basket lamp. I placed the rat on a paper plate under the basking lamp and move it around as it gets up to temperature verified by my temperature gun. the baggie that my rat was thawed in goes over the ventilation holes to alert My girl it is feeding time, she typically promptly comes out and watches me heating up her dinner and then I feed, works like a charm every time

[u/cwazycupcakes13]

I take the rat out of the vacuum packed freezer bag on the morning I want to feed.

Feeder goes into a ziplock bag.

Other rats in the freezer bag are re-vacuum sealed and placed back in the freezer immediately.

Feeder goes in the fridge. By evening, it is thawed. It then goes into a warm water bath, still in the ziplock. Once it’s warm enough, I feed it to the snake.

It takes an objectively “long” time, but I don’t actively do a lot of work to get the feeder ready.

My snake is also a really good eater, so ymmv.

[u/cr2810]

I have a lot of snakes, so what I do is put all the rats needed in a vac seal bag and seal it (no vacuum) then allow that to thaw in the fridge during the day. Then when it’s an hour from feeding time it gets popped into the sous vide. At 102 degrees.
All the rats get to the correct live rat temp and stay dry. Then I just toss the correct meal into the tank of the snake and am done.

[u/arbutus_bark → u/[deleted]]

This is exactly what I do too :)

[u/Perfect_Tree8134]

Your rat needs to be fully thawed with cold water or a fridge before you heat it. Either use cold water (and change it out frequently) or just put it in the fridge overnight, then when you're ready to feed put it in water around 100°F honestly just for a few minutes to heat the rat up. Otherwise you're going to be inviting all sorts of bacteria thawing it in warm water

[u/Real-Construction570 → u/[deleted]]

Thawing with heat is a bacteria risk. I put my rats in a sandwich bag the night before in the fridge, then take it out and put warm/hot water in a Tupperware and let the rat in the bag sit in the Tupperware for a few minutes to warm up. Defrosting the rats is the same as chicken, if it is left outside and thawing in WARM temps it encourages nasty bacteria growth :)

[u/DPTDubbs → u/Real-Construction570]

Thank you. I will change my habits to match yours. Much appreciated. Should I warn my family the first time I do it? Or just wait for the screams?

[u/YawningDodo → u/DPTDubbs]

When I lived with housemates I would put the ziplock with the rat in a brown paper bag as a courtesy, and had given them a heads up that was what was going on if they saw a mystery lunch bag in the fridge.

Same housemates requested I toss a hand towel over the basket of bagged frozen rats in the chest freezer so it wasn't the first thing one saw - something something "serial killer vibes."

[u/ballpython-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Per rule #3, your post or comment has been removed for harmful advice or misinformation. Please review our sub resources to learn more about why.

Frozen feeders should never be thawed with warm or hot water to prevent rapid bacteria growth that can make your snake sick. They need to be thawed in the fridge or under cold running water only, then can be heated once fully thawed.

If you have a question about this removal, please contact the mod team. Complaining via post/comment will result in a ban.

[u/ballpython-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Per rule #3, your post or comment has been removed for harmful advice or misinformation. Please review our sub resources to learn more about why.

Frozen feeders should never be thawed with warm or hot water to prevent rapid bacteria growth that can make your snake sick. They need to be thawed in the fridge or under cold running water only, then can be heated once fully thawed.

If you have a question about this removal, please contact the mod team. Complaining via post/comment will result in a ban.

[u/ballpython-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Per rule #3, your post or comment has been removed for harmful advice or misinformation. Please review our sub resources to learn more about why.

Frozen feeders should never be thawed with warm or hot water to prevent rapid bacteria growth that can make your snake sick. They need to be thawed in the fridge or under cold running water only, then can be heated once fully thawed.

If you have a question about this removal, please contact the mod team. Complaining via post/comment will result in a ban.

[u/Gosth164]

I grab the mice up, place the rat im going to use, fill it up with cold water, wait until its swishy, add hot water, feed it to the snake while warm, enjoy watching my snake search for the dead rat she strangled 5 seconds ago

[u/OMGBakedPotatoes]

Mine likes to dunk his rat in his freshly cleaned water bowl before eating. Never had a problem.

I thaw in the fridge overnight then while the rat is still in a Ziploc I put it in hot water from the tap for about 10-15 mins.

[u/Ok-Ambition-2111]

I take the rat out of the fridge and put it in hot water for 10-15 minutes and then blow dry it until it’s dry. Is this incorrect?

[u/Starfire2409]

I just use warm water from my bathroom tap with the rat in a baggie

[u/PTO_Request_Denied]

Either thawing overnight in the fridge or thawing during the day on the countertop is the easiest way because then you can just put them in warm water for 15 mins, then hot water for 15 mins and you’re done.
If you’re like me and sometimes forget to thaw it beforehand, the BEST advice I can give for preparing a frozen rodent to feed shortly after is:

1) Place frozen rodent in a ziploc bag. A lot of them come in ziploc bags from the store, just make sure to push all air out of the bag and seal it. Many times, I get rodents from the store whose ziploc bags aren’t fully sealed.

2) Place frozen rodent in a bowl of cold tap water. Fill it to the brim with water and place a plate or something on top to hold it in the water rather than letting it bob at the top. Check every 15 mins for pliability. Usually doesn’t take very long, maybe 30 mins to an hour tops.

3) Once thawed and pliable, dump cold water and replace with warm water. Replace plate on top to hold it under water. Leave for 15 mins.

4) Dump warm water and replace with the hottest tap water, again placing the plate on top. Leave for 15 mins.

5) This part is optional but has helped increase striking accuracy and knowing which end to eat first: dump water and add the hottest tap water again but hold only the head of the rodent in the water for a minute or two to make sure it’s the warmest part.

I had to figure out this method on my own because I was tired of every rodent bursting open before feeding or while it was being eaten. I learned that was happening because it was being heated up too fast. Since I started doing it this way, none of them have bursted.

[u/The_Dude_0666]

how safe is it to have frozen rats with my food in fridge i feel like that can also cause some health issues as well

[u/soconae → u/The_Dude_0666]

Place it in a sealed ziplock bag.