Rats!

Those with weak stomachs, stop reading here!! Most of my life I have had a hate-hate relationship with rats (not mice - just rats). I wasn't one to start screaming on sight, but I also didn't want to really get anywhere near them. After I started caring for a pet snake, I learned to get over my aversion and start handling rats. My snake is a little bit of a picky eater (as most captive snakes are) - he prefers that his rats be female. Whenever I have given him a male feeder rat, he has constricted it and left it for dead (probably because male rats are so aggressive). Once I started giving him female rats exclusively , he would eat. My most recent trip to the pet store (a little over a week ago), resulted in coming home with about a medium sized, female, feeder rat. My snake has decided that he likes this rat and won't eat it. I can't blame him - the rat is rather cute and sweet (looks a lot like the picture). I am really not sure what to do at this point. Should I keep the rat as a pet? Should I just leave the rat in with him until he eats? Should I separate them and try again later? I am hoping that the snake will eat while I am at work today and I won't have to worry about it anymore. Update: The snake spared the rats life. It now has a new home (a lavish two bedroom with all the amenities) and will live out its natural life in better care than any other rat. We named it Gertrude. Technorati tag: rats snakes pets