Ball pythons gotta eat. You can feed them frozen or thawed rats/mice, or live. I personally prefer frozen thawed, it has just as much nutrition, and is considered safer than feeding live. A live rat can seriously hurt your ball python with those teeth of theirs. But if you really want to feed live DO NOT LEAVE YOUR SNAKE UNATTENDED, and have the tongs and snake hook handy if anything goes wrong. I have seen people leave their ball pythons unattended, a $1000 blue eyed lucy, very pretty and expensive morph, and the lady left it alone with the live rat, she returned to the opposite of what she wanted to see, the rat eating THE SNAKE. So yeah if you decide to feed live, be careful please.

Now onto frozen and thawed, they are cheaper and safer, they can't eat your ball python. The trick to feeding frozen and thawed is making sure the rat/mouse is hot, so that the ball python can sense the heat. If it's too cold, or not hot enough the ball python may not eat it. There are two main ways of thawing a frozen feeder, you can put it in a bowl or jar and put hot water in it to thaw it, or you can leave it to thaw without water, which will take a longer time. When it comes to this it is a preference, a majority of ball python owners I know thaw the feeders in hot water, but some argue that this makes the feeder rot quicker. I personally use the hot water method, it is quick, convenient, and I have had no problems with the feeder rotting. You can of course leave it to thaw overnight like some people do, but this can cause bacteria growth, so that is why I avoid this method. 

Now how to pick the right feeder and size for your ball python. Rats are higher in nutrition, however if your snake is a baby it might be best to feed it hoppers or adult mice, though pinkie rats can also work. A key way to finding out if the feeder is too big for your snake is by comparing the feeders width, to your snakes width, if their tummies are around the same thickness it would be the right size for your snake.  

Now ball pythons are notorious for going on "Hunger strikes". What is a hunger strike? A hunger strike is when a ball python will refuse to eat for a length of time. Ball pythons can go quite a few months without eating, it's normal for them to do so, I've had my own snakes do so a few times. It takes time and patience for a hunger strike to end. It is normal for the snake to lose some weight, but not a lot of weight, if your snake is getting super thin, then it might be more than a hunger strike. Keep an eye on a snake on a hunger strike, if they seem ill then perhaps it's also more than a hunger strike. 

Feeding tongs are essential in feeding, unless you want your fingers bitten. A good long metal feeder tong is the best type for snakes. They are durable and give you enough distance between you and your snake so you don't get bitten. Simply pick the feeder up by the tail or leg and dangle it in front of your snake, jerking it around a bit. Wait until the snake latches onto the prey to let go with the tongs. Sit and wait, make sure they don't stop eating it halfway through, as some snakes will do this, just to ensure you don't leave a dead rat sitting around in your snakes tank, building up bacteria. 

If you do happen to get bit, stay calm, do NOT jerk your arm back or around, this could possibly break the snakes teeth, wedge them further in, or cut you even worse. Go to a sink and put the snakes head under the tap, and turn the water on, not too hot, nor too cold, also don't drown it. Just let it waterfall onto the snakes head a bit, this might make them let go. However if they do not, simply sit down and wait it out, the will let go eventually. However if they don't, maybe contact a doctor. Do not pry the snake off, this can cause more harm to you and the snake.