Eating things they shouldn't?

[Cinderwolf]

Okay so the other day, I caught Roxy eating some cardboard she ripped off of a packing tube. I thought it was really weird, so I too the packing tube out of the cage. Then yesterday, I went to change the litter box and noticed a whole bunch of weird looking poops. They were lighter then usual and have little bits of colour in there( red, green blue) I was so confused so I searched around their cage for what they could have eaten. I found my answer in a few foam cubes, ( like baby blocks made out of foam.) As soon as I saw it was like "Bingo." Now they have had these foam toys since sometime last year, and till now they have just ripped them up and left it on the ground. Same with the card board tube, they usually rip it up and leave it..

So I did a forum search about ti and read somewhere on here that it might be because of an upset tummy, so I gave each of them a soda cracker as a one time treat, to see if that would help.. They are acting and looking completely normal.. drinkign lots, still goofy and running around. No signs of pain, or lethargy. I just can't figure out why they would all of a sudden start eating things.

Does anyone know what to do? I am stumped and getting stressed about this.

 

[purinpurin]

I took out cardboard from my rats' cages too (I sometimes use empty tissue boxes as extra hidey holes), because the rats actually eat them. No clue why! My rats don't do it with foam--or so I hope, but they do it with cardboard...

I heard that when trying new things, rats will eat a small portion of it, wait a few hours to see if there are any irregularities within their bodies, and then if there are none, that they will continue eating whatever they tried. Maybe because they themselves don't feel sick, they think it's alright to eat? Although, I think foam is dangerous, as it could cause intestinal blockage... Perhaps try taking it out altogether. :3

 

[jorats]

First thing to do... don't worry about that. Rats will chew and ingest what ever they please. Somethings they need too some they don't and just like to chew.
The foamies for some reason are a real favourite for rats. Both my mom and I started to give some to our rats. When I saw it in their poops, I panicked and stopped giving them this wonderful toy. My mom thought, too bad, they are still getting their fun. No difference in our rats except that her rats continued to have fun with their foamies and mine didn't. So now when I do find foamies, I do give them to my rats.
Eating box board and even litter like Yesterday's News does seem to be a result to an upset tummy but that's sometime we'll never know. I wonder if like cats who enjoy eating grass or dogs... maybe it's to settle their tummy or it's just fun.

 

[temblabamomo]

Last time I tried switching the boys to Oxbow I noticed their poops started looking funny, thought it was the new food, but realized none of the food was getting eaten. Turned out they hated the Oxbow so much that they prefered to eat cardboard. Doesn't really speak well for how Oxbow must taste.

 

[PitLuvs]

*Hyjacks* Foamies??

My boys are pretty good for tearing everything up and not eating any of it lol But wow, what a scare that would be to find multicolored poops!

 

[Cinderwolf]

Yeah it just concerned me cause they had never done it before ( had both those things in there for months) then boom, they did. But I ham SO glad its nothing to worry about : ) Thanks Guys. You just made me stress much much less.

They do love the foamies I have int here, they grab them and run around everywhere! its so cute to watch then they fight over them til I throw it.

I usually don't use boxes because I despise cleaning up all those little cardboard pieces : P They like to stick to fleece.

Okay I feel so much better right now

 

[hprats]

Heh, my rats don't eat any cardboard, and I've never seen them chew anything. One one of them even bothers with the wooden chew house they have. They just chew their lab blocks.
Fred eats paper though, just plain white paper, whenever he finds it. And is always mad when I take it away.

 

[Cinderwolf]

Heh, my rats don't eat any cardboard, and I've never seen them chew anything. One one of them even bothers with the wooden chew house they have. They just chew their lab blocks.
Fred eats paper though, just plain white paper, whenever he finds it. And is always mad when I take it away.

Oh, such well behaved little rats : O Mine chew everything! Their hammocks, their liners, the cloroplast on the shelves the duct tap that I used to cover the sharp edge of hardware cloth at the bottom of the door, their litter box, zip ties. You name it, they chew it... well cept for their parrot chew toys :emb:

 

[temblabamomo]

Heh, my rats don't eat any cardboard, and I've never seen them chew anything. One one of them even bothers with the wooden chew house they have. They just chew their lab blocks.
Fred eats paper though, just plain white paper, whenever he finds it. And is always mad when I take it away.

Oh, such well behaved little rats : O Mine chew everything! Their hammocks, their liners, the cloroplast on the shelves the duct tap that I used to cover the sharp edge of hardware cloth at the bottom of the door, their litter box, zip ties. You name it, they chew it... well cept for their parrot chew toys :emb:

lol inorite? haha, I hang all sorts of birdie chews in the cage, and they still prefer chewing on my beautiful cage liners, the edge of the litter box, the cage bars, and occasionally each other. Anything and everything but the toys :lol:

 

[HuncaMunca]

I was really worried when Beverly actually ate a few buttons off one of our tv remotes (it was the husbands fault of course lol). But she was fine and I always make sure the remotes are out of reach now. But she has a crazy thing for foam too. Underneath our couch is the 'lost grave of nerf darts' she's probably taken over half the stupid nerf darts my son got for christmas and his birthday, hauled off with them and chewed them into little pieces under the couch. Luckily she's never actually ate them though, so thats a relief. But I'm not complaining about the darts because I got soo sick of my husband shooting me with them. :giggle: