Rat seems obsessed with food

[caitlinf]

I think one of my rats might have an eating problem. He is a little overweight. His cage mate is more of a normal weight, but they are both eating the same foods. Whenever I refill their bowl or give them a treat, he goes crazy and grabs all the food and runs, he acts as if I hadn't fed him in days! He tears the food/treat from my hands so fast and crazy that sometimes he gets my skin too. I have had him since he was a little baby and I never let my rats go hungry, so it's not that he has a history of being starved.

Their main source of food is Martin: Mouse and Rat Ration. I also like to give them fresh veggies, fruits, and/or berries. I'll usually add some seeds (sunflower and pumpkin) to their food so that they don't get bored of it or anything (but I never let them get away with only eating the seeds they like and nothing else). Treats include pieces of plain crackers, berries, dried fruits (papaya, pineapple and strawberry), healthy cereal bits (like plain cheerios) and occasional small chunks of chicken or beef (from whatever I'm eating, if there's sauce I'll wipe most of it off).

The thing is, I give them both the same food, the same treats, even at the same time. But only the one rat gets so overly excited about food and eats too much. Any suggestions?

 

[victoria]

Some rats are naturally nesters and will behave that way with food no matter what. It's a normal, healthy behaviour for them, so there is no point in trying to change it.

Martin's Rat and Mouse Ration is a really crappy food (sadly) because it is excessively high in fat and protein.(It really sucks because they are a Canadian company too.) There is a lot of info and references in this thread on what rat dietary requirements are and how different blocks measure up. In Canada, the three blocks that are best for adult rats are Oxbow Regal Rat (can be hard to find and some rats really don't like it, although their formula was recently reconfigured so that may no longer be an issue), Harlan Teklad 2014 (only available from Flowertown Chinchillas and the University of Guelph), and Hagen Living World Hamster Extrusion (a little higher in protein but still good, widely available cross country).

Offering fruits and vegetables along with blocks is great (it does reduce protein but not enough with the Martin's), keep in mind the sugars in some fruits and vegetables can contribute to weight gain. Berries are high in fibre so they are a good choice since they sugar will be burned at a slower rate. Fruit like ripe bananas and pears are much higher in sugar and lower in fibre so they're not as good a choice. Feeding raw veggies also keeps fibre content higher so that helps some too. (Spinach and kale are better absorbed by the body if lightly steamed though.)

Seeds are really high in fat and not at all necessary. If you are feeding a good quality block they will be getting everything they need. They don't need variety in the way we do and they are getting fruits and veggies already. Cereal's ok, but watch the salt and sugar content. Puffed grains (wheat, rice, kamut, millet) are healthier and cheaper than most other cereals on the store shelf.

Exercise is also important in staying a healthy size and mentally stimulated, you should be letting them out daily if possible and for a minimum of 5 hours a week.

All of that being said, weight loss is often not healthy for a rat. It's best to just improve his diet a little bit and prevent him from getting more chubby and perhaps he will slowly trim down.

 

[SQ]

Rats often stash their food.
As previously mentioned, a good quality lab block is important and makes up 80 % of their diet.
Lab blocks need to be available in the cage all the time.
The other 20% of their diet is daily vegs, and occassional treats such as a piece of fruit, piece of cereal, cooked oatmeal, etc.

 

[jorats]

Yep, exactly what Victoria said and SQ.

 

[caitlinf]

Alright then, I'll start getting them better food. Thanks