Rats that HOARD!!!

[anita1216]

OK, ten years into this whole rat thing..I dont have a clue how to stop the girls from taking every scrap of food and piling it up nicely in the bottom corner of the cage. :emb:
They go through cycles of this and will stop for months at a time, then start up again "glares at Alana Maria the culprit* Once one girl starts doing this, the other 4 join in and the game is afoot!

Now I really dont mind and put the blocks back about six times a day, the issue are my less than bright boys. They seem to act as though they have no clue where the food has gone off to and beg continuously for something whenever I come into the room..thats alot, as they are in the living room!

So my question, is there anyway to curb this behavior? I know the boys will find the stash, they are chubbs and in no danger of fainting from hunger. I guess I would just like to slow the stashing down a bit.

Help?


*D'oh!!!!! feel free to move this to behavior!!! Sorry!!!!*

 

[lilspaz68]

Moved :wink2:

For me I let my rats stash, I just check their stash before adding to their food bowl. Its such a natural behaviour that I don't mind as long as they are happy.

But you could eke out the blocks a bit more, instead of moving the blocks back 6 times a day, hand out a block or two per rat in their bowl 3 times a day instead, and see if the stashing is less?

I have never tried this with my numbers. LOLOL

 

[anita1216]

I will try smaller portions, maybe Alana Maria will get the hint LOL She is such a funny girl, stubby tail and all.
Thanks!

 

[jorats]

Rats' sense of smell is pretty good. I bet they know where it's been moved too. Maybe they aren't allowed to eat it?
Or... are you sure they are begging for food and not just looking for love and attention? Mine will rush the cage door when I go by but it's not for food as their bowl is full still.

 

[Rachael]

I don't bother with them hoarding their food, just don't leave it laying in the cage too long.

 

[rodentmama]

Is it a girlie thing? Lucy does that. Hides everything out of the food bowl in the basement of the condo, or if she is up with Audio she hides it in the LITTER BOX of all things. When I clean the cage I dump the hoarded food and give fresh. Not much else to do.

 

[Rachael]

I've had boys do the same.

 

[mamarat]

Like Shelagh said. I just check the stash before adding more and no one seems hungry. They all know where the stashes are. And they look so cute carrying that block up and down the ramps.