# Bedding in food bowl??



## MimiSkye (Feb 3, 2014)

Curious question...
So, I recently started using green dreamzzz recycled paper bedding. I used to just use fleece, but I felt like bedding wouldve been more comfy for them. So I switched. In my critter nation cage I have fleece lining the bottom pan, and up top I used my pan from my old cage (petco rat manor) because it fits perfectly on the second level. I fill the rat manor pan with the bedding since it has high walls. 

Recently the girls will bring the bedding down from the top floor and put it in their food bowl. Does anyone know why? Are they like hiding their food or something? They've always put their toys and chews in the food bowl too. I just thought it was a weird behavior. They will also try to pull the fleece up and put it in the food bowl lol! 

Does anyone know why? I feel like its a pretty common behavior, I've heard of other rats putting their belongings in their bowls/litter boxes, but why?


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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

Mine put their toys and fleece in the food bowl or cover it with thr fleece. I think it's a natural instinct for them to hide their food. I think where its in the food bowl they think its easyier to hide by piling things in the food then it is to take the food and hide it. This is just my opinion.

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## MimiSkye (Feb 3, 2014)

Yeah thats what I always thought too. I wish they would stop, at least with the bedding. It's such tiny thin pieces it's a pain to get it all outta the bowl. And doesn't seem to sanitary!


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## LogixSTI (Feb 10, 2014)

mine do that! like hiding their food from view (they also take all their food and carry it over to the base of their litter pan and then cover it up). one is a much more OCD than the other about things like that though, like she wont stop until something is completely covered, or her food bowl is completely empty and filled with something else, or her food is completely moved to the base of her litter and full covered by bedding so it's well hidden. the other one just eats everything in sight, and often gets bedding tossed on her by the other one.


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## MimiSkye (Feb 3, 2014)

Hahaha thats so funny, my girls sometimes bring their food down to the base of their litter box. They used to actually put it in the litter box but I kept moving it out and they gave up. They usually only bring it down after I clean the cage though.

I wonder what goes thru their brains...


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## Pan&Lou (Jun 14, 2013)

It's pretty much just a nesting behavior. And an attempt at burying their food. I believe most people have at least one rat who does it. My girl Pan puts it in the foodbowl as well, but once she dragged so much bedding it was like a mountain on the shelf and she was curled up in the middle of it. Crazy little things rats are.


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