# Tips on food hoarding...



## catsandscales (Oct 21, 2010)

I know my girls aren't eating all of their food... but every morning when I go to check on them their bowl is almost completely empty! I'm using a small ceramic cat dish and I fill it with lab blocks and then top it off with Suebee's. I've seen their food stash in a cardboard box that I have hanging from the ceiling, which is Zoie's favorite place in the world to hang out. Do I just check the box every day to see if they've eaten all of their stash before filling up their dish? Is there a way to break this habit?


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

I don't think you need to break this habit. It is what rats are all about. It is in their genes and part of their success formula in conquering the world. Why would you want change something so typical of our charming sweeties?
As long as they have food, in their dish or in their "secret stash" mine don't get new. I do however remove perishable food. But they mainly stash their boring lab blocks.
Can you imagine how crazy we are from their point of view?


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## littlematchstick (Apr 12, 2009)

Agreed, I think almost all rats do this. I just check all their stashes first, if there is food SOMEWHERE in the cage, they don't get anymore. I remove anything that can spoil, like fresh fruits or veggies after 24 hours. But beyond that, I either just leave their stashes where it is, or I will move it back to their bowl. They think they're getting more food and it gives them something to do to restash it.


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## catsandscales (Oct 21, 2010)

Ok, good to know! They have such a huge pile going in their box that I don't think I'm in any danger of starving them. =P They also leave a few pieces in their bowl... I guess I'll use that and the fact that I can see all the food in their box as an indicator on when to feed them again. XD Sillies... I don't think much of the suebees mix can go bad for a while, so is that ok to leave out? I'm mostly worried about the dried fruit, but even then it's not like it'll go bad right away like fresh fruit.

Thanks for putting my mind at ease. =D I haven't had my own rats ever (we had family rats as kids, did everything wrong so this is a completely different experience) so there'll be some adjustments in my thinking along the way! XD


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## Kiko (Sep 18, 2009)

The subees will be fine. If you leave them eat what they want and don't feed them until it is all gone they will consume all the subees quickly


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

But they will fool you with their "we are starving" eyes and it is hard to practice tough love with them.


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## eluin (Jan 25, 2010)

You also may get to watch fun stashing battles. My rats each have their own pile. They each steal things from the other's piles. They do not realize that while Baloo is raiding Remy's stash, Remy is raiding Baloo's stash and what amounts to one lab block is making a big circle of the cage. No one ever gets anywhere and most of the time, they pass each other on the ramps with the other rat's food in their mouths.


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## VictorianVanity (Mar 18, 2010)

My girls try so hard to trick me into thinking they're starving. They stash it all in their igloo and stare at me forlornly. They don't seem to realize the igloo is clear plastic, so I can see their stash.


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

Do males hoard food as much as the girls?


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## littlematchstick (Apr 12, 2009)

Eluin said:


> You also may get to watch fun stashing battles. My rats each have their own pile. They each steal things from the other's piles. They do not realize that while Baloo is raiding Remy's stash, Remy is raiding Baloo's stash and what amounts to one lab block is making a big circle of the cage. No one ever gets anywhere and most of the time, they pass each other on the ramps with the other rat's food in their mouths.


This is a daily occurence in my rats cage..lol. It highly amuses me because this will literally go on for about an hour each time I feed them. They'll even grab it out of each other's mouths. They're spoiled brats. This is what causes the most disagreements in my cage..even though they get MORE then enough food to go around--they each think they gotta have it all!



begoodtoanimals said:


> Do males hoard food as much as the girls?


It doesn't really have anything to do with gender--its the rat themselves. Some rats will stash some will not. But I think its equal among the sexes--at least in my experience.


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## hatchethottie (Nov 7, 2010)

Funny, mine have never stashed ever! They do grab one peice of food, run to a corner and eat it, then run back to the food dish and repeat until full - but they never stash! Not even yummy treats like a capfull of baby food! guess it just depends on the rat?


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

Mine only stash the staple food like dog food and rodent block. The yummy stuff gets eaten just in case the other will take it.
Try to give them a supply of that outside their cage and see if they will stash it into their secret hiding place.


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