# My rats poop while they eat...



## ratazana (Jan 26, 2013)

As the title suggests, I've noticed that my rats tend to poop while they eat. 
Is this normal behaviour for rats? I know that rabbits do this, but rats too? 

My boys are almost 5 months old, I've had them for a little over a week & am trying to potty train them. As you can imagine, it's been difficult when I find feces scattered around their food bowls & around the cage. I've been transferring the pellets into the litter box whenever I find them, but the pooping around the bowl is still happening. 

I've moved the food bowl closer to the litter box, hoping that it will remind them where to go, but I haven't been 100% successful. One of my boys will sometimes eat while sitting in the litter box, but not all the time. So the pooping around the bowl still continues... 

It's only been a week, so perhaps I should just be a bit more patient, but does anyone have advice for this first time rat mama?


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## Rat Princess (Jan 28, 2013)

I've never had the problem of them pooping while they're eating, you seem to be doing all the steps right that I've looked up before. I didn't know they could be potty trained until recently and I plan to try to potty train them after they are done with their quarantine time. When one of mine had a litter before the babies would sit in the bowl and poop while they were eating, so I had to remove it everyday. Luckily they grew out of that lol. Since they are new, to their new home, I'd just be persistent with them. Maybe show them their poop and say no, and watch them more closely to see if they are using their litter box and give them a treat when they use it. They'll learn the difference with a little time.


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## ratazana (Jan 26, 2013)

I never thought about showing them the poop & speaking an assertive "No!"... I shall try that, & I'll be patient & persistant. Thank you!


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## Rat Princess (Jan 28, 2013)

I hope that when I potty train mine, they can learn the difference too lol. Good luck with potty training!


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## ratazana (Jan 26, 2013)

The potty training seems to be working. I just finished doing my weekly cage cleaning. When I returned to check up on them I noticed there was poop in the litter box, & no where else in the cage. So it's obviously working! Good luck to you too!


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## KelseyShea (Jan 20, 2013)

My rats would only poop when they were running on their wheel... they are weirdos. We no longer have the wheel, but since then have been able to litter train them.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Its not unuseual, as it gives them something to do while sitting on the toilet so to speak. Dont worry about the hygene point of view, rats do occasionaly eat there own feaces, much like rabbits and other mammels, so its no issue for them pooing near or even in there food. Mine get all there food scatter fed, this means there is no bowl, and are really healthy happy guys.


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## ratazana (Jan 26, 2013)

Thanks for the advice everyone!


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