# Rats dumping their food bowls



## Shatto (May 19, 2013)

So I have two rats, I can't keep them together because they fight so they're in separate cages but when I fill their bowls they eat a bit and then dump the bowls, they will continue to eat the food for the next day or two but it makes cleaning the cage more of a hassle because of all the dumped food, why do they do that, they also push their bedding, housing etc all around and generally make a mess but the bowl dumping is my main concern and they both do it


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## Crezzard (Jul 20, 2013)

Rats are messy they like their houses like this!! They also adore to watch us clean it all up just for them to do it again!! All I'd suggest is getting a feed bowl that attaches to the bars 


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

I'd get rid of the food bowls, i only use one for wet food now and have done for years. My rats get there dinner scatter fed around the cage so they have to hunt and forage for it, it not only encourages natural behaviour but slows down their eating so they are less likley to be overweight. You just need to feed them a daily portion at a time, then check through the substrate to see if any is left, if so feed a little less next time.


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## Ramen (Aug 1, 2011)

My rats did that too! I haven't seen Francis dump it over now that he's on his own. He tends to push his bedding around a lot too (so did the hedgehog I had when I was a kid). I think it's just easier for them to eat the food off the ground? That doesn't seem to make sense though. If you have a problem with it, you can get a bowl that's on the bars of the cage like Crezzard said.


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