amanda
Aussie Rat Owner 
Posts: 32
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Post by amanda on Mar 22, 2009 22:14:09 GMT 10
I have breeders choice in the bottom of the tank and the girls seem to cover their food and put the litter in the water bowls... Why would they be doing this?
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Post by Kim on Mar 23, 2009 0:28:22 GMT 10
If you look at this behaviour from a geneticly programed point of view .. as something passed down from its wild rat ancestors .. and a basic survival instinct... Rats cover or bury their food so that it doesnt attract preditors which could kill the rat or a member of its colony. Most of the time its my pregnant rats who cover their food so as not to attract preditors to their nest. Its the same instinct that causes pet rats to at times devour a deceased cage mate. In my large colony cages I will only get this behaviour if I give them too much food. So maybe you are giving your girls more food than they need, which is causing them to cover it. Water bottles are better than a water bowl as they stop the rats getting litter and other bits of stuff in their drinking water.  |
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Post by christie on Mar 23, 2009 0:39:01 GMT 10
Oh yeah cage cleaning can be fun when you have to go hunting for all the food stashes. Make sure to check them first before you add more food to the cage. Before i released i hid the food i just kept giving them more. Till cleaning day and i found a huge stash of food. oops! Its the same instinct that causes pet rats to at times devour a deceased cage mate. Oh this is the one i was always so worried about happening. Thankfully it hasn't happened yet. |
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amanda
Aussie Rat Owner
Posts: 32
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Post by amanda on Mar 23, 2009 8:24:49 GMT 10
Thanks for the replies, Okay. I will stop giving them too much food, I have been giving them a bit extra because Gracie has been sick and I waned to make sure she was eating to get her strength back.
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Post by jackalheadrats on Mar 23, 2009 8:37:52 GMT 10
My rats build a food pile, cover it then sleep on it.
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saz
Aussie Rat Owner
Posts: 13
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Post by saz on Mar 23, 2009 19:11:17 GMT 10
Its instinct for a rattie to go foraging for food, then take it back to the nest and store it. Mine don't store their dried mix, but everything else gets carted up to the favourite hammock and stored in the pocket for later. Cute  |
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rune
Aussie Rat Owner
Posts: 60
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Post by rune on Dec 20, 2009 12:40:49 GMT 10
Our female covers her food only when she is in the same cage as the male, we persume she is hiding it from him
He doesn't touch it unless the cloth is off the food
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