Eating faeces

[Rodentsaregreat]

Hello I woke up this morning and found a bit of what looked like diarrhoea and then found one of my rats eating there faeces in there litter box just wanted to know if this was normal behaviour for rats to be eating faeces it’s never happened with my other rats just want to know if I should be concerned or not
Thanks

 

[Dena]

Are you sure it was feces that he was eating, and not food or a treat? Mine for some Strange reason, like to hide food in their litter box and will often sit in the litter box to eat. They are strange creatures....

 

[Kye]

Eating feces can be a sign of malnutrition- What are you feeding them.?

 

[lilangel]

its normal for them to do. You do not see them doing it much but like rabbits they do it too.

http://ratguide.com/care/behavior/c...the feces allows,to those observed in rabbits.

 

[lilangel]

also make sure not to stop them from eating their poop

Preventing rats from eating their feces can lead to deficiencies of vitamin K, complex B vitamins, and biotin and can cause other vitamin deficiencies to develop. Rats, when not permitted to ingest their fresh feces show a stunted growth rate. Even if allowed to eat only the dry feces the benefits of coprophagy are still not fully attained.