Hoarding lab blocks

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missnikki

missnikki

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2010
Messages
390
Location
Canada
I got the harlan teklad lab blocks a couple weeks ago and at first it seemed the ratties loved them - for last few days they have been mass hoarding the lab blocks in the bottom of their cage and don't appear to be eating them- does this mean they lost interest and I now have to purchase yet another type of block? I have gone thru 3 kinds already, Harlan teklad being the one they liked best - up until a couple days ago. Now I don't know if they are eating properly in past couple days and I am worried.


My boyfriend who recently moved in says I am giving them too many blocks - but I just want to make sure they have enough to eat. He thinks they are eating them but hoarding the rest for later. I give maybe 10 blocks for them to share before I go to work, and about 10 more when I go to bed - along with veggies and fruits and occasional treats.


Thoughts??
 
My current rats don't but my past rats used to hoard blocks like crazy. When I cleaned out their cage I'd find dozens of them. I never worried about it and they didn't lose any weight or anything. They still ate normally and just liked to hide them! :)

I've always given my rats more than they can eat in a day (of blocks, that is). I do that for my current rats too and they don't hoard their blocks, so I'm not sure if it's related or not. As long as they aren't losing weight I wouldn't worry about it, although it is wasteful. Not really sure what to do about that aspect of it though.
 
Hoarding blocks is normal behaviour. Hoarding actually means that they like the blocks. Mine stash Harlan blocks inside hammocks and litter boxes. They never stash Oxbow!

It makes sense to provide free access to the blocks. Very few over-eat them, and they will have lots to spare if you get home late sometimes.
 
When I first got the lab blocks I have now(similar to HT) they stashed them like crazy!
They absolutely love them!
Mine stopped hoarding them when they figured out that they wouldn´t go away tho
 
Hehe, well if hoarding something means they like it my group have yet to meet a food item they don't like. Everything gets stashed within minutes of going in the cage lol. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother having a bowl!
 
Stashing is a very healthy behavior. Keeps them occupied and gives them a reason for doing... Mental stimulation. Make it fun and throughout the day undo their stash.
 
My boy Toby does this all the time. He will get such a large stash, I go in and pull them back out of the box, put them back in the bowl, and he happily runs back and forth doing it all over again. What is funny is when toby stashes and dopey steals his stash from toby and makes his own, those two run for hours making stashes. They still eat them, just from their stash and not the bowl lol
 
Well, I'm glad that taking their stash apart is a good thing...I do this anyway, just because I want them to eat most of the blocks already in the cage before I add new ones. I always worry that I'm ticking them off by wrecking all their hard work lol
 
Bamboo said:
Well, I'm glad that taking their stash apart is a good thing...I do this anyway, just because I want them to eat most of the blocks already in the cage before I add new ones. I always worry that I'm ticking them off by wrecking all their hard work lol
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No I doubt it, toby is the happiest he ever is when he is running with his little head perked up and stashing food. I think the love to do it.

I have others that just eat it, the hairless boys are the only ones who actually make a stash lol
 
ratamataz said:
Does this mean my rats are abnormal if they don't stash their blocks? :? I know they like their food...
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My first rats NEVER stashed food..
These three only does it if they get something new they are afraid will go away.
I do not think yours are abnormal :wink2: I think it varies from rat to rat
 
I've had rats that wouldn't stash but would try to busy their food bowl with toys and blankies. Too bad they sometimes did it with their water bowl also :p
 
Moon said:
I've had rats that wouldn't stash but would try to busy their food bowl with toys and blankies. Too bad they sometimes did it with their water bowl also :p
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Hey they do that a bit! :D Heh heh. I use a water bowl too with these rats, and I keep a paper towel underneath the food and water. They are usually really good about it and leave it alone, but sometimes I find it shredded and soaked up in the water bowl, and piled on their food dish.

LOL I am usually surprised when they do anything rat-like. They don't chew their hammocks (and they rarely sleep in them or pee in them, too), don't stash, only a few nibbles even on their cardboard hidey houses, they don't chew the plastic one, they don't poop on their levels... I could go on but these two pretty much mystify me. :lol: I know each rat is different but these two are almost identical in personality, except one is slightly friendlier and less timid. They're so weird. Sometimes I think they need a psychologist. :p
 
ratamataz said:
They don't chew their hammocks (and they rarely sleep in them or pee in them, too), don't stash, only a few nibbles even on their cardboard hidey houses, they don't chew the plastic one, they don't poop on their levels... I could go on but these two pretty much mystify me.
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I'm so jealous of you right now lol
 
I have this problem too, I know the stashing is normal, but I find it wasteful, I wind up throwing away at least a quarter of any food I buy. What can be done to stop the waste?
 
I_Monster said:
I have this problem too, I know the stashing is normal, but I find it wasteful, I wind up throwing away at least a quarter of any food I buy. What can be done to stop the waste?
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I like to make sure that my rats have enough food every day. I find their stash and put it back in the bowl every day. Then I know how much food they have in the cage. If there is still lots, I won't add any new food. I wait until there is not enough food for the day before I add fresh food. (Unless it's spoiled because they peed on it or something!) This is just for their blocks. Any left-over treats, veggies etc are discarded daily.

I think that hoarding food is a very good survival mechanism for rats. This ensures that they have food stashed away to eat. One summer day at lunch I watched a little rat run from underneath my old garage to under the bird feeder, grab a mouthful of food, and run back. She did this the whole time I ate my lunch. It was very entertaining but for her I'm sure it was all business - the business of survival.
 
Just because food gets stashed, that doesn't mean it's garbage (yes, even if it is stashed in the litter box, LOL) So what Joanne said. When you go to refill their bowl, make sure there isn't stashed food first
 

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