One of my rats won't eat?

[CJBailey]

Hey, hoping someone could provide insight and advice here...

I have two rats that are not yet being housed together- my littlest boy Rolex (about a month and a half old) is a little piggie and loves to eat lettuce and carrots and sometimes treats, however my other boy Armani hasn't eaten anything since I brought him home two days ago. He's losing energy and is very hot, I'm really worried about him. I've been trying to feed him with my hands in case he couldn't find the food bowl, I've been replacing the food in the bowl 2-3 times daily to make sure everything is fresh. I've tried different foods, and I've tried giving him treats...

I really don't know what to do but I'm very concerned for Armani and I really need to find out how to get him to eat. Thanks for any and all help!

 

[Velo]

They also have a rat block available to them at all times too, correct?

He won't take any food from you at all? Have you tried something soft, like avocado or banana or baby food?
It's a huge red flag if a rat won't eat and it is very very bad. Rats have incredibly fast metabolisms and should be eating multiple times a day. You really need to get to a vet, it is an emergency if he has not eaten in this long.

 

[jorats]

Like Velo mentions, they need a rat block formulated for rats. If you don't have anything on hand right now, give him cereal. This is not ideal but it will do for now.
Some young rats don't try foods readily.
How old is Armani? If he's the same age as Rolex, you could just put them together. Rolex will be a good role model for Armani.

 

[CJBailey]

I was feeding them a mix of corn, sunflower seeds, and veggies. I don't have immediate access to a pet store in the area until about 6pm tonight as I don't have a car, I share one with my sister, but thats when I will go to get a rat block.. I had never heard of them until just now.

I just sat with him for about 30 minutes, and all he ate was one treat, a piece of corn and the inside of a sunflower seed. I guess he isn't not eating, he's just eating very little- not enough to make a dent when I changed out his bowl. I noticed that after he picked up a piece of food he would run and hide in his igloo to eat it. I'm wondering if maybe he was picked on in the litter, and this is affecting his eating habits now?

Should I be trying to feed him foods high in proteins or anything to get his energy and strength back up until I am able to get to the pet store tonight?

Also, Armani is about a month older than Rolex.

 

[Petunia]

it's very common for rats to run off and hide to eat, it doesn't mean they were picked on (it doesn't mean they weren't, but all of my rats like to go to separate corners to eat, and will often turn their back to you when they eat, it's just what they do to protect their food lol)

they will only eat small amounts at a time but eat fairly often.

look for Regal Rat Essentials rat food, or Harlan Teklad, er, I'm not sure what that is called when they sell it in the pet store, Native Earth or something like that?

 

[Velo]

I was feeding them a mix of corn, sunflower seeds, and veggies. I don't have immediate access to a pet store in the area until about 6pm tonight as I don't have a car, I share one with my sister, but thats when I will go to get a rat block.. I had never heard of them until just now.

I just sat with him for about 30 minutes, and all he ate was one treat, a piece of corn and the inside of a sunflower seed. I guess he isn't not eating, he's just eating very little- not enough to make a dent when I changed out his bowl. I noticed that after he picked up a piece of food he would run and hide in his igloo to eat it. I'm wondering if maybe he was picked on in the litter, and this is affecting his eating habits now?

Should I be trying to feed him foods high in proteins or anything to get his energy and strength back up until I am able to get to the pet store tonight?

Also, Armani is about a month older than Rolex.

Okay if he's actually eating something it's not an emergency then. I was under the impression he hadn't eaten anything at all.

80% of a rat's diet should be a "block". It's kind of like dog or cat kibble. Petunia already mentioned the best brands. Availability may differ depending on where you are. If you have to get a less healthy block because your store doesn't carry the ones Petunia mentioned, you should be able to order one of the good ones online.

Either way, be sure to get a block tonight. If they have absolutely no rat or hamster (Living World Extrusion Diet for Hamsters) block foods there then you can get dog food for now (temporary until you get a good rat block!) Get the one with the lowest protein. Do not buy a "rat food" that is a mix of seeds. Hopefully they will have Oxbow, Harlan Teklad or Native Earth though.

Are you feeding them dried corn? If so, that's not very healthy for them at all. Also sunflower seeds are fattening and should be a treat. For now since you don't have a block you should feed them grains, like a healthy cereal (as jorats said).

You don't want to aim for high in protein. If he seems very lethargic to you, try something like I mentioned before - banana, avocado, baby food, baby cereal. Or just cereal or grains (cooked rice, cooked or uncooked pasta).

Also, rats "run a little hotter" than humans. So it might not be weird if he feels warm to you. (Normal body temperature is about 37.5 - 38 degrees centigrade).

 

[SterlingRats0408]

I found many new rats aren't interested in publicly eating and even now wont eat much sitting on the couch with me.
Even my 3 most outgoing boys will crawl under something or turn their back to eat.
Ask your local pet store if you can custom order and what they havr available. Most have access to Oxbow Regal Rat block.
I have found good luck with some fresh mushed peas, they are easy to eat, sweet and I haven't met a critter yet who turns down peas. I just use frozen peas, thawed in warm water and mashed with a fork.
Otherwise he might just be a light snacker and a shy eater.

 

[Joanne]

My latest guy Toby is a scared and worried rat. He seems to eat barely anything compared to the rest of my rats. It took him a while to accept a treat from my hand. I wanted to introduce him to the other rats as soon as possible so he could learn from them to trust me and to gain confidence. He is doing better now, but still not a garborater compared to the rest. Armani would probably do better if he was in with Rolex.

 

[Aida]

Poor baby!
If you live in the US, Petsmart now carried Oxbow Regal Rat in 3lb bags. If not, you can get it online many places. I also recommend a great quality food.

For now, if he is looking very weak to you, I would offer a little bit of some nutritional drink like Ensure. It's sweet and delicious, so he should drink it unless something really is wrong.