[Hagguu]

So Iggy is turning into a chunk. Like, borderline to the point of 'yeah, that's quite a fat rat'...

Now I'm not overfeeding or feeding too many treats (they have their bowl filled twice a day with their ratration mixes, spinach, blueberries and vitamin powder and get no more than 4 actual treats each a day) and they all have 90 - 120 mins out free ranging every day. My other two boys are trim and healthy, and I've even lengthened their free range time, set up obstacles and laid around things to climb and play with because I am desperate for him to lose some weight but I actually don't know what the issue is.

Now, Iggy is a very slow rat. He doesn't dart around like my other boys, he literally plods along for 2 hours. Is there anything I can do to help some weight change? Or is this literally just a case of personality? Any advice would be awesome, as I just want my baba to be healthy....thanks!

 

[Hagguu]

Oh, and had them all for a check up after new year, he is fine and healthy, but even my vet advised that he looks like he's getting a little porky xD

 

[Phantom]

Lol. I have a super big fat ratty as well. His name is Toast. Everyone who comes over to visit always says he's gotten fatter since the last time they saw him. To help out with his constant weight gain there are a few things that I did. The first was I took out a few ramps. Now he has to climb more to get to places. The food is always at the top. So if he wants to eat he has to climb up to the very top shelf. I also try to play wrestle with him a bit during free range time. I make toys that he's interested in chasing, such as a feather on a string or a folded paper on a string. I make him work for his treats by teaching him tricks, and I give him smaller treats then the rest of my ratties. I even had a feeding schedule for my ratties at some point. It was a twice a day feeding schedule and they had to work for their food. I put there food in a foraging wheel and they had to figure otu how to get it out. He did not really lose weight, but he did become more active and willing to do things. Sometimes I'll force him out of the cage and just set him in my lap until he's active enough to want to play.

Here's a link to the foraging wheel I have:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=5059+5950+18954&pcatid=18954