[ratjes]

Yesterday I gave my two rats some leftover spaghettie with alfredo sauce and some bacon bits in it. They absolutely loved it. It looked like they had over eaten as I could pick up one and lay her on her back in my hands without her moving around. Normally she would never do that; too busy. Later in the evening she became more active.
Do they over eat? They are 18 + months old and in good health.

 

[emmabooboo]

In my limited experience with rats (the 2 I have now and the few class pets I used to take home as a kid...so very limited), they will eat anything you give them that they like until it's gone. My two do NOT hold back, and will absolutely gorge themselves on anything but their lab blocks, so I make sure to limit how much gets put in their cage at a time.

 

[stephaniechung]

I think they can. Keep in mind, they're natural scavengers so they get what they can. If they really want it, they'll either eat it right then and there or they'll try to hide it. Seeing the nature of the food you gave them, they probably tried to get as much as they can before it was gone.

 

[Kiko]

Yes rats DO overeat. In the wild, you eat what you get and you can't be picky since it's a tough life out there, so something as rich as Alfredo sauce and pasta is super decadent to them.

I had to put 2 rats to sleep on the day after thanksgiving, and even though I gave almost no thanksgiving food to the other rats, they got their own plates and the ate .every. last. bite. and it was not a tiny amount probably half a cup of leftovers!

Overeating causes obvious issues such as obesity, but that in turn has effects like being more likely to get cancer, bumble foot, increases the severity of HED...

It's fine to give rats some human food, just not TO much. Maybe next time you have some pasta, give them eat a noodle with some sauce and not any more

 

[ratjes]

Thanks! No I won't let them get over weight. It was a good lesson. It's back to veggies and HT blocks for a few days.