Two Month Old Rat Eats Poop

Question
QUESTION: Hello, I adopted a brother pair of baby rats a month ago. They are both eating well and are growing up nicely. I just recently noticed that one is a bit slimmer than the other. I try to give him more of the treats and offer a bit more food but the bigger one steals his food. I tried to feed them separately, but he is still a bit nervous and ignores the food. I also began to notice that he is eating his poop. I read that they do that because they are trying to reabsorb minerals that they missed the first time. I don't stop him when he does it because I know it's not hurting him. I also read that I should give him a multivitamin for small animals but I don't know anything about that. Could you help with info on this (the poop eating, his thinness, and the vitamins)?
Thank You!

ANSWER: First, congratulations to you for adopting your brand new rats!  To address your question about food, first let me ask if you are offering a bowl of healthy dried food in your rats' cage so the food is there at all times?  Rats metabolic rate is extremely fast and so they are eating what seems like constantly.  If the bowl is always there, you should trust that your rats will eat what they need and when they need it.  Is the thinner rat more active than the other one?  Or perhaps it is just genetics!  I had 2 female rats who were sisters from the same litter, but one was sleek and slim while the other a tub of lard.  The fat one just like to eat more!  You can't put a rat on a diet by taking away their dry healthy food bowl, but you can control that what is in it is healthy and non-fattening (avoid any kind of nuts, corn and such in the dry mix, in fact it is easy and cheap to just make your own using bulk natural items from your local farmers market.  Don't try to fatten up the skinny one...let him eat what he needs on his own.  Giving him extra fatty treats will make him unhealthy.

As far as poop-eating, what you read is correct, that eating fecal pellets is a nutritional requirement of rats and other rodents.

Multivitamins are not necessary, again, as long as you're feeding a dry healthy food mix, as well as lots of daily fresh fruits and veggies.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: As these are my first pet rats, i did a lot of research before i got them and still even now to make sure they get a good long life with me. I offer them Harlen Teklad 8604 all day, treats such as baby food and cheerios during the day, and another bowl of fruits, veggies, and veggie pasta spirals for dinner. I never would've thought that he would be thinner because he is more active. That is probably the answer to him being slim. And like yours, the other eats more and sleeps more. I've tried looking up a mix i can make myself, but the ingredients sound weird. If there is a kind of simple one or easy to make, I would love to try it. I don't want them getting bored of their food.

Also, on another subject, how do I make them comfortable being outside the cage? I know I've only had them a month so i understand them being nervous, but i don't really know how to boost their confidence. I won't expect results right away, but i will work with them. Sometimes, the fatter one will take treats from me when he is out, but the other one won't even sniff them. They both rather be all over me than out exploring. The bigger one has never let out fear poops but he is still very nervous. The thinner one, on the other hand, will always poop everywhere while being out. I try taking them out to the same place everyday hoping they will get use to it, but it's the same everyday, hardly no exploring and a big mess.

Answer

Rat World   It's great that your rats eat the lab blocks (some rats won't) and that you supplement that diet with fresh food.  Just remember that when they reach adulthood (at 6 months), you should swich to Harlan Teklad formula #2014.  

Making your own dry rat mix is so ridiculously easy and SO much less expensive than buying packaged rat mix from pet stores (plus, those mixes are usually high in fat and carbs which is very unhealthy for rats).  I've researched the internet extensively for home made mixes and there are so many out there.  I've read through a lot of them and put together one of my own that is both healthy, easy, and has simple ingredients that are easy to find.  I buy almost all the ingredients at my local farmer's market, which sell them in bulk.  I buy enough of each ingredient to last a couple of months.  I mix them all together in a large air-tight container and just fill their bowl from that when it gets low.

Here is a great diet that I found that I have only slightly modifed for my rats:
- rolled oats
- puffed rice
- puffed wheat
- Total cereal
- Orangic puffed Kamut cereal
- Kashi 7 grain cereal
- Cheerios (original) cereal
- Kashi cereal
- 1 lb box of whole grain rotini pasta
- 1 box low fat granola
- small amounts of unsalted, unroasted sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts.
- dried peas
- dried fruits including cranberries, strawberries, banana, apples, etc.
(The first 6 ingredients above should be mixed with approximately equal amounts of each)

Also, check out this web site for more rat mix ideas and based on what you learn, you may even come up with your very own, and your rats will LOVE every single ingredient!!
Click on this link to the site --> http://www.sandyscrittercity.com/ratsandahealthydiet.htm
There is a ton of great information not just about diet on it.

As for your other question about helping them get over their fear, it sounds like you are doing the right things and that your rats are just more on the timid side.  I recommend that you continue to work with them patiently and hopefully they will open up socially once they are a bit older (they are only 2 months old so their personalities will continue to keep forming).  Have you thought of buying a playpen made for rats?  Remember that the bars need to be very close together or the rats will squeeze through them, and it needs to be at least 2 feet high so they won't jump over.  Then place their cage in the middle of the playpen, open the cage door, and stand back and watch to see if they come out of the cage to explore.  I will also share with you the setup I use for my own rats...I keep their cage on top of 2 small folding tables that are placed end to end.  So the tables together measure 8 feet long x 18 inches deep.  I place the cage on the table and leave their cage door open 24x7.  I place lots of toys, tunnels, a wheel, a hidey-house, etc. the tables for them....it's like a playground for them outside of the cage.  I have attached a photo of this setup.  My rats love it and they can come and go from their cage as they please.  Since I took the photo, I have created a 2-inch tall border made from plexiglass and duct-taped it all around the edges of the tables so that none of the toys (or the rats!) fall off the table.  Mine have lived in this mini neighborhood for over 2 years now and there has never been a problem.  They have even learned to only go back into their cage to poop and not all over the table.  Take a look at the pic and see what you think.  Maybe having this kind of environment would help your rats overcome their fears and little by little start coming out to explore their world.  See this way, they are not forced out to come play but are given the option of coming and going as they please.

Have fun making their diet and being creative with a play area for your little ones!  I'd love to hear what you come up with and keep me posted on your progress.