Rats Fishing For Peas

Squeak! Fishing For Peas: "Because we'd tried a couple of different water containers and didn't have one that seemed to fit the needs of the rats, we bought a paint roller pan. This provides a shallow end with ridges that their little paws can grip, so the more fearful ratties can enter the water with more confidence.

After thoroughly cleaning the tray, we fill it with lukewarm water and place it in the middle of the floor. We sprinkle some thawed frozen peas into the water to entice the rats.

Trixie goes wadingEach group of our rats approaches the swimming pool in a different way. The girl rats mainly just jump in and go straight for the peas. It's funny to watch, because they can't actually see the peas properly if they're under the surface of the water. So they grope about with their paws until they find one. Some of them also dunk their heads under the water to grab the peas in their mouths. Usually they come out of the water to eat the peas, but not always. The boy rats tend to not like getting their faces wet, and mainly fish around with their hands. Sometimes they wait until one of us takes mercy on them and finds a pea for them."

The Boy rats "oh I dont want to get my hair wet"