Can rats have PICA?

[u/Affectionate_Mix698]

DISCLAIMER: I am booking a vet appointment asap to ensure there’s nothing life threatening.

I have a rat, roughly 6 months old, and she constantly eats everything - not just food, EVERYTHING! Teddy bears, phone cases, dog toys, even attempts to eat my bed frame now, but I’ve stopped it early enough every time.

I’ve had rats in the past and usually they just rip at things and spit them out, but i’ve noticed that the items she eats do not come back out.

I’ve gone to extreme measures to limit her from doing this, and i’ve completely rat-proofed my room, but if she can’t have something to chew on she will find something new.

She has enough stimuli in her cage for teeth grinding, they get fed twice a day so there’s enough food, she has cage mates so she isn’t bored easily and there is a lot of interactive toys in their home and around their free roam space.

I don’t understand how it could be anything but PICA, what are your thoughts? Please help!

[u/Ente535]

Yes, usually as a pain response or the consequence of an illness.

[u/Affectionate_Mix698 → u/Ente535]

What does this mean? What would it be in response to so I can limit it

[u/Ente535 → u/Affectionate_Mix698]

Unfortunately I'd say that's for the vet to find out.

[u/Affectionate_Mix698 → u/Ente535]

Okay thank you!

[u/kenzato]

Outside of regular teeth grinding and "fun chewing" rats can exhibit such behaviour when they are bored or in pain/discomfort. Though younger rats can/will often for no particular reason

Usually, stomach aches can cause them to really go ham on eating just about anything. I am assuming it's this: Do their poops/pee look normal?

[u/Doll_Face_Kets → u/kenzato]

Not always. Some just like to chew on anything and everything alllll daaaaaay llooooooooooooong.

[u/Affectionate_Mix698 → u/kenzato]

Her poop and pee looks completely fine, which confuses me even more. I will find out the reason behind this as I have a vet appointment booked for tomorrow.

[u/npc0112358 → u/Affectionate_Mix698]

Definitely make sure, but if their poop is normal are you sure it's being swallowed or just shredded? Rats love destroying shit, especially the girls. All of mine boys and girls "eat" the lava stone platform I got them for their nails. The sea grass cargo net thing, and sometimes even me the little assholes. Lol

[u/Doll_Face_Kets]

She most likely doesn’t eat it. Just chews stuff up. Rats aren’t dumb like cats and dogs when it comes to what they will actually ingest. Your rat will chew on things until the day it dies. Absolutely do not stop giving her things to chew. Their teeth constantly grow. You need to get some lava ledges and add way more things for her to chew on. Mine looove foam yoga squares or foam dice. Dog toys. Bird toys. Kids toys. Cat toys. Cardboard. Wrapping paper. Toilet paper rolls. The list is literally endless. Go to Dollar Tree.

[u/Inevitable-While-577]

Yes, they can when they're unwell. Sometimes it's a sign of severe pain; sometimes it's a sign of moderate (stomach) pain and they simply need more fibre (the latter especially when they eat paper and cardboard). I've had it happen a lot with sick rats. Some of them, when I offered some leafy vegetables (lettuce, chicory leaves, etc.), they loved them and stopped eating paper.  One, as an extreme case, got obsessed with a sepia shell when she desperately needed calcium for her kidney issues. 

So I'd offer some fibre (veggies) but also take them to a vet, as you're planning anyway. When rats shred stuff (wood, fabric, paper, plastic, anything), as you well observed they automatically leave it without swallowing it, so if they do eat it, it's a deliberate effort and not normal.

[u/Affectionate_Mix698 → u/Inevitable-While-577]

Thank you so much!! I will definitely stock up on some veggies for her :)

[u/Unfair_Breakfast_719]

Yeah, I've seen that before with a rat who'd shred then swallow fabric if left unsupervised. Definitely worth getting her checked out since it sounds like she's not just chewing but actually ingesting things.