Do rats have to constantly eat?

Do rats eat only when they're hungry, or will they just graze constantly? My girls get their main meal around 12 AM, but they get an afternoon snack as well. They just always seem like bottomless pits. They eat all their food, and then they look for more. I feed oxbow as their main meal an each rat gets about 12-15 pieces at 12 AM and maybe 5 pieces during the midday snack or a small salad or some fresh fruits/veggies. Are they really that hungry all the time? Or are they just eating for the fun of it?

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Mine graze all day. I usually fill their food bowl up daily, and get veggies., they get fruit weekly.I go through a bag of adult oxbow once a month and have 5 boys. Mine arent really stashers either. And they are youngish still. It will be interesting to see how others feed as well.

I keep the bowl of Oxbow full all the time. My girls only eat when hungry or bored perhaps. Though frequently while free ranging they will pop back to the cage for a bite and a drink

Both my cages have two bowls. When the other two of my girls are back into the big cage I'll add three, six growing girls eat a LOT! I wont put mine on a scheduled feeding time, partly because I'm crap with time and the other part because I've never had any animal I've owned on a scheduled. I'm afraid if I did they'd all lose weight, and they're all healthy. Lilly's also getting on in years, I don't want her to loose weight and get sick from it.

The number one rule of pretty much every issue regarding rats applies here. "It depends on the rat."

Rats have natural eating patterns that mimic our own a good bit. Most rats will not limit their eating to JUST when they are hungry. Especially if they enjoy a certain food, they can and do over-indulge just as most humans do. They derive a good bit of happiness from their food and is one of the many cons to blocks. Depressed rats will also consume more than happy rats as a generalization.

Domestic rats are grazers and will eat on and off throughout the day. Wild rats go without food for much longer periods of time and aren't guaranteed their next meal, so they tend to take more advantage when they do come across it. This is also where the hoarding instinct comes from. They bring the food back to the nest for their family to graze on.

So, the short answer for you is that your rats aren't starving. They just really like to eat.

I've noticed my two younger, active ones eat a ton compared to the older ones.... I recently had them separated , and realized that the two younger ones eat nearly double!!!! I'd say give them more food... If they gain weight, cut back again, but they may just be very active and need extra fuel both my young ones are slim/fit!

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I offer large meals twice a day. In the morning around 7, I give them lab blocks. They're not partial to these and usually eat slowly. The rats go to bed around 8a, and don't wake until about 1p only to sleep again at 4pm - by then, they've ate their food. When they wake up around 7pm, they get a handful of a rat mix from Caged, which evaporates. They're given some lab blocks around 10p when I go to bed which usually are still some around by morning.

Things that factor in, like Caged mentioned are food type. You also hve to look at your rat. Some are neurotic and cannot handle a food bowl left full. It's entirely unnatural. Then there is the times your rats are active. Mine are fine on their periodic schedule which is somewhat natural because I have class and work and am in and out throughout the day. I also like to slightly fast my rats at least once at night for a couple hours. Rats don't normally have constant access to food.

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My boys will eat everything and anything immediately. They do not stash for later or leave food in the bowl. The second I fill it, everyone is on top of it stuffing their cheeks. There is no way I would ever leave a full bowl available, or I would have little blimps in no time. They get a touch over a tablespoon of dry blocks/mix each a day and their fresh every night after free-range (the amount of this varies). Instead of looking to see if they are acting hungry, just keep an eye on their weight. As long as they are holding a good weight, I would not increase the amount of food. Your girls could probably get by with more food because females tend to be more active, but I would not worry that you are starving them.