For our 23rd foraging Friday I will be reviewing the Nature's Instinct Foragewise Snack Rack. Like most of my rat's cage foraging toys this foraging toy is made for birds, but works just as well for rats. To use this toy you have two options - the first is to just put food on the top and bottom selves, letting the rings hold the treats in place and letting the rats pull them out. The other way to use this toy (and by far the more challenging way for the rats) is to raise bot rings up and slide the second one around so that it locks into place. This forces the rats to either lift the rings and maneuver food out from the small crack between them, or to use it as intended and slide the second ring into place, unlocking it and sending it down, which gives them access to the food inside. You can also make the second version even harder by placing both rings on the bottom so that the rat must unlock it and pull up the ring - I haven't practiced much with this method yet because I prefer having the ring slide down, but its definitely an option and a good way to make the toy even harder.
As for the rats using it mine have taken to it very well. At first I just rested food on each level, allowing the rats to acquaint themselves with it and start to associate reaching inside it with getting food. Next I locked up the rings and started a game of patience - the rats knew food was inside, but they had never had to get it out in quite this way before and so it took them a few tries to figure it out. Eventually they began to unlock it consistently, but before that they figured out that they could maneuver food out from the small crack between the locked ring and the platform holding the food. Doing this isn't easy and so while some of my rats continue to prefer this method it still gives them quite a bit of foraging fun. I've even seen them use this toy continuously for upward of 10 minutes, only getting a treat or two out every few minutes, and so its quite possibly the foraging toy that makes them work for their treats and food the hardest. As for now whenever my rats seem a bit bored I will just fill this toy and hang it in the cage, and whoever is awake will immediately come over and start using it! And when it comes to cleaning and refilling, this toy is really great. Cleaning it is super easy, as the toy is made of acrylic and so can be washed and dried without issue. Refilling it is also easy - all you have to do is place treats on the platform, then twist up the rings to lock them. It only takes a few seconds and provides so much more foraging for the rats, which makes it an ideal cage foraging toy. Overall I really like this foraging toy, and it ranks up there with the foraging wheel and food tumbler for me. I never thought this foraging toy would become such a staple of my rats cage but they enjoy it so much and its so easy to maintain that I haven't seen a need to replace it in quite a while. If you are looking for a challenging yet fun foraging toy for your rats that will really make them think and interact, this is a great toy to use! Link to this foraging toy: https://amzn.to/2WLhyUT Video showcasing this foraging toy:
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AboutHey there! Here you will find tips and tricks on rat care and training, along with information not found elsewhere on this site. If you have questions or suggestions for me, feel free to contact me through the contact page. Archives
October 2021
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