Digging and foraging games for rats: engaging their sense of smell
In the wild, a rat spends a considerable share of its waking hours digging, burrowing, and locating food by smell rather than finding it already sitting in a bowl. Denying a pet rat this activity removes an entire chunk of its natural behavioural repertoire. Our enrichment ideas are gathered in the rodent toys and enrichment section.
What the research on rats' natural behaviour shows
A study by Makowska and Weary, published in 2016 in the journal Royal Society Open Science on the importance of burrowing, climbing, and standing upright for laboratory rats, found that these animals stay strongly motivated to perform these behaviours even when all their basic physiological needs are already met (study on Google Scholar). This result confirms that foraging is not a mere optional pastime but a genuine behavioural need, distinct from the need to eat itself.
A simple digging box
A box filled with a safe substrate (shredded untreated paper, sterilised garden soil, or wood shavings) into which a few seeds or pellets are scattered recreates this search activity. It follows much the same principle as what we cover for the hamster digging box, adapted here to a rat's size and sociability, since rats readily explore this kind of box together.
Vary hiding spots and textures
Hiding food inside cardboard tubes, under fabric, or in multi-compartment boxes forces a rat to rely on smell rather than sight, a mental exercise that noticeably extends the time spent eating. Rotating the locations stops the animal from simply memorising a routine instead of genuinely searching.
An activity to combine, not isolate
Scent-driven foraging usefully complements other forms of stimulation rather than replacing them; our article on overall pet rat enrichment covers how to spread chew toys, climbing structures, and foraging activities across the week.
Frequently asked questions
Should a digging box be offered every day?
Ideally yes, even for a few minutes, since it is the regularity of the activity that keeps a rat interested, far more than its duration.
What substrate should be avoided entirely?
Scented litter or untreated softwood shavings should stay off the list, along with any material that is not safely edible in case of nibbling.
Does an older rat still benefit from this kind of game?
Yes, simply by adjusting the difficulty and depth of the box to its reduced mobility. Browse all our guides on the rodent hub.
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Rodents universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.