Funny rat behavior - Why does he do this?

[Case]

Hi all. I have two boys, and I want to ask about a funny habit that one of them has.
I got them from a breeder not long before Christmas. Their names are Tommy and Pete.
Tommy has a habit of taking food and putting it in the bowl in their cage where their lab blocks are.
Here's what got me wondering about this:
They have lab blocks in their cage, which they munch on during the day while I'm at work. When I get home, I let them out of their cage (which is on the coffee table right in front of the couch) and they jump over to the couch to play and socialize. They usually stay out until I go to bed. Each day when I come home, I put a little plate of fresh food on the couch for them. It will usually have stuff like some lettuce, carrot, apple, strawberry, celery, radish etc. I try to change it up often so it's always different, but it's always a mix of things like that.
Pete will sit there and eat the bits he likes. But Tommy, on the other hand, when I put the dish out, immediately goes to work. He stuff as much food as he can into his mouth, runs down the couch, jumps over to his cage and puts the food in the food dish in there with the lab blocks. The he runs out and gets another mouthful. And again and again. Sometimes he will take a break and eat a piece before continuing to move the food. Sometimes after he puts food in the dish, he covers it up with some bedding material. When most of the food is gone, he will stop doing it and sit at the dish and eat the rest with Pete. It's really cute to watch him running back and forth, hard at work.
The next day, though, the stashed food is always all gone.
I find this really amusing. I really really wonder what is going through his little head.
Do you think that he is thinking ahead, and knows that when I put them to bed they will be in the cage with nothing but lab blocks, so he's saving the food for later? I know that they are very intelligent, but do rats have the ability to think ahead and make a plan?  

What do you guys think? Have any of your rats done stuff like this?

Thanks!

Case

[LifeInCircuit]

I'm pretty sure they can think ahead. most likely he is just hoarding it away from the other ratties(his cagemate, you, and whomever else is involved) if he is covering it up sometimes. I'm sure that if you don't put the dish of food into their cage with them, then he will learn to grab as much as he can while it's available. so, either way. they are very capable of learning.

[Ensie]

I know that they are very intelligent, but do rats have the ability to think ahead and make a plan?  

I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised. Conniving little monsters. But ya gotta love 'em for it.

Have any of your rats done stuff like this?

Picture this: Mocha (my chocolate hooded dumbo rex) stashes food tidbits in her purple clubhouse on top of my desk. While Mocha is occupied with going back and forth from the food plate to her clubhouse, Smores (my Himalayan) is busy stealing from Mocha's pile and moving the goodies into her stash inside the cage. So I get two rats going back and forth stealing from each other, neither one realizing that they're really not getting anywhere.

Meanwhile, little Bo just sits and eats.

This food stashing is entirely normal, by the way. I would get concerned if my rats DIDN'T want to rathole the food they love.

[angelratgirl]

i have always had a rat who has apparently been designated the "pantry rat."  she is in charge of putting the food in storage so to speak so that others can come and get a snack from the private stash any time they want.  i've even had one that would take the food away from others while they were eating it so that ALL the food would be in one spot.  only after this job is done satisfactorily will the chosen rat eat.  and the job is for life. they don't take turns.

[stripedrats]

I know that they are very intelligent, but do rats have the ability to think ahead and make a plan?  

Of COURSE they can think ahead!! Don't you know they're all plotting to take over the world?? Geez, how obvious is that??  :huh:

 

[jeannerat]

Yes, many rats store food "for a rainy day," just like squirrels do.  Some of my rats do it more than others.  It's a strong instinct I believe.  The "squirrel rats" can't really believe that I'll be bringing more food for them tomorrow!

[Wolfchan]

LoL, I love watching them stash stuff...Chloe has her spot, but she doesn't keep it well-guarded, so Zylle raids it.  She keeps her spot well-gurarded....until something moves outside of the cage.  While she's checking it out, the babies sit in her stash and eat all the food!

[scout]

Not only is he planning ahead, he keeps wondering why you haven't filled his request for a tiny, rat sized refrigerator to keep his salad fresh! That's why he's having to resort to covering it up with his bedding.