Like people, rats are omnivores. They fare best on fresh wholesome foods: wholegrain (brown) rice, vegetables, grains (wheat, barley, oats, millet), wholemeal bread, etc. and some animal protein. High protein puppy food is useful as a supplement to help build up young rats (up to 10-12 weeks), and normal to low protein dry dog food is a good component of a healthy diet. Ideally, an adult rat should be fed some whole-grains, some vegetables, and some protein (lean meat scraps, dog food or mealworms) every day. This can be supplemented with a bowl of 'rodent mix' as a snack food.
Debbie Ducommun of the Rat Fan Club has devised an excellent recipe for rat health food that appears to boost immune reaction and general health, see the Rat Fan Club (below) for details. Debbie is a vegetarian herself, but she found it impossible to formulate a vegetarian diet for rats which would fulfil all of their nutritional requirements. If you want your rats to thrive, they should have small amounts of animal protein. The simplest way of providing this is via a few dog biscuits.
While such home-made nutritionally complete diets are ideal and are strongly recommended, it is also possible to give your rat a well-balanced diet using pet-shop mixes as a base. There are several specialty rat foods on the market, but the only one that the authors know has been fully researched from a nutritional point of view is Burgess Supa-Rat. Most rats will eat all of this food, which makes it nutritionally complete for the average rat. However nursing mothers and kittens will still need supplements to add protein and extra calories to their diet. Reggie Rat made by Supreme Pet Foods also claims to be specially formulated with the nutritional needs of rats in mind. In theory it is a complete food, but a) we have yet to meet the rat which will eat all of the mix, particularly the pellets, and the diet cannot be 'complete' if rats only eat part of it, and b)your rats will always appreciate healthy fresh snacks as treats. As it is quite high in fat and protein, restrict amounts of Reggie Rat for rats which put on weight easily. A less rich option is a good quality rabbit food like Burgess Supa Rabbit or Burgess Supa Natural (no pellets), supplemented with fresh vegetables, some animal protein (mealworms, lean meat or dog biscuit), and the odd cooked meat bone (chicken bones are fine -- the rats just crunch them up) or natural yoghurt to provide extra calcium. This is what the authors' use. A ';complete rat food'; in the form of extruded pellets is has been released by Burgess but the authors have not reviewed this product. See below for more on ';all-in-one'; foods.
If you feed a grain mix, like Reggie Rat or rabbit mix, give just a small amount at a time. Most rats will pick out their favourite pieces first, but they will not get a balanced diet if they only eat their favourite part of the mix. Do not give any more food until all of the first lot has been eaten, except for the empty grain husks, and the pellets. These pellets are made of alfalfa, and they mainly add bulk to the diet. Most rats would rather starve than eat them; don't worry, as they are not essential. It is better for rats to get their fibre from fresh fruit or veg anyway. We would not feed 'mono-diets' such as complete blocks of rodent food as a sole food. Such diets are boring, depriving rats of the fun of rummaging through their food and eating the tastiest bits first. However ';complete foods'; in the form of extruded pellets guarantee that rats are getting all of their vital nutrients, and as such can be an important part of a healthy mixed diet - e.g. mix a quality grain mixture and extruded pellets in a 50/50 ratio for the dry element of your rats' diet.
The following foods can be used as treats/supplements to the regular diet: fruit (apples, cherries, grapes, banana etc.), vegetables (broccoli, potatoes, peas, carrot etc.), cooked liver, kidney, or other low-fat meat, cooked bones, cooked pulses (cooked Soya protein may reduce the risk of cancer), live yoghurt, sunflower seeds (an exceptional source of B vitamins), wholemeal pasta and bread, brown rice, unsweetened breakfast cereals, and the occasional capsule of cod-liver or garlic oil. Table scraps will be eaten with relish, but try to avoid feeding fatty or sugary scraps. Carbonated drinks should never be given to rats as they cannot burp, and the build-up of gasses in the stomach from fizzy drinks could be fatal. Bear in mind that dietary fat has been linked to tumours in rats, and keep fatty foods like peanuts and sunflower seeds as treats. Moderation is advised in all things - the diet should not be made up of just one main ingredient. For example, some people worry that too much maize (sweetcorn, or just 'corn' in the USA) could be harmful, although small amounts are enjoyed.
Fresh water should be available at all times, preferably in a gravity (ball-valve) bottle which will keep the water clean. WatWhat can my pet rats eat?
Seed mix from the pet store: wheat, sunflower seeds, cracked corn, soybean meal, wheat, oat, milo.
Rats need regular fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as occasional meat.
Do not feed your pet rat sticky foods like peanut butter, candy, chocolate, or caramels. Also fried foods, salted foods, blue chees or potato skin are bad for your pet.
I only put about 1/2 c. for my 2 girls and they aren't fat. My girls weigh about a little over a pound each. I vary their food by giving them yogis, veggies, fruits, bits of cooked meat and egg and they aren't fat. I just buy the gourmet kind and don't overfeed them. They sound bored to me and like people some ratties are just heavier than others. I am not sure what you would call fat. I had abig squishy, cuddly boy once who weighed a pound and a half. But he was big and the vet never called him fat.
i have 23 rats and they can eat anything but chocolate, pop, ice berg luttuce, and they can have cheese but not alot and they cant have peanut butter cause they dont make enough saliva to break itr down so they will choke on it but other than that they can eat almost anything
I give mine gerbil food and cat food and some table scraps. I hade 5 rats and I thought I was giving them a treat by giving them oranges...but sadly the next day, three of them died...so DONT give them oranges!
I think the things you covered through the post are quiet impressive
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