Should rats eat kiwifruit (and other acidic food)?

[Colleen]

I once made the mistake of giving my rats a little bit of chocolate muffin... bigg mistake.
They wet nuts, and tried everything to get some more... addicted to the sweet chocolate taste, just like me. lol

[wulfyskingdom]

Jul 16, 2008 20:51:22 GMT 10 @koubee said:

my mother in law has made me some stewed apple and rhubarb(?).

Is this safe for ratties?

Hi, just following up on this question, i finally found an answer:

Its' not safe for rats
rhubarb - high levels of oxalates which bind up calcium
Found at www.petratscanada.com/forbidden_foods.htm and i also just noticed its in the Food section in the Members part of this forum too *slaps forehead*

[wulfyskingdom]

Jul 17, 2008 13:29:45 GMT 10 clem said:

Another strange thing that my girls like to steal is leaves off our Vietnamese Mint plant. They have only had tiny tastes and I've moved it into a safer place because I'm totally lost as to whether or not it will be bad for them (I suspect it's safe, but who knows)...

Again, following up on an old thread i saw an answer (well maybe not a direct answer but extra info)....

Clem, i cant see your plant in this list, but perhaps its a good reference to other plants too:

www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=18&cat=1804&articleid=1616

[kaligneyrats]

I just read the part about not giving rats oranges because it can cause cancer in males... I was recently told that it's ok to give them oranges as long as there is no skin/peel attached to the flesh (inner pulp), as it is the orange peel itself that has the cancer causing chemical... just thought I'd mention it before I stop feeding my boys their favourite food lol

[wulfyskingdom]

I've heard that too, I think its just personal choice... Some will becareful to feed them the safe parts of oranges, some will only feed female rats oranges, others wont feed oranges to any rats, and some will avoid citrus all together.

[Kim]

As you said Kaligney its a chemical in the white pith and rind oil part of the orange that is the problem.

The thing is you need to make sure you dont get any orange pith or oil from the rind on what you give your rats as even a little can affect the males after a while.

But that chemical is also in other citrus fruit as well I believe.

Which is why many rat owners prefer to not give their males orange in any forum.

Of course like Wulfy said, its a personal choice with oranges and citrus fruit in general, as to what you do give and dont give.

Going from my experiences I always recommend to people to not give orange or citrus to any rat in any form.

In the last 10 years alone I havent had any cancer or tumours in my rat lines because I steer clear of anything that even might cause cancer in rats.

[kaligneyrats]

Thanks for that. They usually get the bits and pieces of the flesh that I don't eat. I can't stand the white pith myself, so I peel it off.
It's good to know that my boys can still have a little bit as a treat every now and then without it affecting them.

[wulfyskingdom]

I have some mangoes here, I've never given my rats mangoes before - does anyone know if it's safe?

Is it possible to move or copy this thread into the rat food section? I found myself looking for it a few times and i can never remember where it was lol

[clem]

I've given my girls some tiny mango pieces. Went down a treat and no apparent ill effects.

[wulfyskingdom]

Thanks Clem.

I'm assuming they're ok to eat, but i wasnt sure if they might have any hidden suprises like how orange rind can cause cancer in male rats etc. I'm guessing mangos taste too good for people to share them with their rats lol

[silver]

My rats loooooooooooove kiwi fruit. I've never tried giving them mango though. We have a mango tree out back but the bats always eat the fruit before we get a chance =( .

[sarah]

Jul 16, 2008 18:39:56 GMT 10 Leeann said:

If you want to feed a leafy vegetable, try and source Kale.
This vegie is higher in calcium than any other leafy veggie.
Ask at your green grocers, as some do sell it, but it is usually out the back, not on display.

Kale can be given fresh/raw, which is the best way, but can also be cooked, like you would spinich, but remember that you lose some of the nutritional value when cooked.
Kale can also be frozen, put smaller quantities in freezer bags, I try and remove as much air from the bag before freezing as this helps it keep.
After thawing you need to use it up pretty quick, as it will go yuk.
I usually give a bit of it raw to the guys, then use up the rest in some recipe or another.

Definitely good advice. Unfortunately Kale is very hard to find here - I found this on Cooks Thesaurus. Giving some alternatives to Kale:

kale = borecole = cow cabbage = kail Pronunciation: KAYL Notes: Kale is a kind of cabbage with dark green, wrinkled leaves. It's prized more for its hardiness than its flavor or delicacy, but it continues to be popular in the South, where it's often cooked as a side dish. Remove and discard the tough center stalks before cooking. Varieties include curly kale, dinosaur kale = black cabbage = lacinato kale, and the popular Red Russian kale = ragged jack kale. Substitutes: collard greens (smooth leaves) OR rapini OR Swiss chard (This cooks more quickly than kale.) OR flowering kale OR cabbage OR napa cabbage OR kohlrabi leaves OR mustard greens OR spinach (in casseroles and souffles)

Interesting huh? It's a US site, but one ingredient mentioned is Swiss Chard, also known as Silverbeet.

Are all these greens okay for our ratties too? Raw or cooked? Just curious for some input.

Sar

[wulfyskingdom]

Just wondering if anyone's given their rats celery? I see it's on the safe list earlier in this thread, but i've never given it to them because i dont like it so we never used to have it in the fridge. I find the taste of it quite strong, so i'm wondering whether rats will eat it with much enthusiasm, or even like it?

Also do you give them the lower stalk or the leavy top?

[Kim]

I've given my rats celery and most of them seem to love it..

Now and then I buy mixed bags of fresh veggie soup mix and it has, celery in it...

I've never had an issue with it myself...

On a personal front I used to hate celery as it tasted to peppery for me.. but then I started having it in Seafood salad and after a little while I found I could eat it..

But then I believe that as you get older your food tastes do change ..

I wonder if this would happen with rats as well ?

[wulfyskingdom]

that's good news Kim... I'll have to tell my boys tonight, there will be something new on the menu!!

I know what you mean by tastes changing... although, mine hasnt evolved to like celery or caspicum yet lol I wonder if rats tastes change too? that's an interesting point...

My 2 youngest refused to eat a little piece of dark chocolate a while ago... guess who just ate them this morning?! lol