Rat Food

[Prue]

I'm told i spoil my boys... But then again who doesnt?

They get their mix which is available all the time for snacking at leaisure.... 2 different types of rat mix. (1 a specialised mix for rats with dry dog food biscuits) with an oat breakfast cereal mixed through.

Every night for tea they get a few tablespoons of strawberry soy yoghurt with alfalfa sprouts mixed in (sometimes with some squash and potatoe) all fresh with some warmed peas and corn. They get carrrot every day (1/2 to one whole depending on the size) and a handful of lettuce leaf/baby spinach/rocket.

Interestingly enough my boys dislike sultanas, apples and bananas.

When they're extra lucky they get a piece of toast with butter (although Kamikaze just tends to lick off the butter)

and whatever scraps of the meal we are eating.

[nathan]

I have used both Lab Blocks and rat mix
i have had rats that will onley eat Lab Blocks witch can be a pain at times as thay are not always available.

[coffee]

I've been breeding rats for over 10 years, and over that time I think I have tried just about everything. I learned very early that you can kill your rats with kindness, so a little caution goes a long way when feeding our babies. Sunflower seeds!! Every rat mix, or bird mix has them in them, and of course we all know how much rats love sunflower seeds. Just be sure to have only a few in their bowl each feed. Giving your rats too many is like feeding your growing child donuts everyday because he likes them... not a good idea.

I have now found an affordable diet, and one that all my rats seem to enjoy. I use Barastock rat & mouse feed plus a mixed small pellet, consisting of pony pellet and pig growers pellet. Once a week they get a handful of working horse mix. They also get fruit and veg a couple of times a week, usually left overs or offcuts.

[Leeann]

A small amount of sunflower seeds is ok for rats.

The grey striped ones are the better to give as they are lower in the fatty oils than the black ones.

Lettuce has no nutritional value at all, and when given to rats or any pet, it may cause them to have sloppy poops.

If you want to give them something leafy go for spinich or kale as both of these have a higher level of vitamins and calcium.

[chickweed]

I mix up rat blocks, mix, raw oats, and dog food. For treats I give them a tiny peice of dark chocolate, cheerio, or peanut.

[angelfire]

hi everyone im new to this site i have three female rats and they are really fussy on what they eat i have tried everything they seem to like what i give them but they get over in pretty quick has anyone got any idea in wat i should do

[chickweed]

Dec 8, 2008 14:46:07 GMT 10 angelfire said:

hi everyone im new to this site i have three female rats and they are really fussy on what they eat i have tried everything they seem to like what i give them but they get over in pretty quick has anyone got any idea in wat i should do

I don't understand the problem if they like everything you give them?

[Kim]

Dec 8, 2008 14:46:07 GMT 10 angelfire said:

hi everyone im new to this site i have three female rats and they are really fussy on what they eat i have tried everything they seem to like what i give them but they get over in pretty quick has anyone got any idea in wat i should do

Have you read the posts in this topic?

If your rats were really fussy they wouldnt eat everything you gave them.

If they get over what you give them pretty quickly, this may be because you are always changing what you give them, they have learnt that when they want a change they act fussy.

Rats, like people, are omnivorous which means they eat both plants and animals.

A human diet is much better for them than a grass and seed diet.

So basically meat, fish, chicken, vegetables (both fresh and cooked), fruit, nuts, eggs, soy products, a little bit of dairy (such as yogurt), cooked pasta and rice, basically just about anything you eat you can give to your rats and it will be much better for them than anything else.

You need to give them a set diet of a dry food mix that they can eat all day.

But at night give them a bit of fresh fruit and veggies one night, the next a jar of baby food, the following night left overs from your dinner. Then go back to the fresh fruit and veggies again and just keep going.

Basically a rat wont starve to death as long as it has food available.

Even really fussy rats will eventually eat what is available to them when they get hungry enough.

Also remember that some rats prefer to eat at night in the dark, maybe your rats are like that.

[wulfyskingdom]

ooh that reminds me of a good tip i discovered, if you have to mix meds with food, take their normal food out of the cage before hand (i guess depending on the rat - say an hour prior) then when it comes time to give them meds they are keen to eat and dont care that it tastes funny. and if its close to dinner time their even more excited

[jaimi]

Mine get a mix of dry and human food, I always cook a few extra vegies and add some chopped up fresh stuff as well. While the mothers are pregnant and lactating I add a small dish of kitten milk twice a day which they just love and I plan to test out adding some rice cereal or similar style baby food to thicken it slightly when our babies start coming out for food shortly.
I have a special sound I make (kissing sound) every morning as I sit down with my milo and toast and the four of them come running at the sound and share my toast crusts with me. Its quite funny because they all have different tastes and can be quite fussy about whats on the crust - although vegemite is a favorite with all.

[abbyjas]

So can rats eat dry pasta, rice, lentils, beans (eg. black eye), chickpeas etc? Is it ok to cook all of these as well? Are any of them harmful dry/cooked?

[wulfyskingdom]

Pasta is ok, chickpeas i think are ok, but i would suggest more research on the rest first, from memory some dried beans shouldnt be given. I give mine rice crackers/rice cakes as something crunchy to eat, and cooked rice (although i am careful with some cooked rice, if its gluggy and sticky it can get stuck in their throat).

[abbyjas]

Thanks Wulfy,

What about water? I've been reading not to use the tap water but I also read that the spring water bought in plastic containers can also be harmful due to the containers? What water does everyone here use?

[wulfyskingdom]

Since they said that Brisbane water will start containing fluroide i've been buying water for them as i read an article on the fluroide effects on rats. I look for "table water" or "pure water" because there is supposed to be no salts, minerals, chemicals etc. (i'm not sure if its started being added yet, and i dont know whether the article i read is correct but i figured it cant hurt, they're spoilt already, cant disappoint the ratkiddies)

can buy a 5-10 litre bottle for under $10 in supermarkets and they never drink much but they like making it dirty by throwing food and paper in it *sigh*

I'm actually considering using it in the kettle for tea and coffee myself because hot drinks taste too metallic, especially tea with its delicate flavour lol ;D

[tigergrrrrl]

I'd be more worried about all the chlorine in the water up in Brisbane. Last time I was up there the water coming from the taps smelled like it belonged in a swimming pool. Yuck!

Food wise my girls get a pre-mixed food from whatever pet store I'm near at the time, though I do try to avoid the ones that have a lot of chaff in the mix. Seriously has anyone ever seen their rat eat chaff? It's just useless filler. I only get those mixes when I'm really low on food and can't get anything else.

Normally the mix I get has lab blocks, dog bits (current one also has dog biscuits), what looks like wheat and other seeds. I like the mix to be mostly lab blocks with the other stuff in it for variety.