Diet
A proper diet is essential for your rat's good health. Rats are omnivorous, which means they eat both plant and animal material. Please do not try to convert your rats into vegetarians. They need animal protein, and cannot live on plant protein alone. Rats love food in general and will eat almost anything you put in front of them, savoring every morsel. Rats love junk food just like us. Try to keep their diet as healthy as possible. Stay away from sugar. There are many healthy treats that you can offer your rats. Eating the same thing every day can also become boring just as it does for people.
Most commercial rat foods are unhealthy and should not be fed to rats. Most contain harmful additives, waste foods and chemical preservatives.
Rats should be fed a good "lab block" not dog or cat food. If you have no other choice, but to feed a dog food there are strict requirements that you must look for such as protein percentage, ingredients, etc. Otherwise it could be very unhealthy for your rats. Lab blocks are a complete nutritional diet that meets the nutritional requirements of rats. Assorted vegetables and fruit should be provided at a minimum 2-3 times a week. Lab blocks are hard food made especially for rats. You can usually find them in most pet stores or feed stores. Lab blocks, such as Laucke Mill's or Cummins, should be the main staple of your rat's diet. They also keep their teeth from becoming overgrown.
Now you must try to keep protein levels within healthy limits. Protein range should be around 14 to 18 percent. Pregnant or nursing females as well as babies up to 13 weeks old can be fed a higher protein ratio. If rats are fed too much protein this can lead to protein scabs as well as excess orange looking grease on the skin of males.
If you notice that your males has too much grease you need to cut down on the level of protein in the diet. Try adding more grains and pasta to his diet and bathing them will also help cut this grease.
Good-quality food and fresh, clean water must be readily available at all times. Laboratory rodent chows (milled pellets or lab blocks) are preferred. These foods are available from feed stores, pet shops, and suppliers. The rodent diets containing seeds and nuts are not recommended because they contain too many fats and oils, provide inadequate protein levels, and are not necessarily balanced and can cause obesity in your rats.
Unfortunately like our own junk foods out there, owners see colorful boxes of food and supplements at the pet stores. Included among these feed may be seed mixtures, seeds mixed with vitamin and mineral pellets (often ignored by the pet), hay cubes, pellet food, complete diets, salt blocks, pieces of chewable wood, and a variety of treat foods that lure the unsuspecting buyer because those treats resemble the snack foods preferred by pet owners.
Table scraps and alternative foods can be offered but these should be limited to healthful items like whole-wheat bread, non-fat yogurt, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein sources such as tuna, chicken, etc. and should not exceed 15% of what the pet consumes daily. If the above feeding recommendations are followed, malnutrition and related problems are very unlikely among pet rodents. Vitamins and salt blocks are generally unnecessary if you follow a good healthy diet. Oil-rich and high-fat foods must be avoided.
Their dry food can be hung in a food dispenser called a 'hopper' or put in a heavy ceramic dish that won't tip over. This prevents little opportunity for fecal (stool) and urine contamination of food. Fresh water is made available and kept free from contamination by providing it in water bottles. The tubes can become clogged with food debris, so they must be checked daily. The tube must be accessible to the smallest rodent within the enclosure. Before baby rats are fully weaned, they begin drinking water and eating pellet foods, so these essentials must be accessible to them at this time. Many deaths of baby rodents are due to starvation and dehydration. Like human babies they need feeding more often.
Food consumption varies with the quality of the food offered, the age, health and breeding status of the individual, the environmental temperature, and the time of day. Rats tend to eat more at night, but day time feeding is also common. Water is best provided in bottles with, preferably, metal sipper tubes. Having fresh water available daily is critical, as many pet rodents presented as "sick" are in fact dehydrated.
The best diet's you can provide for your rat are:
Laucke Mill's
Cummin's
Biomare Horse Cubes
Some great 'Homemade' Diets:
The Rat Fan Club Diet
Suebee's Rats Rule Diet
Shaunamite Rat Diet
The following are some foods that may be included in a homemade diet:
• Cheerios, Rice Puffs and Corn Bran cereals.
• Dried cranberries or dried blueberries
• Raw Pasta.
• Green split peas.
• Pumpkin seeds - raw, unsalted
• Rolled Oats
• Sunflower seeds - roasted, unsalted
Fresh fruits may include but are not limited to:
• Apples
• Avocado
• Bananas
• Blueberries
• Cantaloupe
• Grapes (seedless)
• Honeydew Melon
• Kiwi fruit
• Mango
• Nectarines
• Oranges (Only for female rats, do NOT feed to males)
• Papaya
• Peaches
• Pears
• Plums
• Raisins
• Strawberries/Berries
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon
** Note: Please make sure to remove the pits and seeds from any fruit. Do not feed the skin on avocados and oranges.
Fresh vegetables may include but are not limited to:
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Collard Greens
• Cucumber
• Fennel
• Mustard Greens
• Pumpkin
• Romaine Lettuce
• Spinach
• Sprouts
• Squash
• Zucchini
• and sometimes cooked corn on the cob
** Note: Too much fruit or roughage can lead to diarrhea. Some vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower can cause gas so feed in moderation.
Whole protein sources:
• Beef
• Chicken
• Liver
• Oysters
• Salmon
• Shrimp
• Tuna
Of course, every rat needs and deserves treats! Life would be boring without treats. You should always give your rats healthy treats.Pretty much anything that is healthy for humans is healthy for rats.
Occasional treats:
• Baby food
• Cheese (Use a tiny bit as a treat only)
• Cooked rice & pasta
• Fresh Wheat-grass (from Sprouthouse)
• Gerber instant baby oatmeal (great for mixing in supplements)
• Olive Oil (Helps the coat stay shiny and dandruff-free)
• Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Treats (http://www.ratsrule.com/recipes.html)
• Rice Cakes
• Soy Milk
• Wheat or Multigrain bread
• Yogurt (Active yeast cultured - contains good bacteria that aids digestion)
Copyright sweetwhispersrattery
Most commercial rat foods are unhealthy and should not be fed to rats. Most contain harmful additives, waste foods and chemical preservatives.
Rats should be fed a good "lab block" not dog or cat food. If you have no other choice, but to feed a dog food there are strict requirements that you must look for such as protein percentage, ingredients, etc. Otherwise it could be very unhealthy for your rats. Lab blocks are a complete nutritional diet that meets the nutritional requirements of rats. Assorted vegetables and fruit should be provided at a minimum 2-3 times a week. Lab blocks are hard food made especially for rats. You can usually find them in most pet stores or feed stores. Lab blocks, such as Laucke Mill's or Cummins, should be the main staple of your rat's diet. They also keep their teeth from becoming overgrown.
Now you must try to keep protein levels within healthy limits. Protein range should be around 14 to 18 percent. Pregnant or nursing females as well as babies up to 13 weeks old can be fed a higher protein ratio. If rats are fed too much protein this can lead to protein scabs as well as excess orange looking grease on the skin of males.
If you notice that your males has too much grease you need to cut down on the level of protein in the diet. Try adding more grains and pasta to his diet and bathing them will also help cut this grease.
Good-quality food and fresh, clean water must be readily available at all times. Laboratory rodent chows (milled pellets or lab blocks) are preferred. These foods are available from feed stores, pet shops, and suppliers. The rodent diets containing seeds and nuts are not recommended because they contain too many fats and oils, provide inadequate protein levels, and are not necessarily balanced and can cause obesity in your rats.
Unfortunately like our own junk foods out there, owners see colorful boxes of food and supplements at the pet stores. Included among these feed may be seed mixtures, seeds mixed with vitamin and mineral pellets (often ignored by the pet), hay cubes, pellet food, complete diets, salt blocks, pieces of chewable wood, and a variety of treat foods that lure the unsuspecting buyer because those treats resemble the snack foods preferred by pet owners.
Table scraps and alternative foods can be offered but these should be limited to healthful items like whole-wheat bread, non-fat yogurt, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein sources such as tuna, chicken, etc. and should not exceed 15% of what the pet consumes daily. If the above feeding recommendations are followed, malnutrition and related problems are very unlikely among pet rodents. Vitamins and salt blocks are generally unnecessary if you follow a good healthy diet. Oil-rich and high-fat foods must be avoided.
Their dry food can be hung in a food dispenser called a 'hopper' or put in a heavy ceramic dish that won't tip over. This prevents little opportunity for fecal (stool) and urine contamination of food. Fresh water is made available and kept free from contamination by providing it in water bottles. The tubes can become clogged with food debris, so they must be checked daily. The tube must be accessible to the smallest rodent within the enclosure. Before baby rats are fully weaned, they begin drinking water and eating pellet foods, so these essentials must be accessible to them at this time. Many deaths of baby rodents are due to starvation and dehydration. Like human babies they need feeding more often.
Food consumption varies with the quality of the food offered, the age, health and breeding status of the individual, the environmental temperature, and the time of day. Rats tend to eat more at night, but day time feeding is also common. Water is best provided in bottles with, preferably, metal sipper tubes. Having fresh water available daily is critical, as many pet rodents presented as "sick" are in fact dehydrated.
The best diet's you can provide for your rat are:
Laucke Mill's
Cummin's
Biomare Horse Cubes
Some great 'Homemade' Diets:
The Rat Fan Club Diet
Suebee's Rats Rule Diet
Shaunamite Rat Diet
The following are some foods that may be included in a homemade diet:
• Cheerios, Rice Puffs and Corn Bran cereals.
• Dried cranberries or dried blueberries
• Raw Pasta.
• Green split peas.
• Pumpkin seeds - raw, unsalted
• Rolled Oats
• Sunflower seeds - roasted, unsalted
Fresh fruits may include but are not limited to:
• Apples
• Avocado
• Bananas
• Blueberries
• Cantaloupe
• Grapes (seedless)
• Honeydew Melon
• Kiwi fruit
• Mango
• Nectarines
• Oranges (Only for female rats, do NOT feed to males)
• Papaya
• Peaches
• Pears
• Plums
• Raisins
• Strawberries/Berries
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon
** Note: Please make sure to remove the pits and seeds from any fruit. Do not feed the skin on avocados and oranges.
Fresh vegetables may include but are not limited to:
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Collard Greens
• Cucumber
• Fennel
• Mustard Greens
• Pumpkin
• Romaine Lettuce
• Spinach
• Sprouts
• Squash
• Zucchini
• and sometimes cooked corn on the cob
** Note: Too much fruit or roughage can lead to diarrhea. Some vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower can cause gas so feed in moderation.
Whole protein sources:
• Beef
• Chicken
• Liver
• Oysters
• Salmon
• Shrimp
• Tuna
Of course, every rat needs and deserves treats! Life would be boring without treats. You should always give your rats healthy treats.Pretty much anything that is healthy for humans is healthy for rats.
Occasional treats:
• Baby food
• Cheese (Use a tiny bit as a treat only)
• Cooked rice & pasta
• Fresh Wheat-grass (from Sprouthouse)
• Gerber instant baby oatmeal (great for mixing in supplements)
• Olive Oil (Helps the coat stay shiny and dandruff-free)
• Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Treats (http://www.ratsrule.com/recipes.html)
• Rice Cakes
• Soy Milk
• Wheat or Multigrain bread
• Yogurt (Active yeast cultured - contains good bacteria that aids digestion)
Copyright sweetwhispersrattery