Diet & Food

Rats are omnivorous but can quite easily live as vegetarians, and, like humans, will often eat things that are not good for them. The best dried food on the market is Reggie Rat. It contains a lot of nutrients, without   peanuts and sunflower seeds, which have too much protein, are toxic and will irritate your ratties skin. You can give them hazelnuts in the shells for a good alternative. The shell is good for gnawing but must only be given as treats, our rats wouldn't bother even trying to crack one. 
Reggierat food contains some colourants and Chicken but is readily available in most pet shops, it should not be used as a sole diet..and is only suitable as a snack food. There are plenty of recipes to be had, which are splashed on most ratties sites, so I will not include any here, all dried food should be supplemented with fresh fruit and vegetables. Brown cooked rice is good on alternative days. Cooked Soya protein has been said to reduce the risk of cancer.
Never give your rats fizzy drinks, they are unable to burp and the gas that builds up inside their tummies can kill your rats.
Don't give your rats loads of chocolate. It is toxic, the purer the chocolate the more toxic it becomes. It has been known to kill dogs, so be warned.
Don't give your rat oranges or the juice. It has been said to give rats cancer mainly the males.
Don't give your rat sugary or fatty foods. Sugar will rot their teeth and the fat can cause tumors.

Our rats get 3 balanced meals a day plus their dried food, they get a breakfast of cereal with soya milk or water, lunch they have biscuits and fruit, then their evening meals are a mixture of veg and proteins.

The dried food we use is Reggies rat which we mix in with a rabbit fruity mix  

The following foods are recommended and can be given as treats or supplements :-
Most fruit and vegetables can be given apples, bananas, melons, grapes, cherries, etc are a good choice. Carrots, peas, broccoli, potatoes, cooked or uncooked (We steam our veggies in a home made stock). The ratties love it. Low fat meats can be given in moderation. Dog biscuits are also a good source of protein and are good for they're teeth.
Whole meal bread, pasta and brown rice is good (We use the whole meal bread for disguising medicines). It works a treat with a little honey or jam on top.


Treats


Live yogurt or live Soya yogurt is very good for their immune system. Sunflower seeds (a good source of vitamin B) but use sparingly. Hazelnuts with the shells on is a good source of protein and are good for gnawing. Yogurt drop are good for training. Be careful of hanging treats which are coated in honey. Most contain peanuts which some rats are allergic to, also they have too much protien, we stay completely clear of anything containing peanuts.


Baby Rats need high protein food up until they are at least 10 weeks old. It is important for babies to stay with mum until they are at least 5 weeks old. We give mum complain to help produce more mik then babies can be given it as a substitute after they leave the nest. You can also give them puppy food which will help build them up, dry or tin is ideal. You can also give these to adults rats (on a now and again basis). Complain is also good for older or convalescing rats


Fresh water must be made available at all times. A gravity (ball valve) water bottle is ideal but it must be thoroughly washed at least once a week. This will stop lime scale building up. You need to change the water everyday. We buy new water bottles every 4- 5 months. This prevents bacteria and algae building up which is harmful for your rats and it can't be washed away. Water bowls end up getting very dirty and make the cage wet. We do use these in the summer time, the rats are able to bathe and regulate their temperature (They like to paddle). Bowls are fine for sick or elderly rats who are unable to reach their water bottle.

 Medication should not be put in the water bottle. It is hard to monitor the amount they get and it will also make the water taste terrible and your rat may end up suffering from dehydration, most rats would rather die than drink baytril  from it's drinking water always mix medication/supplements into food. This way you can monitor the amount they take. 

Back to Best Way to Keep Rats or Homepage