Interests

My rats get a mix of food, from their staple meal to healthy veggies to bits of pizza and saucers of ice cream (rarely) as treats. Part of the fun of owning a rat is finding its personal food preference; some will LOVE strawberries, while others will do back flips (figuratively) for a sip of coffee. These fun foods only make up a small part of what your ratty actually needs though!

Your ratty's staple diet is the most important factor of feeding; it's what will determine his overall appearance, energy and health. Commercial mouse and hamster feeds ARE NOT suitable for rats! Rats will not eat the tiny seeds in these feeds, and the corn and sunflower seeds they do eat won't provide a proper balance. Rat feeds called "Lab Blocks" are generally the best diets on the market for rats, though they can be difficult to find. These blocks are specially formulated for ratties and have all the basic materials your pet needs. Some rats may decide that they don't like these blocks; trying a different brand often helps. Another option is a low-protein dog food; find one means reading LOTS of labels in your local pet food section, but they are more readily available and are taken to well by most rats.

Here at the Critter Cave, my ratties are free-fed a staple diet of Purina Fit & Trim dog food. This is a lower protein, low-fat diet that is commercially available almost anywhere; a 20 lb. bag is usually about $12 at my local WalMart.

Most dog foods have MUCH higher protein and fat than a rat should have; too much protein can cause problems ranging from obesity to skin rashes.

Preliminary studies have suggested that it may actually raise the risk of cancer in rats. there are dog foods out there with lower protein numbers (around 21%) but most of these have much higher fat content; I've tested several others but have not had the greatest results. I've been feeding Fit & Trim over six months now and have been very pleased with it. May rats love it, they're sleek and active, have had no health problems, and have wonderful glossy coats thanks to the high fatty acids. I especially like this brand because it is low in meat protein (which I've found can cause a rise in aggression) and has both soy and wheat. Wheat is a healthy grain for rats (just like for people) and studies have shown that soy may prevent many cancers - a big plus for ratties!

Crude Protein (Min) 25.0%
Crude Fat (Min) 5.0%
Crude Fat (Max) 7.0%
Crude Fiber (Max) 12.0%
Moisture (Max) 12.0%
Vitamin A (Min) 10,000 IU/kg

Ingredients:
Ground yellow corn, soybean meal, ground whole wheat, soybean hulls*, corn germ meal, corn gluten meal, turkey by-product meal, animal digest, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), meat and bone meal, dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, salt, added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2), choline chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, zinc sulfate, zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, manganese sulfate, niacin, manganese proteinate, Vitamin A supplement, brewers dried yeast, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, copper proteinate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, Vitamin B-12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, Vitamin D-3 supplement, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite.
*13% - a source of fiber

In addition to their kibble (which they always have) my ratties get regular servings of greens and veggies and doggy biscuits (which they LOVE to gnaw). Rats enjoy almost any kind of veggie, from lettuce to green peas to water chestnuts. Most don't care much for raw carrots, but will still snap up cooked ones. I like to use the frozen or canned veggie mixes available at local discount stores (Grocery Warehouse and Dollar Tree are good places to look) but many breeders use dried veggies. An always available alternative to the frugal is dandelion greens - my ratties LOVE them! Make sure that any dandelions you give to them haven't been sprayed with pesticides or weed killers; I have several weedy spots in my yard that I keep chemical-free for my ratties. They also enjoy thick grass, parsley and the bits of fresh fruit/veggies that you usually throw away when you're cleaning them up for human consumption. People on a budget can often request the veggies scraps that have been cleaned up at the local grocery stores. The primary thing to remember -- would YOU eat it? If it's moldy, slimy or rotten, it doesn't belong in their cage either. Wilt, browning/reddening from air contact, or bits that just aren't pretty are just fine though.

My ratties are lucky enough to periodically get dinner-plate scrapings and the "doggy bags" from lunches and dinners out too; even my parents sometimes bring home scraps that they thought 'the rats will like!' Though this shouldn't be something you do too often (FAT ratties otherwise!), but your rats will be more than happy to finish off your gnawed-on half a Whopper and fries from lunch, that plate of Chinese food in the fridge from last night, or the PB and J your kid didn't eat out of his lunch box. My ratties have shown particular preference for chicken pot pie, Chinese stir-fried veggies, Mexican food and anything pasta (from Lasagna to LoMein). Again, NOTHING spoiled!

Treats that make it into their cages regularly and that are good for training include Yogies! (a treat sold at most pet stores), bits of animal crackers (or the Critter Crackers I sell at shows!) and cereal. Cereals are great treats because they come in many varieties (rats get tired of repetition) and can be purchased cheap (.99 cents at discount stores). Rats will enjoy pretty much any kind, and you can use sweet cereals as special treats. My favorite cereals to use (just the types, brands don't matter) include Cheerios, Corn Pops and Cocoa Puffs. Mini Wheats are always enjoyed (especially the frosted kind!), but make a mess if given outside the cage. : ) My ratties regularly get dog biscuits too - this gives them something to gnaw on (besides your furniture, power cords, pillow cases...). My ratties really love the little square ones made by Alpo, but they've eaten every brand I've bought. There's a really nice (but expensive) kind made by a group called something like Natural Dog; they put out special flavors on holidays like Pumpkin Pie and Gingerbread Man -- the rats really enjoy those!