I have a rat/hampster/mice food and bunnie pellets

Question

almost all the ingrediens are the same i asked some one at petco and they said to get bunnie food ether to rip me off or to protect my animal if i feed them both what can happen or is it ok to feed them both?

Answer 1

do not feed the rat food to the rabbit because it most likely has protein ingredients in it which are not needed by a rabbit. also rabbit foods are specifically designed for the rabbit's gentle stomach and is not right for a rat/hamster/mouse stick to the food that is specially made for that animal.

Answer 2

Even if the ingredients are the same you will notice that the composition of the foods is different.  Take a look at the protein and fat contents amongst other things.  Hamsters, rats, mice and rabbits have different nutritional needs.  Feeding inappropriate foods can lead to many health problems.

Rats and mice generally have the same nutritional needs.  I feed mine Oxbow Regal Rat.  For the hamster I like the new food by Oxbow called Healthy Handfuls.  For rabbits I like to feed Oxbow Rabbit foods, there are different formulae depending on the age of your rabbit.

http://www.oxbowhay.com

Answer 3

Even if the ingredients are the same, that doesn't mean that it's in the same amounts.  Plus, I have to wonder what kind of rat/hamster/mouse food has the same ingredients as bunny food, as alfalfa isn't really going to do much for a small rodent like that.

Really, they need their own separate food.  Mice can usually eat the same as a rat, and when I don't have Oxbow for my hams, I'll usually feed them Harlan Tekklan (like what my rats eat) and they seem fine.  The important thing is just to make sure you're feeding your pets a good food, in order to help keep them healthy. Oxbow or Tekklan rodent food for your rodents, and Oxbow also makes a good bunny food for your rabbits.

It isn't a rip off, both animals have very different dietary needs.