The right fruits and veggies, lab blocks, seeds, and daily vitamin supplements for a rat?

Question

this is my first rat, i am doing alot of reaserch about her. cant wait till i get her .. i just need to make sure that she is healthy every day.

Answer 1

There's some great websites out there with lots of info on diet and nutrition.  Here is what I feed my rats (although bear in mind I'm in the UK so if you're not, specific brands may not be available):

A home made mix made of:

Rabbit food (a natural as possible type with a decent copper content, such as Alpha Herbal or Mr Johnson's Supreme)

OR

mix of grains such as flaked peas, maize, oats, barley and wheat

PLUS

a very small amount of fish based dried dog food/kibble (processed chicken is thought to be linked to mammary cancer in female rats)

You can also add low sugar breakfast cereals such as shredded wheat and weetabix, dried pasta and a small amount of seeds (I'm currently using "Omega Sprinkle" from Holland and Barrett, which contains linseeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds).  The pasta and cereals can cause weight gain in some rats, though, so play it by ear - if your rats gain too much weight, cut them back a bit.  You can also add a sprinkle of seaweed/kelp powder and garlic powder (100% dried garlic, not garlic salt!).  If you want you can also give them Dr Squiggles daily essentials vitamins in their water once a week, but it's not necessary if they get a varied enough diet.

Fresh foods: daily veg/fruit is important, good ones are broccoli, kale (especially for babies), apple, carrots, sweetcorn, and banana.  Avoid oranges if you have males, as they can cause kidney cancer.  Babies under 12-14 weeks need extra protein, so you can give them sardines (in tomato sauce), EMP (egg based bird food), porridge/scrambled eggs/bread soaked in lactol (puppy formula available from your pet shop).  Fresh treats for adults could be cooked chicken (including bones), porridge, yoghurt, baby food or left overs.

If you're not in the UK, if you do a web search for Debbie Ducommon, or Suebee's diet, some more ideas will pop up :-)

Edited to add - as a final point, one thing to make sure you'll have happy rats - please dont buy a single rat, they are social animals and need company and therefore must only be kept in same s*x pairs or groups.  Also you're more likely to get a healthy happy socialised rat from a breeder or rescue, than a pet shop.  Rather pay towards the care or rescuing of more rats, than line the pockets of pet shops who do not breed for health or temperament.

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

well..... rats cannot eat mushrooms i know that for a fact but rats live in the wild near peoples homes and eat all the scraps in peoples dumpsters and i did a little research just now and they can eat anything you can eat

i just looked in my book and it says.....ok sorry... it says that basically they can eat anything they like corn berries seeds and eggs and it also says that a trash is like heavon to them haha hope i helped!!!

also some donts!

blue cheese contains toxic mold

licorice contains a suspected neurotoxin

raw dry beans or peanuts contain antinutrients, cause red blood cell clumping (note: the peanuts that you buy in stores are almost always roasted so are okay.... frozen beans from veggie mixes are okay because they've been pre-cooked)

raw sweet potato contains cyanide-forming compounds

raw red cabbage and brussel sprouts contain an antinutrient that destroys thiamin

raw artichokes inhibit protein digestion

green bananas inhibit starch digestion

green potato skin and eyes contain solanine (toxin)

wild insects could carry parasites

rhubarb high levels of oxalates which bind up calcium

raw bulk tofu can contain bacteria (packaged tofu is safe)

orange juice contains d-limonene which can cause kidney cancer in male rats

raw onion can lead to anemia and an upset stomach

Answer 3

First off, you should not get a single rat. It is absolutely unfair to the rat since they are so social. Rats should always be kept in same s*x pairs or groups.

I have a good write up on rat diets on my website: http://www.petinfopackets.com/rats/ratfe...

The rest of the rat packet has excellent information too, definitely read up before you get into rats.

Answer 4

Those items are perfect for the rat, but also make sure she gets out 1 hour a day : )

Veggies you might have to give some crunchy because there teeth needs something gnaw on but since you going to buy lab blocks, she can eat anything. But don't feed too much oranges it can cause diarrhea.

Seeds can be a bit of a problem if your rat is a picky eater because she might eat the ones that she only likes, if you are buying mixed seeds.

Daily vitamin is mostly veggies and fruits she'll eat and also provide her with fresh water everyday.

Good Luck!

Answer 5

Right this is gonna be fun

http://ezinearticles.com/?Rat-Food-What-...

http://searchwarp.com/swa287543.htm

http://exoticpets.about.com/od/careofrat...

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bclee/rat...

I have two rabbits and i feed them loads of veggies and don't know what u can and what u can't feed a rat. But i hope that this helps you

florrie

:)

Answer 6

Yes it sounds like your doing very good...but you said your only getting one rat?

If you want her to be healthy you have to get her a friend.

Rats are very social creatures and need a cagemate because they can become depressed and lonely. If you truly want your rat to be healthy please get 2 rats.

It's like saying to a kid you can't have a friend.

It was proven that a rat without a cagemate lives a shorter life, and are not as healthy.

It sounds like you are doing an excellent job with the food and she should be healthy.

Seeds are good for a treat but are very high and in protien and fats so only give it to your rat(s) for a treat.

Here is a list of things NOT to feed your rat

http://www.evergreenrattery.com/careguid... (that is not my site)

Also what kind of cage are you buying?

Wire cages are best for rats because it has a better air flow.

An aquarime can cause respetory infections. And since in rats it's very common to get respetory infections i would advise you not to buy an aquarime.

What kind of shavings are you using?

The best kinds are CareFresh and Aspen.

Make sure you never use pine and/or cedar.

Also remember to give your rat(s) fresh water everyday.

You sound like your doing a lot of research and spending a lot of time educating your self about rats.

But as I said before make sure you do get 2 rats because if you get one rat theres no point in buying it because it will be very unhappy and lonely even with constant attention and the healthiest environment in the world.

If you want more information or have a question check out my site

www.rattie-love.piczo.com

I Hope I Helped

Answer 7

you are doing perfectly! I know you will love rats, I just got my first one a few months ago, and I love him so much! he is like a little puppy, following me around and learning tricks!

Answer 8

as for the fruits and veggies, feed your rat apples, bananas, carrots, lettuce and anything that isn't completely full of sugar. i would suggest  buying Nutriphase or Kaytee rat mix, not blocks. The mix comes with some blocks and has seeds too. You can put some vitamins in the rats water, but if you feed them the right diet, they arent necessary.

Answer 9

Some fruit, vegetables and herbs that are safe to feed a rat are:

Apple (seedless)

Banana

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts - small amounts occasionally

Carrots

Cauliflower leaves and stalks

Cucumber

Grapes

Kiwi

Lettuce - small amounts occasionally

Mango

Parsley - a good tonic

Peas

Romaine Lettuce

Tomato

Fruit, vegetables and herbs that should not be fed include:

Kidney Beans (raw)

Onion

Potato (raw)

Potato tops

Rhubarb (raw)

Rhubarb leaves

Tomato leaves

Hope this helps! :) :)

Email me if you want to know about nuts and other treats! :) :)