What's the healthiest way to help your pet rat loose weight?

Question

My rat, Penelope is a little over a year old, and she is a giant rat! Not giant in length, but in weight. She is very fat, but not to the point where she can't get around very well. She acts healthy, drinks and eats normally, I just want her to trim down a few pounds. I haven't been to good at keeping both of my rats on a healthy diet, and they eat a lot of dog food, and chicken. Along with cereal, carrots, celery, and banana chips. I'm just scared if I take away the tastey stuff, she won't eat the store bought rat food.

What is the healthiest option for my little girl?

Answer 1

Don't give it too many vegetables. That can cause wet tail.

Answer 2

you were feeding her very unhealthy foods. the dog food, chicken, cereal, and banana chips contain a lot of fat which have contributed to penelope's obesity. try feeding her better foods like the store bought rat food, leafy greens, and green vegetables. cut out the protein, fruit and colored vegetables for a while. rats are not really happy with hamster wheels or hamster balls. thay are too smart for them. try taking your rat out to play a lot more and take her outside on the grass where she'll get excited and run around. get your rats a bird playground or make them a maze they can play in

Answer 3

try mixing in store bought food with the food theyre getting now, and every week change the proportions until eventually its just store bought food. just use the banana chips and chicken as treats.

Answer 4

Do you mean lose weight?

If so, you answered your own question.  Keep your rats on healthy diet and not feed them the "tastey" stuff.  

Answer 5

If you mean the dried banana chips....stop giving those for now. They're quite fatty and it would be a good start.

Lessen the amount of the ''tasty stuff''. Don't make it go away completely, but just make them more rat-sized to see if that helps.

Also, does she get to run around outside of her cage? (Bathrooms are good for this)

Does she have an exercise wheel in her cage? (My girls LOVE theirs)

Answer 6

I agree with everyone.

Cut down on the treats.

This should effectively control her weight.

Remember to still give her some fruits and vegetables though!

[just not as much]

Answer 7

I would ad an exercise ball to give her some way to burn calories.

A ball or a carousel.