What kinds of treats do rats generally like? Which ones are safe and healthy?

Question

What foods should I NEVER give to my rat?

What kinds of people food can I give her? (grapes, cheese, bread crusts, etc.)

What foods, in your experience, have your rats really just loved?

Thanks!

Answer 1

mine love avocado

Answer 2

http://ratfanclub.org/diet.html

Answer 3

Peanut Butter always was a hit for mine. Be careful with some raw veggies--rat's digestive system doesn't allow them to burp.  

Answer 4

Our rats really enjoy vegetarian dog biscuits-- the ones we buy are peanut butter flavored & smell really good.  *Don't* try plain peanut butter though, or your rats could choke on it.

Our guys also love bits of banana, bell pepper, melon, parsley & string bean.  In hot weather, frozen peas or corn make a good treat.

Let your rat have a nut in its shell occasionally.  It's a toy! It's a treat! It's a tooth conditioner!

Actually, an occasional tiny bit of chocolate is ok for rats although it is toxic to many other animals.

Answer 5

Mine LOVED little bits of hard-boiled egg-white and a little l**k of plain yogurt on my finger - Not too much of any of them though.

I could also buy treats made of yogurt in the stores.

I never dared feeding them pears, heard that it would give them gassy tummies, but bread, grapes and cheese is ok. Pick out the seeds in the grapes if they're not seedless though.

Try corn, peas - Mine was also crazy about sprouts. I don't know if I am translating it correctly. Those kind of tiny white sprouts you can put in your own salads. (sorry, I'm dansih) Hope I helped.

here's a picture of the kind of sprouts i had in mind.

http://www.yellowman.dk/images/medium/fo...

Answer 6

First of all always give your rat a special food made for rodents daily.This will be it's main staple food. You can also give her a vitamin supplement made for her. She will love monkey biscuits but use them as a treat once in a while.You can give her any uncooked fruits or veggies.She'll love that but be sure to give her her main staple food first.Never give any animal chocolate.It is poison to them!Hope I helped.

Answer 7

Rats can enjoy many treats, but like us humans there are some things you need to avoid.  Treats that are high in fat, sugar or salt are unhealthy for rats and should be avoided.  Chocolate is only toxic in very large amounts, but it's not particularly healthy.  My rats love tinned sardines (in tomato sauce, NOT brine), curly kale (especially good for them), cooked pulses such as chickpeas, low fat fruit yoghurt, other fruit and veg.  

There is a list of safe foods here:

http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/community/vi...

Male rats should not eat mango or citrus fruits as they contain d-limoneine (cancerous to male rats only).  Rats prefer a varied diet that consists of a good dry food mix (Google "shunamite diet" for more info) and daily fresh foods.  I don't feed mine lab blocks/nugget diets personally as I don't believe they're healthy for my rats, but in the UK we do things quite differently.  Other than that, it's mainly common sense - think of what you wouldn't eat as most foods that are unfit for us would be unfit for our pets (eg. the list someone else posted above).

Answer 8

rats will eat just about anything from fruit &veg to nuts &meat. don't give your rat ANY dairy as it makes them smell "ratty" try looking here

http://www.ratfanclub.org/plants.html

Answer 9

My two rats seem to enjoy the occasional yogurt drop, but they go CRAZY for peas.  They get peas several times a week, as well as broccoli, cereal, and often a taste of whatever I'm eating that day.

Of course, this is all in addition to their standard rat-formulated lab blocks, which they need in order to have a nutritionally complete diet (I feed Harlan Teklad).

Give your rats a variety of fruits and vegetables and see what they take to.  Bananas, peaches, cherries, and grapes are fruits that I've heard rats enjoy.  Because rats have a similar biology to humans, they can eat most any people food, and if it is healthy for you, it is probably healthy for your rat, and vice versa (with exceptions as noted below).

Dangerous Foods for Rats:

•  raw beans–anti-nutrients that destroy vitamin A and enzymes rats need to digest proteins and starches. Also may cause red blood cells to clump.

• carbonated drinks–rats can’t burp, causes a significant amount of discomfort and god knows what else.

• raw sweet potato–compounds form cyanide in the stomach.

• bleu cheese –the mold is toxic to rats.

• raw red cabbage–antinutrient that destroys thiamin.

• raw brussel sprouts–antinutrient that destroys thiamin.

• raw artichokes–inhibits protein digestion

• orange juice –can cause kidney cancer in males only.

• green bananas–makes it difficult to digest starches.

• green potato skin and eyes–contains a toxin called solanine.

• rhubarb–contains high levels of oxalates.

• raw bulk tofu–can carry bacteria, packaged, raw tofu is safe

(There are also several foods that can be fed only cautiously; they can be found in the two links below)