Rat Food: What To Feed Your Pet Rats For Optimal Health And Happiness

Rats are omnivores, which means they will basically eat anything. You can buy rat and mouse food at the grocery store or pet store, but to keep your rat super happy, you need to supplement his staple grain food with something a little more exciting. Improved nutrition can extend the lifespan of rats to 5 years.

You’ll find out what your pets’ favorite food is with a little experimentation (don’t mention that word in front of rats). Try plenty of fresh, healthy foods, like carrot sticks dipped in juicy apples and pears, and you’ll soon see what they eat right away, what they hide for later, and what just doesn’t bother them.

One of my rats loves grapes. She holds them so delicately, she removes the top and licks the insides like a cream egg.

It’s okay to give rats treats, too. They like the fruity treats you can buy at the pet store for rabbits and guinea pigs and the carob drops you get for dogs. My rats also like a bit of my dog’s dry biscuits.

Try raisins and bread and peanut butter, spread thinly, to prevent choking (on a carrot or celery stick) and see what they like best. Just like us, they like variation in their diet. My rats, Ginger and Mr T love chocolate soy milk and many rats also like yogurt. Regular soy in the diet of our rats has been shown to reduce the chance of developing mammary tumors. Hard-boiled eggs and bacon rind are other things your little mice might enjoy.

Ginger in particular is quite greedy and will actually try to take things out of my mouth when I’m eating! What a nose!

Try to hide special treats around your cage in secret places and your rats will love spending time looking for their favorite food, just as they would in the wild.

Remember not to overfeed your rats. If they get fat, they can be more susceptible to tumors and other nasties, so do everything in moderation and try to feed them plenty of healthy foods as well as some treats.

Of course, you should always provide plenty of fresh water, ideally from a drip bottle, attached to the cage, which you can get at the pet store. Try to clean the bottle and food dish regularly to help keep your rats healthy and enjoyable. Also make sure to change the food every day.

Do not feed male orange rats. They have a component called d-limonene that accumulates in the kidneys of male rats and can cause cancer. Avoid all citrus flavors, oils, and fruits. D-Limonene has not been shown to have any effect on female rats, but it may be best to avoid these fruits anyway and stick to other foods your rat likes. Rats don’t need to eat as much vitamin C as humans, since they can make their own. You should also avoid feeding lettuce as it can cause diarrhea.

When you find out what your rat’s favorite food is, you can use it to train your rat. Rats are very smart and will do anything for their favorite food. They also like to please their favorite person. My rats love to do tricks for a piece of Nesquick chocolate cereal or a spoonful of chocolate soymilk (mind the chocolate theme).