Rats diet...

About Rats: "
A proper diet is essential for your rats good health. Rats are omnivorous, which means they eat both plant and animal material. Please do not try to convert your rats into vegetarians. They need animal protein, and cannot live on plant protein alone. Rats love food in general and will eat almost anything you put in front of them, savoring every morsel. They seem to eat when bored, even when sick or just for something to do. Rats love junk food just like us. Try to keep their diet as healthy as possible. Stay away from sugar. There are many healthy treats that you can offer your rats. Eating the same thing every day can also become boring just as it does for people.

Rats also receive a grain mix which includes but is not limited to:

· dry vegetable pasta twists (beet, spinach, tomato, carrot and squash)
· ¾ green split peas mixed with ¼ yellow split peas
· large natural oats
· Cheerios, 'Rice Krispies' and Corn Bran
· pumpkin seeds - raw unsalted
· Dried Cranberries or dried blueberries

Fresh fruits may include but are not limited to:
· strawberries
· grapes (seedless)
· banana
· pear
· apple
· oranges (only for does, which helps protect against cancer, NOT FOR MALE RATS)
· watermelon
· cantaloupe
· kiwi fruit
· papaya
· raisins
· avocado
· tomatoes
· nectarines
· peaches
· plums
· honeydew melon
· mango
· blueberries

Please make sure to remove the pits from any fruit. Do not feed the skin on avocados.

Fresh vegetables include but are not limited to:
· squash
· mustard greens
· collard greens
· romaine lettuce
· spinach
· cucumber
· alfalfa sprouts
· zucchini
· pumpkin
· asparagus
· broccoli
· cauliflower
· brussel sprouts
· carrots
· celery
· fennel
· sweet potato, yams (cooked. DO NOT feed raw!)
· and sometimes cooked corn on the cob

Too much fruit or roughage can lead to diarrhea. Some vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower can cause gas so feed in moderation.

Occasional treats:
· rice cakes
· cheese
· baby food
· mixed baby cereal
. chicken bones
. dog biscuits
. soya milk
. fish sticks
. cooked rice and pasta
. active yeast cultured yogurt (contains good bacteria that aids digestion)
. cooked pasta and rice

Whole protein sources:
· chicken
· beef
· tuna
· salmon
· oysters
· shrimp
· liver


What NOT to feed:
Too much cheese (use a tiny bit as a treat)
· Too much peanut butter can cause a rat to choke and they cannot vomit. They lack the necessary muscles that would allow them to do so.
· dried corn (can cause liver cancer)
· Iceberg lettuce (full of water and has no nutritional value)
· orange juice or orange peel, (this causes cancer in male rats, although it protects against mammary tumors in does.)
· blue cheese dressing (toxic!)
· Licorice
· Rhubarb
· red cabbage (causes gas)
· artichokes (causes gas)
· raw banana, potato skins, green or starchy potatoes (not ripe all the way)
· poppy seeds can cause neurological damage and sometimes death
. Junk foods (chips, and fast food products and beware of buffet foods with preservatives in them)
· Excessive candy and/or chocolate. One chocolate chip, for instance, is fine and often acts as a bronchio-dialator which helps rats with respiratory problems.

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