The Right Diet
The key to a long life for your friend is to feed an appropriate diet that keeps them healthy.
Safe treats should be given every 2-3 days in moderation and with portion size taken into account for how many rats are being fed. If you are unsure if a treat is safe, a quick google search usually helps answer your question.
Every rat needs a good well-balanced staple food to keep their diet consistent. I recommend feeding any one of the following options daily. I personally feed Mazuri 6F. There has been a proven connection to high calorie intake and tumors in rats according to the article from studies involving laboratory rats, so no outside factors are involved. You can find the original source here to learn more. Rats should have only 15-20g a day to prevent increased risk of developing tumors. It’s okay if it isn’t an exact measurement as rats don’t naturally always eat the exact amount daily. Scatter feeding can be beneficial to provide enrichment as rats are foragers, but it is not necessary to provide.
Despite popular belief, mixed “fiesta” food is not suitable as rats will pick around the important pieces that hold the vitamins and minerals they need. The one exception is the Shunamite Diet as this provides all optimal options that rats will love. While the pellets look “bland”, they hold all nutritional values necessary and my rats enjoy them. While I would love to have a longer list of recommended food, other various popular brands have been found to not have the nutritional value that rats require to live a long healthy life.
Mazuri 6F rat pellets
Oxbow Adult rat pellets
Shunamite Diet; must scatter feed to prevent selective eating, otherwise they do not get all the essential ingredients for a healthy diet.
To see more information about safe treats, please click here to be redirected to Isamu Rats website where they go more in depth.
Water Bottles vs Bowls
Rats should have access to water and food 24/7. Water should be given in a water bottle, but optionally can include a water bowl in addition to a water bottle. There is always a risk the water bottle will leak, but here are some options I have found that have less of a chance to leak:
Rice-stuffed dried corn husks make a great treat that is both healthy and enriching. Click Here to see how!
