Feeding

It is crucial to remember that Rats are omnivores. The eat both meat and fruits/vegetables. Many people such as I did in the beginning, assume they eat similar to hamsters and gerbils. After owning rats for over 10 years I have found a feeding plan that works well for me. Nothing is set in stone, each rat will eat differently and you have to find a feeding schedule that works best for you.

We feed Mazuri Rodent Pellets as the main diet. Occasionaly a homemade grain mixture is also given.

The grain mixture contains:

Non-Sugured Cheerios Total Cereal Flakes Wheat Vegetable Pasta Wheat Puffs Rice Puffs Raisons

I also use nutritious treats to balance their diet. Rats enjoy:

Baby food Gerber Chicken Sticks Frozen Peas Baby Spinach Dried Seaweed Black and Brown Rice Cooked Pasta Broccoli Greens Fruits Cooked Meat Oysters

We use hanging feeders on our Martin's Cages. It is a good way to prevent food wasting and normally once the food is taken from the feeder it is eaten and not strung around the cage. It is also a good indicator of how much food the ratties are eating. At first glance they appear difficult to use, but with their small hands, rats have no problem getting the blocks through the cage bars. We make our own feeerders. Here are the photographs and instructions for hanging feeders.

 

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