Rat Munchies: Healthy Treats for Pet Rats
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Do you have a pet rat? Thinking about getting one? Know someone who has one? Either way, in any sense, rats will enjoy many different treats and foods, but as always, there are some better than others.
First off treats should never encompass more than 10% of a rat's diet because most treats are fatty, which can cause health concerns if the number of treats fed to a rat is extremely excessive.
And, never feed your rat chocolate, caffeine, or dairy.
You want to stick to healthier treats like dried fruits, plain yogurt, fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds, and yogurt treats.
You always want to watch how much and how often you give rats certain treats. As, seeds are fatty for rats, and fresh produce can cause diarrhea. Yogurt, fresh or dried, can, also, affect a rat's stomach causes diarrhea.
My favorite place to find rat treats, is at the grocery store. In the baby food isle and in the organic food section. In both sections you can find organically dried fruits, usually in mixtures such as cranberries and apples.
Petstores supply decent treats for rats. Kaytee makes ‘Healthy Bits,' crunchy treat balls composed of seeds, nuts, millet, and oats. Kaytee, also, creats a line of ‘Healthy Toppings' in flavors such as papaya, banana, and carrots, Yogurt treats such as Kaytee's ‘Yogurt Dips' and Nutriphase's ‘Yogurt Drops' can be fed to rats sparingly.
On occasion, I will buy plain yogurt for my girls. Putting just a tablespoon or so in bowl and letting them have at it. It's truly a treat for them, as they seldom get any.
Fresh fruits and veggies:
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Prunes
Plums
Melon
Apples
Applesauce
Bananas
Grapes
Celery
Broccoli
Squash
Cucumber
Zucchini
Carrots
Sweet Potatoes
Peas
Beans
Dried fruits and vegetables:
Carrots
Papaya
Blueberries
Raspberries
Mango
Cherries
Apple
Tomatoes
Pineapple
Raisins
Banana chips
Sweet potato
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HEALTHY TOP PMPKN SM AML 2OZ
Price: $1.30
List Price: $1.49 |
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HEALTHY TOP FRUIT SMANL1.5OZ
Price: $1.30
List Price: $2.99 |
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HEALTHY TOP CAROT SMAML1.5OZ
Price:
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HEALTHY TOP PAPAY SMAML1.5OZ
Price: $1.30
List Price: $1.49 |
Rat Info
- Rats VS Mice
When deciding upon a pet rodent, make the proper decision between rats and mice. Make sure to know the true differences. - Games and Toys for Your Rat
Find fun games for you and your pet rat(s). - Signs of Illness in Pet Rats
Make sure that you are aware of the signs of illness in your pet rat(s). - Housing Pet Rats
Finding the perfect cage is a must for pet rats. Make sure you know what you're looking for in a cage and accessories - Homemade Rat Diets
Make a healthy, homemade rat diet for your favorit pet. Find out about proper nutrition. What you can and can't feed your rats. - Homemade Rat Recipes
Find out more fun and yummy recipes that you can make for your pet rat(s). - Homemade Rat Treats
Make yummy homemade treats for your beloved pet rat(s). - How to Train Pet Rats
Tips for training your pet rat.
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Comments
They can eat yogurt, but yes it must be plain. Also, remember to only give it in limited supply because it can cause diarrhea.
Okay , Thankyou !
your food list was very helpful as i just recently bought a rat and i wasn't sure what to feed her but i do know now thanks to you. i was wondreing if rats can eat herbs for example mint?
I would not say the list is a staple diet, but treats, so please remember that. Excess of these treats can cause diarrhea and obesity.
I would not suggest herbs such as mint a treat for rats.
thanks for the food list - very helpful as we have only had our rats for two weeks
I'm glad that I could help. Good luck with your rats. But, please remember these are treats and not foods for a regular basis. You can make a healthy homemade diet, that can include some of these treats. I will post that up soon, so keep an eye out.
my baby is obsessed with pizza, so i usually take off most of the cheese and give her some when we get pizza for dinner. Is that ok for her?
I would stay away from the sauce, cheese, and any meats. If you're going to give it pizza, sticj with the crust, an only a little bit.
i tried to give my rat digger [ girl ] a raisin she did not eat it then i tried to give her a little bit of apple suace but that did not work!
not every rat liks the same things. Of my three girls, one of them only eats one papaya treat.
i am trying to give her yogurt bites from pet co but it is not working either
Sometimes it can take time to find out what they like. 2 of my rats eat anything you give them, but that one only like the 1 treat. Try fresh fruits and veggies. My girls love fresh produce. Tonight they had strawberries. Usually, they'll get carrots and blueberries. My girls love fruits over veggies though. Try buying dried fruit treats from the pet store or even the organic, all natural section of the grocery store. Gerber makes an all-natural dried fruit for babies that you can try.
Very informational hub, as always, Whitney! I feel like a lot of people have pets (be it rats or dogs or whatever) and don't know what's safe for them to eat and what their pet will LOVE. I hope lots of rat owners see this hub and benefit from it. :)
Thank you Helena. I do think many people have pets, and the responsible people and the people wanting the best for their pets are usually those constantly looking up what they can give or do for their pet to make their life better.
oh i never thought of that thanks!
is it ok to give her tiny tiny bits of cheese??
I wouldn't suggest it.
you where right, as always digger is getting used to the yogurt bites
That's good. Just keep them to a minimum as an excess can cause diarrhea. Plus they are a little fatty.
ok, will do
Rats can't eat brocolli!
Cheese isn't good for a rat's digestive system. A little slice of cheese a week as a reward after training a rat, for example would be fine though.
How many rats do you have? I have 8
nnn, Ratluvr4evu, ratty- rats can eat broccoli, there's no vitamin or chemical in broccoli that is harmful to rats. I never said that cheese was good for rats, so Im not sure where you came up with that; I would avoid dairy at all costs not even a treat. I have 3 rats currently. I would have more but I'm focusing most of my time with my reptile projects. If I had anymore rats, I would not have time to sufficiently give them the care and attention they need.
you sureknow a lot about a rat. I got mine 4 easter.wat r there names u gave them
Mine are named Zoe, Lexi, and Coe. Rats are great pets good luck with yours.
It's okay to feed your rat chocolate, just try and avoid it, even though dark cholate helps respitory problems, if they don't choke on it. You have to feed it in small bits so it doesn't crowd the rat's mouth and stop its breathing.
I wouldn't recommend feeding any pet chocolate.
I want to reward my rats for being good but dont know what to give them!!!!!! What can i give them???????????
any of the above treats should be fine in small quantities
my girls love prunes ill give them half a prune and they go wild over it they also love the gerber graduates little puffs they are kinda like puffed cheerios with fruit powder on them and they only have like 2/3 of a calorie per puff and you get a whole container of them you can get them near the baby food in the grocery store mine also love a few pieces of unsalted unbuttered popcorn and one of thenbest rewards i give my rats is a good brushing they love go get brushed theres only one of me and only one brush and they push each other out of the way to get brushed a really soft kitten brush is best i think
good luck with your rats!
Scooby doo branded plain scooby snacks were suggested by our vet. Our Rats ADORE them and they contain low fat and no soduim so they are a good healthy treat.
Also you can try dry cherios as rats enjoy them too
if rats can't eat dairy, why are you feeding them yogurt?
They aren't fed on yogurt. They can digest small bits of yogurt as treats, which is what that was. A once in a while, very seldom, treat. They can't have milk and such, but they can eat small bits of cheese and yogurt as treats. Hence the yogurt treats that they sell in the stores, although these are very fatty, they are treats that rats can eat. When buying yogurt, you need no sugar, fat free, plain old yogurt with no additives and flavors.
you just told that one guy to avoid dairy at all costs, though. including cheese. which is it?
It's both. yogurt is not a true dairy product. It is partially dairy, though. Cheese should be avoided, as should milk and ice creams, teeny pieces of cheese can be used once in a while, but really isn't recommended.
Hey can my hairless rat eat these cuz ive heard even though they look alike except their fur they r very different just wondering ur advice is super helpful thanks 4 the food list some of them sound good enough 4 me to eat! thinks :)
The main difference is fur. So, these shouldn't be of any problems.
i have a white rat an a black rat i find that my white rat is getting yellow i dont want to use rat shampoo because im scared il get it in her eyes i got wipes which is close to shampoo i bath them once a week jus wondered if theres any thing else i could use natural wise because wipes and that cant be good for the skin an fur. thanks
The yellowing is commonly caused by a dirty cage. You may want to try cleaning the cage more often. I had that problem with my hooded. I cleaned each week. It can be very hard to get the yellowing out of the fur. I tried the small animal shampoos, and they didn't work.
i tried feeding my rats mint and they love it! they were rubbing it on there fur, and then eating it, it made my hooded one turn sortof green!
Please, don't feed your rats mints.
my rat is very picky and im running out of ideas to give him. he loves carrots and rice krispies. he won't eat any rat food, except a treat like tender moments, its a cat food and he loves it. i have tried fresh vegs and he wont eat them, except carrots.he is like 2 yrs old.
I would really try to stick with rat blocks and avoid cat food. It's not healthy for rats. At 2 years old, the rat is considered a senior rat.
Is pasta an acceptable treat for rats? Should it be dry or cooked, because I've heard that dry pasta helps with their teeth but I'm afraid of it expanding in their stomachs and them getting sick, or even dying. :(
Dry noodles are better, in my opnion, as it gives them something crunchy to chew.
Is it okay to give my rats dry cheerios...a lot? :] They go crazy over them. I also tried those homemade rat treats you gave recipes for... the Dried Fruit Balls (i think that was you haha) they are in the oven right now.
Treats should be in minimal quantities, so no you should not give them cheerios in excess even if they love them.
where can you buy the rat munchies
please give us some ideas
The rat treats listed above can be purchased at the grocery store or anywhere that sells those fruits. Hate to say it but duh. I gave plenty of ideas for treats. Hopefully, they'll help.
i try to give my rats a treat but they run away what shoud i do?
Are they running off to eat their treat?
i have always givin my rats special chocolate drops ,ther fine no health problems at all,many other sites, people, pet shops etc have recomended these chocolate drops so tbh i think ther ok for them as a treat :)
What chocolate drops? Are they a small animal treat? Chocolate is generally NOT good for rats.
yeah ther animal treat 1s dunt knw if is proper chocolate but ther made for rats mice and gerbils etc
If it's a pet treat, it's probably not real chocolate. Those yogurt treats should be fed in very small numbers, they're not the healthiest or the best to offer as treats. The best treats are dried fruits.
thanks alot...my mom was wonder if we could give our rat carrots like i give to my rabbit so i went looking and now i can bye for my rabbit and my rat at the same time...haha thats awsome...
Yes, you can feed your rat carrots as treats. I wouldn't offer them daily.
Ha, I finally found a treat that my rat Chloe would actually take from my hand. She is digging apples. Thank you. =D
Hi. I have two male rats that are about 4 months old and they LOVE little bits of whole wheat bread. Is that ok to feed them every once and a while?
I'd keep it at a very low minimum. Bread can be fatty.
Ok thank you. Im also wondering what harlan teklad number lab block I should use - 2014 or 2016? I have them on 2016 right now and they are starting to get a little bit chubby but I'm not really sure (I'm new at this). Do you have any suggestions?
There isn't that much difference betweein the two. Both are good versions. Between the two, I think the 2014 is slightly more recommended because of the lower proteins.
Ok thank you so much!
Krysta says:
2 years ago
I did'nt know that rats could eat yogurt , do they like it alot? So I can't give them flavored yogurt? right ,just plain?