What do domestic rats eat?

Many people do not associate the rat with a pet, but they are quite cute and smart, therefore they are popular. In order for the pet to feel healthy, the owner will need to properly organize its nutrition and exclude some foods from the diet.

It is easy to care for a decorative house rat, since it can eat fruits, vegetables, grains, pasta, dairy products and even meat can be present in its diet. Despite the fact that these animals are considered rodents, only plant foods should not be present in their diet. The food must be balanced, the portions are given the same both in the morning and in the evening.

No rat that is healthy will refuse a treat if it lies next to the main food. Sometimes they go to the trick and stop eating on purpose in order to beg the owner for something tasty. In this case, you need to show persistence and not give in, wait until the animal has eaten all the food.

Depending on the nature of the pet, a treat is sometimes understood as completely opposite products.

The grain mixture is the main food for domestic rats. It is collected according to the basic needs of the rodent. All ingredients can be purchased individually at the poultry market, then mixed.In this case, the finished packaged product has its own advantages, since it is accurately tested and is not processed with chemicals. When purchasing grain by weight, you never know under what conditions the product was stored, the only positive side is that you can collect food from the desired ingredients, and not buy a "pig in a poke".

All grain mixtures can be divided into the following classes:

• super premium;
• premium;
• economy

By the name, it is easy to guess how the food differs from each other. The most expensive ones are those that are in the first group, they are clearly balanced, contain vitamin supplements, do not have high fat content and most often even include animal protein in the composition.

The fodder of the second group instead of wheat, which is quite expensive, contains rye or oats. These are mixtures with a high percentage of fat, so you will need to carefully regulate the pet's nutrition. Protein is added additionally.

Economy-class mixtures are very poor in nutrients, they contain a lot of plant granules, and they are of no value to the animal.

You should always remember that the grain purchased on the market in most cases is processed with chemicals, so the manufacturer should be chosen more carefully. Of the grains that must be present in the rat's diet, one can single out:

• barley;
• seeds;
• oats;
• millet;
• corn;
• wheat;
• bran.

They give the product as unrefined as possible, since in this form it is healthier and contains more vitamins and minerals.

Grain is constantly present in the feed. One tablespoon of an adult is enough per day, but a growing body with an intensive metabolism will need to provide constant access to such food.

In relation to grain feed, these products should be present in the animal's diet in a ratio of 1: 2 or 1: 1. You cannot transfer the rat exclusively to a diet in which only vegetables are present. Carrots, zucchini, herbs and cucumbers are well suited for their nutrition. Beets can cause diarrhea.

Apples, raspberries, apricots, currants and peaches can also be fed to the animal. As for grapes, gas production increases from it in rats.

Fruits and vegetables are low-calorie, but healthy food, there is no norm for its use, but the main thing is that along with them there are grains in the diet of rodents. They should always be fresh, so everything that the rat did not eat yesterday is removed. Yesterday's perishable food should not be eaten by rats, this causes poisoning in the animal.

As for citrus fruits and other fruits, tangerines, pomegranates, kiwi, pineapple, oranges, due to their high acid content, veterinarians were excluded from the list of allowed for decorative rats. Moreover, it can even cause allergies. Better to give persimmon, avocado, pear. Boiled potatoes are rarely allowed to be given to an animal, raw, and even more so sprouted is strictly prohibited.

In winter, the rat will be delighted with the sprouted grain; in the summer, you can throw a bunch of fresh grass at it, but you should not collect it along the road. Before putting greens into the cage, they must be washed and poured over with boiling water. About 10% of the total diet is greens; on average, no more than 12 grams of it is needed per individual per day.

Experienced rat breeders know the importance of seasonality in their diet. In spring it is very good to replenish vitamins and minerals with dandelions and fresh grass, in summer you can please the animal with carrots or berries. Autumn is rich in fruits, and in winter all the nutrients are contained in roots.

Meat products are understood to mean animal feed. Give them to rats in small portions a couple of times a week.

Chicken bones are a great addition to the rat's menu, but they should only be given boiled. You can treat your pet to meat, but not pork, as it is too fatty. Rodents are very fond of feasting on boiled fish and even quail eggs, but if the yolk is given, then it is first moistened, otherwise the rat may choke on it.

Dairy products are introduced into the diet of pets gradually, first checking it for digestibility. At an early age, the calcium found in dairy products will be most beneficial. Too often, milk and its derivatives are not given, otherwise you can face an upset stomach in a rat. If fermented milk additives such as kefir or yogurt are used, then they must be without dyes, and preferably fat-free.

Cottage cheese and fermented baked milk can also be added to the diet. Raw milk is very useful for pregnant females. Condensed milk is strictly prohibited, it contains a colossal amount of sugar that cannot be absorbed by the rat. Cheese, sour cream and cream are also prohibited.

There are foods that rats love the most, including walnuts, hazelnuts, seeds. Unsweetened cookies are also a treat, like a piece of fresh young carrots, boiled pasta, or even a crouton. The pet store has special treats - drops. They are produced in different flavors from a variety of ingredients.

It is impossible to indulge rats with such food, once a day will be enough. Drops are allowed to be given no more than 6 pieces per day. These nutritional supplements are like candy - sweet but not beneficial. In addition, not every manufacturer takes a responsible approach to the process of making drops and is not always ready to indicate the true composition of the product.

It is also necessary to please your animal with sweets correctly, therefore choose products that do not contain sugar and salt, and should not contain flavors and spices. You can give dried fruits or nuts every day. Most individuals cannot deny themselves the pleasure of eating cornflakes, but they should be free of sugar and salt.

Diabetics have unsweetened cookies in their diet, which can also be attributed to the treats that the described animals adore. Food for small children will also delight the animal, for example, mashed potatoes. You can make it from fruits and vegetables and yourself, since natural products will bring more benefits than purchased ones.

Not everything that tastes good to a person is suitable for a rat, this applies to meatballs with sauce and other foods from the table. Lightly dried pet bread is much better. If it contains bran, muesli or cereals, then the pet will be in seventh heaven.

If the animal has become a full member of the family, then you can please it with a homemade delicacy. An excellent and healthy option at the same time is porridge made from cereals and vegetables or fruits... In the summer, it can be zucchini, perhaps a pumpkin, in winter it is easy to get by with a frozen mixture from the supermarket.

Vegetables are baked or steamed, cereals are steamed or slightly boiled. A small amount of sunflower oil and a quail egg are added to the mixture. A rat will not be able to refuse a steamed omelet, but it is not milk that should be added to it, but water. Steamed meatballs with vegetables are also a great alternative to a delicious meal for an animal, but beef is the best choice in this case.

Of crustaceans, rats feast on gammarus, which is added to ready-made buckwheat.

You need to know that Rat cubs do not always eagerly eat fresh vegetables, but they love baked ones very much.

It is believed that decorative rats, like their wild relatives, are omnivores, in fact, this is not the case, since there is a clear list, dictated by veterinarians that they should not be given:

• banana;
• chocolate and other sweets;
• raw potatoes;
• tea;
• fresh bread;
• soda and alcohol;
• bread;
• beet;
• grape;
• spinach.

Spinach, cocoa and soy should also be absent from the diet, as are boiled cereals, which are often eaten by the animal. It is enough just to fill the porridge with hot water so that it is ready to eat, but not to boil it.

There is plant food, which is often the cause of the death of an animal, including indoor flowers:

• feces;
• begonia;
• dieffenbachia;
• azalea;
• cyclamens.

If you want to treat a rat with melons, then you should not do it in early summer, when the fruits contain a lot of nitrates. Sometimes such poisoning leads to the death of the animal, while in humans it only causes malaise. You can feed rats with fruits and vegetables, but it is desirable that they grow on their own plot.

Any food in the cage should not remain stale, spoiled food leads to severe poisoning.

The rat, like any other pet, should be fed correctly, that is, observe the diet and regimen. If you give food from the table too often, then you can greatly harm your pet's health. The rat is unable to properly digest salt, sugar and even spices, let alone the dyes that have become increasingly present in store products.

A healthy rat's diet should be based on grain feed.... You can buy it at any specialty store. If you study the composition in more detail, it becomes clear that the pack contains a collection of seeds and grains that the animal can eat without harm to health. There are always oats, corn and wheat inside. The cost of such feed is quite affordable, and sometimes it contains vitamin supplements.

When there is an opportunity to collect food on your own, you must definitely use it. If you have different crops, you just need to mix them in the same proportion. Food should always be in the rat's bowl, but if the animal gets fat, then the amount of food is controlled.

Fruits and vegetables are used as complementary foods, greens can be given, but in small quantities. These foods contain all the essential minerals and vitamins. The calorie content of such products is reduced, therefore, the weight of the rodent will remain at the required level.

Rats drink water, so a drinking bowl is installed in the cage and the water in it always remains fresh and clean. Change the water every day.

In addition to these foods, a chicken's egg may be present in the pet's diet, in particular, protein, lean meat, and even a small amount of fish. It is allowed to give dog food. Protein is added to the diet no more than 2 times a week, the pups are given it a little more often.

To compensate for the calcium deficiency, the rat can be given low-fat kefir. The portion should be small, complementary foods are introduced no more than once a month.

Any living organism needs vitamins and minerals, but decorative animals do not always have the opportunity to get them in the proper amount from food. As strange as it may sound, but Even rats suffer from vitamin deficiency, it negatively affects the health of the pet, especially if there is a deficiency of calcium and sodium.

In this case, a lot depends on the owner, how attentive he is to his pet. Calcium deficiency can be replenished through the consumption of hydrated lime or bone meal. Rock salt is an excellent source of sodium.The liver and even sea fish help the rat get the right amount of phosphorus.

Particular attention is paid to female rats during pregnancy. This is the very time when they need more nutrients. Before mating, experienced breeders advise limiting their carbohydrate and fat intake and increasing their portions of fiber-rich foods. When they are obese, they try to reduce grain feed to a minimum portion.

Pregnant females begin to be given more animal protein, that is, meat and fish; chicken cartilage will also be an excellent addition to the menu. Chalk and shell rock must be present in their diet, as they are enriched with essential minerals.

Onions, chicken egg yolk and liver are completely removed from the pregnant rat's menu, as are bell peppers, tomatoes and even wheat.

With the correct diet, food is given to the animal twice a day. Rats are most active at night, so the evening dose should be slightly higher than the morning dose. It is possible to break the diet and give food to the rat more often in several cases:

• individuals under 6 months of age, as they require more nutrients and calories to grow;
• if the animal is emaciated after another owner or after an illness;
• if a rat has signs of diabetes mellitus, there should always be food in its feeder.

For one rat, 40 grams of grain feed is poured into the feeder, on average, this is one tablespoon. Raw fruits and vegetables are given no more than 12 grams per day, with the onset of diarrhea, this amount is halved.

Animal protein should be given as a complementary food a couple of times a week, fermented milk products - only once a month. These types of food are not mixed with each other on the same day. Each new product, like with a small child, is introduced into the diet. gradually to make sure it fits the rat. There are individuals who are lactose intolerant.

For information on how to properly maintain a pet rat, see below.