How to choose food for fancy rats?

It's no secret that the decorative rat is an omnivorous animal. In this regard, many owners of this pet have the false impression that the rat can be fed with the leftovers from their table. It is worth noting that such actions can lead to serious health problems in the animal or even to its death. Therefore, it is extremely important to familiarize yourself with the principles of feeding decorative rats with grain mixture and store food.

It is worth noting that a pet rat can sometimes be pampered with a piece from "your" table, but the pet's main diet should be balanced and responsive to the needs of its body. But still, you should not feed the animal with salty, fried and fatty foods. By and large, the basis of rat food is grain. Complementary foods are supplements in the form of animal protein, vegetable and fruit pieces, fermented milk products and various special delicacies sold in the format of vitamins.

Today rat food is presented in a huge assortment in any pet store. An alternative to the feed is a DIY cereal mix. The main advantage of industrial feed is its balanced composition.

The manufacturer has already done everything himself, selected the necessary ingredients and even calculated the daily rate for the pet, depending on its age and weight. In the case of a grain mixture, you will have to spend some time looking for the necessary grain and other components. But making your own food will be much healthier as the rat won't get the chemicals treated ingredients.

It is conventionally accepted to divide industrial rat food into 3 groups.

• Deluxe suite. It is a perfectly balanced product using only quality ingredients. For the manufacturer of such products, the main task is to use high-grade grain (usually wheat). The food in this segment is often supplemented with animal protein, the fat content of which barely reaches 15 percent. Compliance with the norms is the main indicator that all the needs of the animal's body have been met and taken into account.

• Suite. This is a segment with average product quality. This product does not have as varied composition as in the case of the deluxe suite. As a rule, the manufacturer adds more rye, oats, barley and millet to the product, which are considered inexpensive grains and "poor" in nutrients. Therefore, the owners of the rat often have to mix an additional portion of grain into the feed. In addition, these foods lack animal protein, which is actually not so critical, provided that the rat still receives it in the form of complementary foods.

• Economy... Such a product is extremely scarce for additional nutrients and minerals, it cannot be called balanced. Therefore, it would be a mistake to feed it to the animal as the main food. In fact, the economy class rat food is intended for diluting excessively fatty food, since it is based on grains and "sticks" obtained by processing grass.

Rat complementary foods must be chosen not only for reasons of quality composition, but also for an affordable budget. There is no need to spend fabulous money on a bag of industrial pet food mix.

It is permissible to feed a decorative rat with dry cat food, but only with extreme caution and without being carried away. The fact is that the protein content in the cat's diet is much higher than the daily norm necessary to meet the needs of the rat's body. It's pretty easy to overdo it. It is recommended to use the cat food as a treat, giving the pet a few things at a time.

According to the prevailing number of reviews of holders of decorative rats, it is best to give preference to imported products, since its composition is more balanced, of high quality and has a lower likelihood of an allergic reaction in the pet.

Do not forget about the finickyness of decorative rats. Quite a common situation when a pet begins to "rebel" if it stops receiving a treat. Dry cat food is addictive not only in cats, but also in domestic rats.... Therefore, excessive addition of cat food to the diet can cause the animal to be whimsical and refuse to eat normal food. In the latter case, it is recommended to be firm.

If the rat, after consuming the cat food, began to refuse to take the usual grain mixture, it is necessary not to pay attention and wait until the pet stops being capricious and eats up the old food.

There can be several reasons for the transfer of decorative rats to a self-made grain mixture, namely:

• an allergic reaction to store food;
• desire (or need) to save money, since sometimes it is cheaper to make a grain mixture at home than buying ready-made rat food;
• be sure of the quality of the ingredients involved and the absence of chemical processing.

With the right approach, you can make a completely balanced composition that can completely replace dry food. Various cereals must be taken as a basis without fail, the presence of wheat, rye, oats and barley is useful. Most cereals at home are a great alternative. A kilogram of rice, millet or buckwheat will be enough. Sometimes sunflower or pumpkin seeds are used.

The main requirement in the preparation of home food for a decorative rat is that cereals are the basis. There are many options for recipes for a grain mixture, they can vary depending on the needs of the rat organism or the wishes of the owner. Below are some successful homemade rat food recipes.

For the first recipe, you will need to acquire the following ingredients:

• whole grain wheat;
• dried fruits (if you wish, you can take several varieties at once);
• pearl barley;
• oatmeal;
• millet;
• small rice groats;
• buckwheat;
• corn or pea flakes;
• pumpkin seeds;
• Purina Pro Plan cat food (you can give preference to another brand, the main thing is to pay attention to the composition that the manufacturer offers).

The cooking procedure is incredibly simple - after measuring in equal proportions all the previously indicated ingredients, mix them. The rat balanced cereal mix is ​​ready. It is recommended to store it in a dry, dry place for 12 months. However, it is advisable to prepare the mixture in small portions, each time noting the pet's reaction to the prepared food.

For the second recipe, you will need to stock up on the required amount of the following ingredients:

• wheat;
• oats;
• rye;
• barley;
• buckwheat;
• peas;
• meat feed;
• sunflower and pumpkin seeds;
• cornflakes;
• hemp seeds;
• a bag of dried fruits.

The following recipe does not contain animal protein, which means that it becomes necessary to introduce it into the rat's diet in the form of complementary foods. So, from the ingredients you need to get the following:

• wheat (it is she who forms the basis of the entire grain mixture);
• peeled oats;
• sunflower seeds;
• pearl barley;
• dry medium-sized pasta;
• corn flakes;
• pumpkin seeds;
• dried banana chips;
• buckwheat;
• unroasted peanuts;
• barley.

It is advisable to prepare a grain mixture in a volume that will be enough for the animal for one or two months. You can calculate the required amount of feed yourself. To do this, take into account the required daily food intake. So, a decorative rat of average weight will need 10-15 grams of grain mixture.

The use of a large number of cereals in the preparation of homemade food has given rise to a controversial issue of introducing cereals into the diet of domestic rats. Porridge is not capable of causing any damage to the animal's body, but it is a source of easily digestible carbohydrates, which the pet does not need at all. Therefore, if you wish to pamper it with gruel, lightly steam the cereal with boiling water, but in no case boil it or add seasonings. The body will assimilate the necessary vitamins anyway, and the animal will remain happy.

You can find out about what you can and cannot feed rats from the following video.