Rats are probably the only animals that can eat human cooked food in any form. They are omnivores just like humans so they prefer eating fresh and cooked food like wholegrain rice, bread, and vegetables. Getting your rat to eat something new takes a few weeks so be patient and offer only a small amount of the new food to the rat.
You should feed your rat a well-balanced meal, which includes vegetables, grains, fruits, meat and dairy products. Rats are unable to throw up if they don’t like the food or it makes them ill, so they take a small bite of the food served wait for some time to see if the food agrees with them, if they feel okay then they come back and finish it. Rats love to eat cooked pasta in tomato sauce, vegetables, cheese and mashed potatoes.
Eating vegetables, fruits and other fresh foods is very beneficial for rat health. You can always mix some high protein puppy food as this helps in the young rats growth.
In order to provide proper nutrition ensure that the following rat foods are a part of the diet; Whole wheat pasta which is cooked and served with bread, mealworms, cooked beans, chicken bones, yogurt, breakfast cereals that is low on salt and sugar content, dog biscuits, cooked liver, fruits such as grapes, melons, apples, cherries, plums and vegetables such as peas, potatoes, parsley, sweet potato, broccoli and carrots. Rat’s loves to eat the leftovers after your meals however avoid giving any fatty or sugar scraps. Sunflower seeds are another treat your rat will enjoy. Very often rats will pick a few things from the food that they like and leave the rest. Always remember to serve to the food in small portions. Add some dog food, some commercial block food or some broken up rice cakes to complete the nutrition. A healthy meal your rat will enjoy is; mix some Barley flakes, buckwheat, soy flakes, whole wheat flakes, oats with unsalted sunflower seeds. Lastly always ensure that your rat has a fresh supply of clean water.
Rats have a habit of washing themselves while drinking the water so remember to replace their water bowl often. There are certain foods that are dangerous and toxic foods for rats. Some of these are chocolate, orange juice, green bananas, sweet potatoes, blue cheese, licorice, peanuts, raw beans, raw brussels sprouts. Avoid giving your rat any carbonated drinks as it is cannot burp and expel the gas which can cause severe bloating.
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