What's the best rat food and which brands are recommended?

Hello. The majority of the diet ( 80% ) should be a rodent chow like Oxbow. The chow should be around 16% protein & 4-5% fat. Fruits & veggies can be offered at about 1 teaspoon per day. You can also offer a reasonable amount of nuts & seeds, also about 1 teaspoon per day. Vary the treats each day & Pika will be a happy, healthy girl. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

You can feed commercial rodent food. It typically comes in a block or pellet form. Rats are omnivorous and will eat just about anything though. Supplement with fresh vegetables and small amounts of fruits. Ideally, if it is not injured, you should set it free. Rats can carry diseases and pests that could affect both you and your cat. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/mazuri-rat-and-mouse-food

Hello, This is a great question. This food should be fine for your hamster since they have similar teeth to rats and mice. However, seeds are very high in fat and have little vitamin content. Therefore, they’re considered “junk food” and really should be a minority of the diet. A rodent block type food (the ones that are very boring looking, tan, and all look the same) would be idea as he majorly of the diet. These rodent blocks come in different sizes for rats vs hamsters but they’re likely the same formulation.

Hello. Thank you for using PetCoach. This food is the best for pregnant/breeding/nursing rats: ( https://www.animates.co.nz/vetafarm-origins-rodent-food-350g.html ) You can offer small amounts of fruit and vegetables (such as: apples, bananas, peas, broccoli, sprouts and carrots). Cooked egg, cooked chicken and cooked pasta are also fine to give. If she is being a good mother you should not have to do anything to feed the pups. By about 3 weeks of age they are fully developed and will start eating solid food, though they are still being fed by their mother for about another week. Remember, after 4 to 4.5 weeks, the males should be separated from the rest of the pups and mom since they could impregnate their mother. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

A few things you can try are using a smaller dish for your rat and make sure to wash it weekly, daily if need be. One just big enough to hold one feeding block is plenty. And feed fortified food. These foods can be found in either “block” or “seed” type forms, and a mixture of both is recommended. If you’re trying to help your rat lose weight, feed it no more than 3 tablespoons per day. Rat blocks contain a complete supply of vitamins and minerals. And avoid the generic “rodent formula” foods available at pet stores, as these often don’t provide an adequate amount of protein for your rat. Limit treats. One tablespoon of chopped fruit or vegetable is the best treat for your rat. Including apples, strawberries, bananas, and squash as treats rather than regular part of your rat’s diet will help support its weight loss. Feed treats in a separate dish from your rat's regular food and make sure to clean the treat bowl daily. Feed her at night, when she is most active, and if you notice her stashing food in her cage, you're giving her too much. Rats are intelligent animals who need a great deal of mental stimulation and activity. If you’re trying to help your rat lose weight, making sure it has plenty of activities will help it stay healthy and happy. If you have room, buy or bulild a multi level cage so she has to climb from level to level and feed her at the top or bottom and put her nest area at the other end. Play with her, they love interaction with their people. Provide an exercise wheel, tunnels, igloos, ropes, ladders, blocks, and child or baby safe toys for your rat to play with. Wooden gnawing blocks make great chew toys. You can also offer rawhide chew sticks or hard dog biscuits. Old soup bones or chicken bones are fine for a rat to chew on

I would recommend feeding rodent blocks designed for hamsters. They are available at your local pet store. Most diets are full of seeds and dyes. These are generally picked through and can make your hamster gain weights. I prefer the block form of food.

Hello, thank you for asking your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is not as critical to provide an additional chewing substrate for rats as it might be for other rodents, so if Roux does not seem to enjoy the sticks, you do not have to provide them. You might offer her another type of rat food made by Mazuri. This comes in a biscuit form that she might enjoy gnawing on. In addition, a treat such as yogurt or dried fruit treats manufactured specifically for rodents should be provided 2-3 times a week. If Roux has normal dentition, then the teeth will naturally keep in alignment. Hope this helps. Take care.