What should I feed a rat....

[L.West]

I currently have two snakes that won't eat anything but live rats - some weeks they refuse to eat so I end up keeping the rat until the next feeding day. My question is - what type of foods do rats like - what should I be offering them while they are in my care.

Thanks

[lilbit]

well there will probably be some debate about this but when i had to keep live for a while before i started to breed i just used some table scraps like some veggies, chicken bones, dog food, ect..they will eat just about anything but i would probably go pick op a pound or 2 of rodent food next time your at the pet shop its less then $.90 a pound.

[L.West]

Yes, I did pick up some rat food from the pet store - but they don't seem too interested in it.

I was just curious what else I could offer them - and you answered that for me - thanks.

Is there anything in particular that I should avoid giving them.

[blankchip]

mazuri all the way. here are some things to keep in mind when deciding. let me know what you think.

i have heard people on here ask how to get the smell down. well here is what i did. i used to complain untill i actually thought about it. when we humans eat like crap we pass gas a it is bad. we also look like crap and feel that way. if we eat good and dont eat junk then we are better off in that area. we even feel better and our bodies are in better shape.

therefore we should feed our rodents the diet they need. if you feed them junk that there bodies dont need then it gets passed through the body and they pea and poop it out and it smells worse than it should. the right good food helps a lot with the smell. remember that people say that rats do just fine in the wild. they do and they stink in the wild also. well maybe not, because they arent force feed junk food all day. imo

you will go through more food with crap food because the rats have to eat more of it to get the nutrition they need out of it.

another thing is the production of the babies. i have had an increase in output ever since i have used mazuri. even if it is only 1,2, or even 3 more babies per litter. add that up, 10 moms 10 litters plus a few more babies each litter that is about 20-30 babies more or even more. that in its self pays for the bag of mazuri.

lets talk about the survival rate of the babies. i can remember the last time i had a still born. if the mom is healthy she will have a healthy litter. and the babies will grow up better and healthier. if the moma rat is unhealthy do you think that her feeding the babies is any better.

so the bag of the cheap stuff(dog food) has all the same numbers on it as the mazuri. like protien, fat ect. what is the source of the protien and the source of the fat. i will tell you that it is not what they need. they dont need there fat and protein from meat, that is not what they eat. there is meat product in dog food.

people wonder why there rats arent getting pregnant or having small litters, well here is my two cents. why do you think that the big breeder use it, probably to make more money.

feed your dog the dog food your hog the hog food and your cat your cat food. Or better yet you can eat the hog or dog food, it will be cheaper wouldnt it.lol

If you agree or disagree then say so and say why. thank you

[cinderbird]

Yes, I did pick up some rat food from the pet store - but they don't seem too interested in it.

I was just curious what else I could offer them - and you answered that for me - thanks.

Is there anything in particular that I should avoid giving them.

what not to feed your rats -- http://www.petratscanada.com/forbidden_foods.htm

The seed diets are terrible for rodents, they're full of fat and unnecessary things.

Blankchip, you bring up a good point about breeding feeders, but do you think someone temporarily housing feeder rodents needs to feed them mazuri? or can they give healthy table scraps along with some regular rodent food?