Chronic infections Stress fractures in bones Hair loss
Scrub surface of your fruit/vegetable vigorously with a soapy solution Rinse with water Peel or scrape the outer skin off and discard
Acceptable fruits include apples, pears, bananas, melons, berries, and citrus fruits. Acceptable vegetables include broccoli, cabbage, celery, carrots, parsley, and fresh corn. Unacceptable fruits include mangoes and green bananas. Unacceptable vegetables include raw sweet potato, dried corn, avocado, raw beans, and raw artichokes. Approximately one tablespoon of fruits and veggies per day is enough for a healthy adult rat. [6] X Trustworthy Source The Humane Society of the United States National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare Go to source
Oxbow lab blocks come in two types: young and “regal” (adult). Harlan Teklad offers varieties of lab blocks differentiated by the protein content: 14%,16%, 18%, and 23% varieties depending on the rat’s needs. Mazuri and Purina, both owned by the same parent company Land O Lakes, also produce high-quality lab blocks. [9] X Research source Lab blocks are available for sale online or in pet stores. Don’t buy mixes containing lab blocks and seeds, nuts, corn, and fruit. Rats will select the latter and leave the blocks untouched, leading to nutritional shortfalls. [10] X Research source Issue a small bowl of lab blocks once a day to your healthy adult rat. [11] X Trustworthy Source The Humane Society of the United States National organization devoted to the promotion of animal welfare Go to source
If you provide a bowl of water, the rats can also use it to bathe themselves. Be sure to wash the bowl daily. If you provide a bottle of water, make sure the mouthpiece is accessible by even the smallest rats in the cage. Check the mouthpiece regularly to ensure it is free of blockage, and give the bottle a few taps to make sure water flows freely. Be sure to empty and clean it weekly, as algae can grow inside.
Hard-boiled eggs or food encased in a cardboard wrapper that needs to be opened somehow will stimulate rats and provide them with a learning opportunity.
If you have several pet rats, make sure that when introducing a new food, you give all of them a taste. If only one rat gets a treat and the others don’t, they will smell the new food on the lucky rat later and may become aggressive. [13] X Research source
Rats can be aggressive. If you have several rats to a cage, be sure to provide a sufficient amount of food for each. Alpha rats (the leaders of the pack) or aggressive rats may hoard food for themselves. Always provide at least two food and water sources when housing multiple rats together. Rats should eat between 10% and 20% of their body weight each day. [15] X Research source
Rats eat their own feces – called cecal pellets – in order to gain important nutritional content. Preventing or disrupting this behavior could result in nutritional deficiencies in your pet rat. [16] X Research source Let your rats handle small nuts and seeds. Do not feed them these foods frequently, however, because they are high in fat. Rats like to forage and search for food. If you place a small snack in a sealed cardboard tube or in an unusual place, rats will seek it out.
