There are so many different kinds of rat food out there and each one looks convincing enough. The package tells you that it has vitamins and minerals, that it has whole yummy goodness and will give your pet a long healthy life but sadly there is a huge difference between some of the foods you may be feeding your wee ones. Blocks(Pellets) are always the first recommendation as seed mixes to do have a clear balance of nutrition and the rats tend to only pick out and eat their favourite parts. Leaving them lacking a lot in their diet. Seed mixes also tend to have a lot of nuts and seeds which rats love and too many can cause your rats to gain weight as they are high in fat. Some of the best choices for our rats are not readily available in stores and some areas do not even stock them. Some people resort to purchasing their rat food online. One food a lot of people manage to get their hands on is Living World Hamster Extrusion. You can pick this up at any Pet Valu, PetSmart, Walmart, Zellers and most other well known pet supply stores. Yes it is technically a hamster feed but the ingredients are very close to that of a rats needs therefore it does just fine. Many rats tend to love the taste of the Extrusion, it has almost a grainy sweet smell. Now the Extrusion is not "the best" food you can get for your rats but is a close second and is much higher quality then most other brands so it is well recommened. I've fed my rats this brand for years. Just a heads up they have recently updated their packaging so the bags may not all still look like this.
If you want to upgrade to a higher quality food you can sometimes have your local vet order it for you or ask around and see if some of your pet stores can. If not you may have to resort to ordering online. The first excellent rat food is Oxbow Regal rat. It is made specifically for your rats. Oxbow Regal Rat is developed for adult Rats. It is a low-fat, 14% protein, nutritionally-balanced food that improves the quality of life for rats without causing obesity. The kibble contains 100% of a rat’s daily essential nutrients. It was formulated by a team of professionals in the laboratory animal science, zoo nutrition and wildlife nutrition fields. The kibble itself is shaped like little hearts and smells like apples and grains. The only down side with this kibble is that it does not seem to be overly palatable meaning a lot of rats don't seem to be overly thrilled about the flavour. On the other hand some rats go crazy for it so it really depends on the individual preference of the rat.
Oxbow Regal Rat- Great nutrition for your rats
Another Excellent choice is Harlan TekLad 2014. This rat food was originally engineered in a lab and used on lab rats. Scientists researching and formulating the perfect diet for rats to increase lifespan and health. After a lot of formulating, time and great results the food found its way into the hands of rat lovers across the globe. 2014 is a fixed formula, nutritionally balanced, non-autoclavable diet containing 14% protein and 3.5% fat. Studies show that low fat, low protein diets promote longevity and normal body weight in rats. This kibble does not contain alfalfa or soybean meal, in turn minimizing the occurrence of natural phytoestrogens. No animal protein and fish meal eliminates the presence of nitrosamines. This food only comes in big 40lb bags so when bought online in a different size you will recieve yours in zip lock sealed bags.
Harlan TekLad 2014 is a great food for rats!
If you cant manage to get your hands on any of these 3 higher quality foods there are others that you can use as a substitute which are not as high quality but will do if supplemented with other healthy treats you can feed. Rodent Diet by Cuisine(blocks) I believe is sold in most Pet Values. Many carry the seed mix but if they are able to order the blocks that would be the healthier option. The protein is 18% which is not perfect but not super bad. The ideal protein for an adult rat would be between 14-16% as not many brands make lower protein levels. High protein food can cause small to severe skin conditions in rats, obesity and is hard on their organs. Another is Kaytee Forti-Diet Health Mouse and Rat. This food is alright but the protein is too high at 21%. If you cannot find any other food for the time being, ingredient wise it is a good choice. CareFresh has also come out with a rat formula which I would think would be sold in many PetSmarts. This food is about 18% protein.
If you wanted to you could buy your ratties a seed mix as a treat every now and then. When I had my first rats I used to buy them blocks aswell as a seed mix and the mixes I bought they usually ate almost everything. Brown's Gourmet Rat and Mouse Diet is one example of a seed mix I used to buy for my guys. The inside smells apsolutely mouth watering and is packed with tasty treats and a wide variety of food. Some of the ingredients are wheat, oat groats, kafir, whole corn, striped sunflower seed, green whole peas, buckwheat, pumpkin seed, shelled peanuts, jumbo green peas, almonds, pecans, walnuts, banana chips, carrots, raisins, maple peas, lentils, papaya and brown rice amoung other ingredients. The other was Reggie Rat Food, this mix smelled of nice sweet grains with many of the ingredients being turned into pellet forms. Some of the ingredients were Ground whole wheat, whole corn, flaked peas, flaked whole wheat, whole oats, pelleted soybean meal, dehydrated alfalfa meal, kibbled locust beans, soybean meal, soybean oil (preserved with BHT), ground whole corn and ground dried banana amoung other ingredients.
In the end what ever food you decide to feed make sure your little ones get their daily fresh veggies and fruits for a healthy balanced meal. This could include cucumbers, broccoli, Romaine lettece(Iceburg is not as healthy), red grapes(helps fight illness), apples, blueberries, carrots etc...
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