Rats are omnivorous, which means that they will basically eat anything. You can buy rat and mouse food at the grocery store or pet store, but to keep your rat super happy, you need to supplement his staple cereal food with something a little more exciting. Improved nutrition can extend the lifespan of rats to 5 years.
You’ll find out what your pets’ favorite food is with a little experimentation (don’t mention that word in front of rats). Try lots of fresh, healthy foods, like carrot sticks dipped in juicy apples and pears, and you’ll soon see what they’re eating right away, what they’re hiding for later, and what they just can’t bother at all.
One of my rats loves grapes. She holds them so delicately, peels off the tops, and licks the insides like a cream egg.
Giving rats treats is also okay. They like the fruity treats you can buy at the pet store for rabbits and guinea pigs and the carob drops you get for dogs. My rats also like my dog’s dry crackers a bit.
Try the raisins and bread and peanut butter, spread thinly, to avoid choking (on a carrot or celery) and you will see what they like best. Like us, they like variation in their diet. My rats, Ginger and Mr T love chocolate soy milk and many rats also like yogurt. Regular soy in the diet of our rats has been proven to reduce the chance of developing mammary tumors. Hard-boiled eggs and bacon crust are other things your rats may enjoy.
Ginger in particular is quite greedy and will actually try to get things out of my mouth when I eat! What a nose!
Try hiding special treats around your cage in secret places and your rats will love spending time searching for their favorite food, just as they would in the wild.
Remember not to overfeed your rats. If they get fat, they can be more susceptible to tumors and other unpleasant things, so do everything in moderation and try to feed them a lot of healthy life foods, as well as some treats.
Of course, you should always provide plenty of fresh water, ideally from a drip bottle, attached to the cage, which you can get from the pet store. Try to clean the bottle and food bowl regularly to help keep your rats nice and healthy. Also be sure to change your food every day.
Do not feed male orange rats. They have a component called d-limonene that accumulates in the kidneys of male rats and can cause cancer. Avoid all citrus flavors, oils, and fruits. D-limonene has not been shown to have any effect on female rats, but it may be best to avoid these fruits anyway and consume other foods that the rat likes. Rats do not need to eat as much vitamin C as humans, as they can produce their own. You should also avoid giving him lettuce as it can cause diarrhea.
When you find out what your rat’s favorite food is, you can use it to train it. Rats are very smart and will do anything for their favorite food. They also like to please their favorite person. My rats love to do tricks with a piece of chocolate Nesquick cereal or a scoop of chocolate soy milk (note the chocolate issue).