How to choose food for a rat: review and rating of popular brands

Dry food for rats is the basis of the diet of these ornamental animals. A bowl with it must be present in the cage around the clock, especially in the case of young animals. A balanced diet is the basis for a long, healthy life for your pet, but choosing the right option from the huge variety of products on the market can be difficult.

New rat owners often wonder which mixture is best. Why do some of them cost several times more than others? Does it make sense to overpay? Can the food be used for hamsters, ferrets or degus? Unfortunately, pet store salespeople rarely have sufficient training to provide expert advice. In order to help young rat breeders, I have compiled the top 8 foods for rats, which includes the best products in different price categories.

Grain or pelleted food: which is better?

There is no difference in composition between granulated feed and grain feed. The difference lies in the release form. To make feed granules, a grain composition is used and formed under a press.

If a rat eats grains and vegetables without sorting through them, then preference should be given to the grain type of food. If a rodent tends to ignore vegetables in its diet, eating only its favorite grains from the mixture, then granulated grains are suitable for such a pet. An animal's diet must contain all types of vitamins, so it is important that it eats a balanced diet.

The form of food should be chosen based on the animal’s preference. This can be determined by giving both types of food. The selected product is worth purchasing in the future.

How to choose the right food

Proper selection of food is the main task of every rat owner. It is very important to find a composition that will maximally meet the needs of the animal. If it also satisfies taste preferences, the rodent will eat it completely and be well satisfied. It also happens that over time the rat gets tired of a certain mixture, so you can select several options and alternate them. Pay special attention to the choice of food for small rats, since it is very important for babies to receive all the substances their bodies need for normal development.

Here you can read about what rats eat.

Feed composition

When compiling a daily menu for a decorative rat, you need to consider which substances should predominate in it, and which should be less. For example, the daily diet should contain no more than 10% fat, and protein - up to 30%. The rest should preferably be were carbohydrate compounds. Moreover, in addition to grain crops, the animal should eat up to 30 g of fruits and vegetables every day.

If you do not have time for such preparations and calculations, you can purchase ready-made feed. Before purchasing, read the ingredients carefully and make sure that it contains all the necessary components (read more about the feed in the “Types of feed” section). A good example is the composition of Beaphar Xtravital. It contains several types of grains, pieces of vegetables, oils, fats that add shine to the coat, as well as minerals and small fractions of turkey. This also includes echinacea and alfalfa - herbs that improve the rodent’s immunity.

As a supplement, fermented milk products are given once a week, no more than 30 g, and food of animal origin is given once every 2 weeks. In this case, the one-time norm is 15–20 g per individual. The basis of the diet of newborn rat pups at first is mainly mother's milk. If the female turns out to be a caring mother, human help will not be required at this time. After just a few weeks, you can gradually transfer babies to artificial nutrition. It also happens that quite a lot of rat pups are born at a time - about 10-12 babies.

Find out what causes kitty rats to chatter and grind their teeth.

In this case, a tired mother may simply reject some of them; here it is simply impossible to do without the participation of the owners. High-quality milk formulas, such as Zoologic Milk Matrix 33/40, will be good substitutes for mother's milk for rat pups. This substitute matches almost any mammalian milk. As a last resort, if you cannot buy them, goat milk will do.

Before switching to artificial food, you should use the drugs “Hidrovit” or “Regidron” to normalize the water-alkaline balance in babies. The concentration of the mixture at the first feeding should be minimal; it is enough to dilute 1 part of the powder in 3 parts of liquid. Next, you can thicken the milk by bringing it to a consistency of 1 part liquid and 3 parts mixture.

Important! Rats under six months are not recommended to change the diet to which they were initially accustomed by the breeder, as the animals will experience great stress.

Already in the fourth week, rat pups can eat solid food. You can start giving small pieces of fruits and vegetables, in the following days introduce a boiled egg, then grain products. When choosing compound feed, give preference to those with a higher price. Cheap compounds can harm the health of still very weak animals. A good option would be the “Versele Laga Crispy Muesli” composition, which has an excellent set of ingredients, including vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc. Its advantage also lies in its attractive aroma and the absence of large pieces.

Benefits for rats

To keep your baby rat healthy and physically active, it is recommended to choose food mixtures with the most complete composition. First of all, they must contain vitamins that strengthen the immune system. The presence of calcium and phosphorus will contribute to the normal development of bone and muscle tissue.

Did you know? In order to teach a rat to eat during the day and sleep at night, you should feed the animal the last time an hour before bedtime, and then take the plates and drinking bowl out of the cage until the morning.

An excellent option if the food contains omega-3 and omega-6 amino acids. They significantly strengthen the animals’ immunity, make their fur healthy and beautiful, and also improve their intellectual abilities.

Yucca extract, such as in Rat Complete food. This component improves the functioning of the digestive organs and liver, cleanses the blood, has an anti-inflammatory effect, and also eliminates unpleasant odors of the body and feces. Flaxseed is another important component, serving as a source of minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. It supports healthy skin and coat of animals by saturating the body with polyunsaturated fatty acids. Dry herbs included in the feed make the mixtures as close as possible to the nutrition of rodents in natural conditions.

Naturalness

Give preference to natural food. The presence of various spices and chemical additives in the compositions can harm the health of the pet. The best option is if the composition contains the designation “organic”. This means that the ingredients were grown without the help of chemical fertilizers and no preservatives were used for storage.

Find out also what to feed and how to care for a decorative rat.

Top 6 most popular rat foods

In pet stores and specialized shops, the buyer is provided with a wide range of food from various manufacturers and in different price categories. Experienced rat owners give preference to a certain food based on several criteria - taste, quality of ingredients, price, balance and nutritional value. Based on these indicators, a rating of the most popular feeds was formed:

• Beaphar Xtravital is the most natural food. Manufacturers carefully select grains and use only high-quality grains. The microelements included in the composition maintain the health of the animal and make the rat's fur smooth and shiny.
• JR Farm Rat Classic is the most purchased product. Relatively cheap and nutritious food. The composition contains ingredients that rodents love; pets enjoy eating this product. This diet strengthens the rat's digestive system.
• Versele-Laga Rat Nature is considered the best choice among premium foods. The cost of the product is completely justified, since the food contains a rich composition. All the necessary microelements and vitamins included in the product help protect the immune system and maintain the health of the animal as a whole.
• Little One is a budget and high-quality option. Suitable for owners who do not want to overpay for food, but want the quality of the food to be high. The fruits and vegetables included in the product make the rat’s diet varied and complete. It is considered one of the most useful foods.
• Rat is a natural and healthy product, and at an adequate price. Contains all necessary minerals and vitamins. Animals quickly get used to this diet.
• Baka High Quality – the richest composition. By purchasing this food, the owner provides balanced, nutritious nutrition to his pet. The food contains a large amount of vitamins, which helps strengthen the rat’s body.

The choice of food for your pet should be based solely on the animal’s preferences. A food that is loved by many may not be suitable for your pet.

Nuances of choice

It is worth noting that a pet rat can sometimes be pampered with a piece from “your” table, but the pet’s main diet should be balanced and meet the needs of its body. But still, you should not feed your animal salty, fried and fatty foods. By and large, the basis of rat food is grain. Complementary foods include supplements in the form of animal protein, vegetable and fruit pieces, fermented milk products and various special treats sold in the format of vitamins.

Rat food today is presented in a huge assortment in any pet store. An alternative to feed is a homemade grain mixture. The main advantage of industrial feed is its balanced composition.

The manufacturer has already done everything himself, selected the necessary ingredients and even calculated the daily intake for the pet depending on its age and weight. In the case of a grain mixture, you will have to spend some time searching for the necessary grain and other components. But a self-prepared product will be much healthier, since the rat will not receive ingredients treated with chemicals.

Quite often, rat owners switch to homemade grain mixtures because the animal has an allergic reaction to industrial food.

Conventionally, it is customary to divide industrial rat food into 3 groups.

• Deluxe. This is a perfectly balanced product, in the production of which only high-quality ingredients are used. For the manufacturer of such products, the main task is to use high-grade grain (usually wheat). The food in this segment is often supplemented with animal protein, the fat content of which barely reaches 15 percent. Following the standards is the main indicator that all the needs of the animal’s body have been met and taken into account.

Needless to say, such foods are extremely expensive and it is not always possible to find them on store shelves. The most widely available super luxury rat foods are Rat Food and XtraVital Rat Food.

Rat Food

XtraVital Rat Food

• Luxury This is a segment characterized by average product quality. This product does not have such a diverse composition as in the case of Super Lux. As a rule, the manufacturer adds more rye, oats, barley and millet to the product, which are considered inexpensive grains and “poor” in nutrients. Therefore, rat owners quite often have to mix an additional portion of grain into the food. In addition, such foods do not contain animal protein, which is actually not so critical, provided that the rat still receives it in the form of complementary foods.

Several quality luxury foods - Supreme Science Selective Rat, Emotion Beauty and Rat Complete.

Supreme Science

Emotion Beauty

Rat Complete.

• Economy _ Such a product is extremely poor in additional nutrients and minerals; it cannot be called balanced. Therefore, it would be a mistake to feed it to the animal as the main food. In fact, economy class rat food is designed to dilute excessively fatty food, since it is based on grains and “sticks” obtained by processing grass.

The most famous rat foods in this segment are Little One, Lyubimchik, Rat Food Mix and Baka High Quality.

Little One

Baka High Quality

Pet

Rat complementary food must be chosen not only for reasons of quality composition, but also for the available budget. There is no need to spend exorbitant amounts of money on a bag of industrial grain mixture for your pet.

There is always the opportunity to find an alternative, for example, prepare the mixture yourself, replacing expensive ingredients with cheaper ones, but not inferior in quality.

Major feed manufacturers

Manufacturers are divided into two classes - premium and budget. The difference between them lies in the quality of the product and the presence of food additives to enhance taste and smell. More expensive foods are distinguished by the naturalness of the products included in their composition.

Beaphar

Country of origin: the Netherlands. They produce two products – Xtra Vital and Care+Rat Food. The first product contains: grains, soybeans, turkey and soybean meat, peas and alfalfa, echinacea (tincture). The food contains vitamin A, phosphorus, calcium and fiber. Additional benefits include caring for the animal’s teeth and strengthening the immune system.

Care+Rat Food contains a mixture of grains and products of plant and animal origin, algae, yeast and vegetables. Vitamin composition: vitamin A, D3, E, C, K3, group B, zinc, protein acid, iodine, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and sodium. Helps strengthen the immune system, forms healthy microflora of the gastrointestinal tract.

Advantages of the manufacturer: complete balanced nutrition from natural products.

Disadvantages : relatively high cost. Issue – a pack weighing 500g.

Versele-Laga

Rat & Mouse Pro is designed for feeding rats and mice. The product contains cereals, vegetable proteins (extract), grains, plant elements, minerals and herbs. Additionally includes vitamin A, D3, E, copper, calcium phosphorus and crude fiber. The granules have the same composition, which provides comprehensive nutrition. The product is easily digestible. Eliminates the unpleasant odor of urine, increases the body's resistance to disease, and improves the condition of teeth.

Rat Complete consists of extruded granules. Ingredients: vegetables and their products, meat and fish, eggs and seeds, yucca (extract), yeast, oils and fats. Contains vitamins A, D, E and C, phosphorus, fiber, minerals and calcium. Provides complete nutrition, replenishes the required daily protein intake, and dental care.

Advantages of the manufacturer: each of the granules has an identical composition, which provides comprehensive nutrition.

Disadvantages : it is considered a professional food, which can only be purchased at specialized outlets.

Supreme

The Supreme Science Selective Rat food contains: cereals (rye, wheat, oats, barley), dried fruits (apple, currant), minerals and salt. Additives: calcium, phosphorus, proteins and fats, fiber.

Pros : budget option, granules of the same size, which allows you to care for your pet’s teeth.

Disadvantages : requires the use of additional products to balance the diet, does not contain vitamins.

JR Farm

JR Farm Ratten-Schmaus light is intended for feeding rats. The product contains: crushed grain crops (wheat, corn, barley, oats, rice); corn, pea, wheat and carrot flakes; meat; shrimp and fortified oatmeal. The food contains vitamin A, D3 and E.

JR Farm Ratten-Schmaus. The food contains: wheat, puffed wheat and flakes, corn, corn flakes and extrudates, oats, carob, bran (oat), carrots, dates, fish and shrimp, seeds. The product contains vitamins A, D3, E, fiber (raw).

Advantages of the product from this manufacturer: varied diet.

Disadvantages : dyes (E172) are used to improve color.

Vitakraft

The German manufacturer produces premium food for rats. The Emotion Beauty product contains hulled oats, corn, soy and pea flakes, wheat, flour (oatmeal), alfalfa (crushed), peanuts, dates, molasses, beet pulp (red), pumpkin seeds, cream (dry). The food contains fiber (8.1%), fat (6.0%), calcium (0.4%). Strengthens the immune system, promotes a smooth and shiny coat.

Menu Vital. The composition includes cereals (69%), nuts, fruits, vegetables, milk, elements of plant origin, yucca extract, oils and fats. Vitamin supplements: vitamins A, D and E. Improves the health and appearance of the animal.

Advantages of the manufacturer: tasty and healthy food.

Disadvantages : use of dyes and emulsifiers.

Zoomir

Food for rats “Zveryushki” contains: cereals and legumes (seeds), vegetable and fruit products, sunflower kernels. The food contains granules consisting of natural components of plant and animal origin. Contains proteins (13.5%), fats (6%), fiber (7%), phosphorus and calcium. Useful for maintaining the health of your pet, replenishes the daily energy requirement.

A holiday dinner is a treat for mice and rats. The product contains: grains of wheat, barley, rice and corn, nuts and sunflower kernels, fruits, berries and vegetables (in granules), minerals and vitamins. Supports the animal's immunity, nutritious and tasty food.

Pros : delicious, complete product made from natural ingredients.

Cons : low quality of grain ingredients.

The best treats for rodents

In addition to the basic diet, loving owners of decorative rats pamper their little critters with a variety of delicacies. They are designed to diversify the animal’s diet and enrich the pet’s body with additional vitamins.

Little one – snacks for rats

5.0

★★★★★

editorial assessment

95%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

Little one presents a whole line of snacks for rodents. These are small flattened granules with a variety of flavors.

Among them are: fruit, vegetable and berry mixtures, flattened peas, dried carrots and even carob.

Pets enjoy gnawing on these snacks. You can give complementary foods a couple of times a week, so the overall consumption will be small. Buyers note that a pack of 270 g is enough for a year.

It will be convenient to store granules in a plastic jar with a screw-on lid throughout this time.

Pros:

• natural composition;
• rats like the taste;
• low price (70-100 rubles);
• economical consumption;
• convenient packaging.

Minuses:

• not sold everywhere.

The manufacturer claims that the delicacy retains all the beneficial properties of each ingredient, since they are processed using gentle technology immediately after harvesting.

READ ALSO

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Vitakraft – vegetable pads for dental health

4.9

★★★★★

editorial assessment

92%

buyers recommend this product

Vitakraft pads are made entirely of natural ingredients. They contain crushed grains, vegetables, oils and fats, sugar and minerals.

Due to the special texture and density of the pads, the treat perfectly helps rodents sharpen their teeth. Vitakraft is sold in small cardboard boxes of 100 g.

Pros:

• dental care;
• optimal pad size;
• minerals in the composition;
• rodents eat with pleasure.

Minuses:

• a rather high price - 200 rubles for a 100-gram package.

In addition to vegetable pillows, Vitakraft's assortment also includes oatmeal and carrot pillows. This allows you to choose a treat that the animal will like best.

Description and review of premium rat food

To make your pet comfortable, it is not enough to choose the type of food. There are many manufacturers of food for rats, they differ in grain components and microelements included in it. Before purchasing a product, you need to study the composition.

Xstra Vital (Extra vital)

Food for tailed rodents produced by the Dutch company Beaphar. Contains the best varieties of wheat, vitamins and microelements to maintain the health of your pet. This is a balanced food that does not require the use of additives. All ingredients are natural.

Beaphar Care+ Rat Food

This food is preferred by many rat owners. The composition is balanced, and the content also contains the optimal amount of proteins and proteins. This is a granular food, each of the elements contains an identical composition. The shape of the granules is made in such a way as not to harm the rat’s teeth.

Little One

Food from the German manufacturer Mealberry. Budget option of premium class. The composition contains a large number of different grain crops. Manufacturers also add pieces of fruit and other additives to improve taste and increase health benefits for the animal.

Emotion Beauty

Manufacturer: German company Vitakraft. The composition contains only high quality natural ingredients. The food belongs to the super-premium class and is aimed at three factors: shine and silkiness of the pet’s coat, strengthening the immune system and improving the condition of the teeth. Thanks to the specially developed Omega-6 complex included in the food, the health of the rat's skin is maintained.

Fanny Premium

Food with natural ingredients from the Belgian manufacturer Benelux. The composition is complex - it contains both vegetables and fruits. Manufacturers do not use flavors or dyes when making food for rats. The product is nutritious and healthy.

Feed selection criteria

When buying food for your tailed pet, it is important to avoid mistakes when choosing. To do this, you should rely on basic criteria to choose the optimal nutrition option that is best for your pet.

Release form

The produced combined food for rats comes in two types:

1. granulated
2. grain.

The main advantage of pellets is that the animals do not have the opportunity to dig into the food, choosing tidbits, they eat all the pellets without leaving a trace. This ensures food savings and ensures that your beloved pet’s body receives all the necessary nutrients and vitamins.

Grain food consists of whole cereal grains, dried slices of vegetables and fruits, and grass meal. Its disadvantage is that the animal may begin to select its favorite grains or pieces of vegetables, leaving the rest in the bowl.

The composition of both types is identical, there are no significant differences other than the release form. Crispy granules are made from the same grain mixture and vegetables by grinding and pressing.

Balanced composition

The key to health and energy is always a balanced, proper diet for your pet. The best option is a diet based on natural, safe ingredients. Trusted manufacturers always indicate the composition and nutritional value on the packaging. The owner of a decorative rat can accurately imagine what his pet will have for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Ready-made feeds must contain:

• corn;
• grass meal;
• pieces of vegetables and fruits.

By composition, all food is divided into specialized (for domestic rats) and universal, with a selected composition for all types of rodents kept at home.

The best food for rats: classification, pros and cons of each brand

Economy class food: is it worth overpaying?

This is low cost food with a poor composition. The basis is herbal sticks and various grains (as a rule, the most budget-friendly ones are rice, oats and barley). Veterinarians do not recommend using it because it does not contain the necessary vitamins and minerals that keep rats healthy.

This is the feed:

• Baka, Baka Lux and Baka High Quality. The brand is known for the fact that the mixture formulas are developed for them by the world's leading veterinary specialists. Balanced and natural composition, inexpensive price and large packaging. However, it is too early to rejoice: many owners of decorative rats note that the food is not for everyone - many pets refuse it;
• Holiday dinner;
• Animals and Rat from a Russian manufacturer - they contain second-grade cereals, seeds of various herbs and herbal granules. There are no sources of fats or components rich in proteins in this food.
• Feed mixture for rats;
• Pet;
• Karma.

Premium food: the golden mean

Despite the affordable price, this food already partially contains the substances necessary for the health of a decorative rat. Of the grains, the most common are wheat, oats, millet and rye, which are richer in microelements and vitamins, as well as dried fruits and vegetables as additional sources of vitamins.

This is the feed:

• Emotion Beauty. It contains various grains, oils and fats of plant origin, dried vegetables and fruits, minerals and herbal granules. This complex has proven itself to be excellent for maintaining the health of fur, teeth, claws and skin of decorative rats.
• Menu Vital;
• Beaphar is a quality guarantee from a European manufacturer since 1943.
• JR Farm Rat Classic. Perhaps the most unusual composition of this class. In addition to the already familiar base of cereals, minerals, vitamins and seeds, there are dried dates, legumes in flake format, and a rich protein component (from meat, small fish and shrimp). To be honest, I want to try this food myself!

However, reviews about this food are contradictory. In particular, owners note dissatisfaction with transparent and thin packaging that simply breaks, the lack of a fastener, its lack of distribution in stores, and, perhaps most importantly, dyes and other unnatural components in the product. It is also used unevenly: the rats love the unusual composition so much that ordinary cereals remain in the bowl.

• JR Farm Ratten-Schmaus, JR Wellness-Food;
• Rat Nature is under the supervision of the best veterinarians and nutritionists in the world. in addition to the already familiar beneficial plant ingredients of animal protein, there is 17% here - a fairly high indicator that ensures the health of the rat;
• Rat Complete;
• Funny Premium. Cereal flakes, various grains, alfalfa (healthy perennial grass and shrub), caraway seeds, nuts, dried vegetables and fruits;
• Little One is popular due to its high quality and relatively low price. He has long gained popularity and an excellent reputation among breeders. Despite the fact that there are no protein components in the composition, the composition is quite rich: wheat, buckwheat, corn, barley and oats. As well as molasses (this is a by-product of sugar production), dried banana, fiber and minerals.
• Fiory: grains, seeds, vegetables and alfalfa, as well as honey, nuts and peas. A unique extract of yucca flowers helps reduce the harshness of the pet’s peculiar odor, while fatty acids and inulin improve digestion and intestinal microflora.

Super-premium food - for those who do not skimp on the most important things

Such food already contains everything necessary for a complete diet. If you choose it, then additional feeding of the rat is not necessary. The composition is rich: whole grain wheat, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, dried vegetables and meat, as well as various useful additives to support the pet’s immunity. This is the feed:

• Care+ Rat Food. It contains wheat grains, corn, pieces of meat and vegetables, vegetable protein, as well as yeast, algae and various minerals.
• Xstra Vital: Select whole grain wheat, turkey, soybean oil, aloe and echinacea. The latter are responsible for the animal’s excellent immunity. It also contains minerals that are important for health and a complex of vitamins (including phosphorus, copper, calcium, and also vitamin A and Dental - for strengthening teeth). By the way, this particular food is recommended to owners whose rats are sick: echinacea extract can quickly put the animal back on its feet. And in reviews, owners note the ease of use due to a special adhesive tape for opening and closing the packaging, preventing weathering and loss of organoleptic properties.

Features of feeding decorative rats

Many people completely wrongly think that rats can be fed homemade food. Despite the fact that they are omnivores, their digestive system and metabolism have their own peculiarities.

Diet features

It is advisable to take this into account when preparing a balanced diet. It includes:

• carbohydrates - 65%;
• proteins - 25%;
• fats - 10%.

Therefore, human food with huge amounts of sugar, salt, and fats is harmful to the health of a tailed pet. And the overwhelming content of chemical additives in it is deadly.

The diet of a decorative rat consists of three components:

1. Main food. A pet needs 30-40 g of special food enriched with vitamins per day to maintain vitality. The daily norm depends on the age of the animal, its size, and conditions of detention.
2. Lure. These are three main groups of products, the consumption of which normalizes the vital processes of a pet and helps strengthen the immune system. You should clearly know what groups of complementary foods there are and how to give it to animals. The first group consists of vegetables and fruits, which are given every other day, 15-20 g per individual. An overdose of juicy foods can cause gastrointestinal diseases. The second includes food containing animal protein with essential amino acids. It is recommended to give them no more than twice a week, 20 g each. Rats require more animal protein for the development of a growing body. The third group is fermented milk products - a source of calcium, which you can pamper your pet with once a week, giving it a tablespoon.
3. Treats. Occasionally in small quantities you can please your pet with a tasty treat. These could be: crackers, baby purees, cookies, dark chocolate, and some other goodies. The main thing to pay attention to when giving your pet a treat is to not overdo it with the quantity and frequency of such treats. Otherwise, serious problems with the animal’s excess weight, hormonal imbalance, disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract, and refusal of regular food are possible.

A decorative rat must be given hard food to wear down its teeth, which grow throughout its life: carrots, crackers, cookies, branches of fruit trees

When feeding berries and fruits with pits, it is advisable to remove them first to prevent poisoning from hydrocyanic acid, which is poisonous to rodents.

When including meat and fish in your pet’s diet, it is important that they are low-fat, boiled, or even with broth.

The following products are strictly prohibited for consumption:

• candies;
• sausage;
• fatty and spicy foods;
• citrus;
• raw fish, meat;
• raw legumes;
• raw potatoes;
• melons;
• cabbage;
• alcohol;
• spinach.

Feeding recommendations

To keep your pet healthy and playful, it is appropriate to follow a few important feeding guidelines.

1. You cannot suddenly switch from one food to another. Make the change gradually, in small quantities over several days, adding to the food the food you plan to switch to.
2. You cannot feed a rat food from the table. The composition of human food and the ratio of nutrients can have a detrimental effect on the health of the animal.
3. It is necessary to constantly include foods containing animal protein in the animal’s diet: eggs, cottage cheese, lean boiled meat.
4. It is better not to grind the grains present in the feeder every day (oats, barley, wheat) so as not to remove the vitamins and microelements necessary for the rat.
5. As vitamin supplements, be sure to give green grass in the summer, hay, sprouted oats in the winter, and nettles in the spring. All year round - chopped raw and boiled root vegetables.
6. Pregnant females and growing young animals must be given mineral supplements (chalk, calcium gluconate, phytin) in their diet.
7. Be sure to have clean water in the drinking bowl.
8. For elderly, sick, and weakened individuals, it is advisable to cook porridge without adding milk.
9. Rats with a sweet tooth can occasionally be pampered with a portion of raisins, berries, and dates.
10. Rats up to six months old should not be limited in food; it should always be in a bowl.

When preparing a diet for a decorative rat, it is advisable to give preference to ready-made specialized dry food, balanced in the amount of nutrients, vitamins, and microelements.

Dry grain food or granules: which is better?

The difference is not in the composition, but in the form of release. If in grain feed all the ingredients are poured separately, then granulated feed is pre-dried and compressed ingredients. It turns out that feeding with granulated food will be more balanced: the rat will not be able to choose its favorite treats without paying attention to some of the products. On the other hand, animals are much closer to nature than we are, and instinctively choose the food that the body needs right now. However, what should you do with that part of the food that your pet doesn’t like? Feed the birds, and that's all.