what do rats eat?

Question

in school we have the white albino labratory rats and they need homes after we are done with them, i get to keep one but i need to know what to feed it and what not to feed it, please if you are an idiot that doesnt even know, then dont bother answering because you are just a stupid loser! and thank you whoever knows what they are talking about!

Answer 1

(m)

Rats eat a wide variety of food. They have voracious appetites and will eat almost anything. They are true omnivorous scavengers, but mostly prefer grain, livestock feed, and meat. Rats have also been known to eat soap, leather, furs, candy, milk, meat, vegetables, poultry, eggs, grain, seeds, fruit, nuts, snails and other rodents. A rat can eat a third of its body weight each day. The rat's main important consumption is water, as it cannot survive long without it. Rats need 1/2 to 1 ounce of water daily.

Two main types of rats, brown rats and black rats eat about the same things. But there are slight differences in preferences between the two. Brown rats or Norway rats eat nearly any type of food, but they prefer high-quality foods such as meat and fresh grain. These rats require 1/2 to 1 fluid ounce of water daily when feeding on dry food. Rats have keen taste, hearing, and sense of smell.

Roof rats or black rats generally prefer vegetables, fruits and grain, and consume 1/2 to 1 ounce food per day from various sources. They do not readily accept meat or fish. They like cereal grains, chopped apples, sweet potatoes, melons, prunes, pineapple, cookies, doughnuts, sweet chocolate candy, peanut butter, and tomatoes. They also consume an ounce of water per day.

Rats are nutritionally a little better than mice. Unlike the mouse that nibbles a little at a time, rats eat much more food in one sitting. Like mice, rats can live in freezers and they love to eat frozen food.

Rats have a habit of gnawing when they eat. Their chewing ability helps them to chew and gnaw through almost anything. They gnaw anything softer than their teeth. They gnaw papers, clothes, wood, plastics, water pipes, electric cables and other building materials. Their habit of gnawing causes immense damage to mankind such as fires, power shortages and flooding.

Answer 2

What Do Rats Eat

Answer 3

Wild rats are opportunist omnivorous eaters. That means they will eat whatever they can find. In most cases, this includes grains, fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts and any other edibles they might find. Although rats prefer to eat what they find, they will hunt in occasion, catching bugs and other small animals.

Answer 4

They will eat a wide variety of things but need a balanced diet to stay healthy, since you are new to rats I am going to include my basic rat info sheet the food info is in there as well.

Rats are wonderful pets, I have five right now, they are very intelligent, clean and friendly animals. Every time I walk into my pets room they are up on the sides of their cage wanting to come out and I have never been bitten by any of my rats however they do kiss alot. They also know their names and the sound of their treat jar. Their basic care is pretty simple, they need their cage cleaned at least once a week and their food dish and water bottle full at all times and they should also get fresh veggies every day. (If they are not used to veggies start them out once a week then move up slowly so you dont upset their tummies) Also they love time out of their cage and should get a minimum of thirty minutes out every night, if you cant spend the time with them on some days you can rat proof a room such as the bathroom and let them play together. Room temperature is fine, try to keep them out of direct sunlight and drafts. The price per month that it takes to care for a rat depends alot on what you are feeding, using for bedding, etc. An average range would be $25-50. And of course you could go up from there and depending on where you buy your food and bedding it could be a little cheaper. This amount does not include any amount for vet bills, they need checkups every six months and they are prone to tumors, respiratory problems and as they age cysts. I would start putting a little money back each month just in case of an emergency. Supplies you will need include

Cage: at least two square feet per rat and wire, aquariums do not give good enough ventilation and can cause illness because of this. Ferret or Guinea pig cages work great. Make sure whatever cage you get does not have wire on the floor this can cause bumble-foot in rats. Also check the bar spacing to make sure a rat could not get out or get its head stuck.

Bedding: AVOID CEDAR AND PINE these cause respiratory problems and liver damage, aspen is safe if you are looking for a cheaper alternative, carefresh and yesterdays news are good as well.

Food dish and water bottle: I recommend a ceramic dish for food because they cant be chewed like plastic and are heavier so dont tip as easily as the stainless steel ones.

Food: Pellets called Lab block or rat block are best because they will pick only what they want out of the seed mixes and leave the rest so they dont get a complete diet. Mazuri is a good brand.

Chews: They need chew sticks to keep their teeth trimmed down whole nuts in the shells, dog biscuits and lab blocks work great for this also.

Hides:A shoebox with a hole in the side works well as does commercially bought hides

Toys: Hammocks, ladders and bird toys are great, rats are very intelligent and will get bored easily without stimulation. Here is a site that shows you how to make your own toys http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm
Its also a good idea to rotate toys (take out the set you have in and put in a different set) I do this with all of their toys once a week at least.

Treats: Fruits, yogurt, pasta and dog biscuits are great as are hamster and rat treats that you can buy from the pet store.

Another rat: rats are very social and do best in at least pairs (same sex) they groom each other and snuggle and play together they will not bond any less with you if you get pairs and they will enjoy their lives so much more.


Also here are some great sites for more info.
http://www.rmca.org/
http://www.rmca.org/Gazette/

Answer 5

Rats will eat pretty much anything. But, if you feel better about something specific, check with your local pet supply store. They should have packages food for rats/rodents.

Answer 6

rats will eat almost anything but they do like chocolate peanut butter the list goes on.

Answer 7

rats love veggies, meats along with whatever diet your school is feeding them for proper nutrition . when you get your new friend home give it a few options. you will soon know what it likes and dislikes.

Answer 8

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/RwAzw

Depending on the amount of poison that the rat ate then, yes it is possible.

Answer 9

go to the pet store and get lab blocks they have all the nutrition that they will need and a diet of mixed seeds is fatty and not good for them. check out this site for a list of dangerous foods and suggested treats
http://fatratcentral.com/the-basics/diet/

Answer 10

We fed ours mixed seeds. Just go to the pet store and they will have specific rat food there for your guys!