Is Lettuce Safe to Feed Rat

Ealisa is a freelance writer pursuing her bachelor's in psychology and minor in sociology. She also keeps pet rats.

Learn which foods safe for your rat to eat and which are not.

Rebecca Krebs, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

What You Can and Cannot Feed Your Pet Rat

Knowing what your rat can and cannot have is important. Of course, pet stores and most large store chains carry rat food, which is fine for feeding your rat. However, sometimes you may want to give your rat a snack or feed him or her what you're feeding your family that night. In that case, it is important to research to make sure that the food is safe for your rat.

Below are lists of the foods that are okay for your rat, the foods that are not, and the foods you should be careful with. If you don't see a food you are looking for, try doing a little online research. Always check around before you feed your rat a new kind of food. You never know whether or not the food could be poisonous or toxic to your furry friend.

Here are foods your pet rat can safely eat.

Safe Foods (A–B)

• Apples. Cut the apple up and make sure to remove all the seeds. Seeds are hazardous for rats.
• Applesauce. Feed them very little if the applesauce has lots of sugar or other fattening ingredients.
• Apricots
• Avocados. These are very fatty for rats and should be given in moderation.
• Bananas. My rats love it when I smash the bananas up like pudding and add nuts or other fruits.
• Beef. Chicken is healthier for your rat, but beef is okay if the fat is kept to a minimum.
• Blackberries
• Blueberries. Be careful when feeding these to your rats because they can be messy!
• Blueberry buckle baby food
• Boysenberries
• Bread. While my rats love bread and haven't had any problems, I've read some articles about rats choking on bread. I would recommend feeding only very small pieces to your rats and toasting it first. You may even soften the bread by dipping it in milk or water.
• Broccoli
• Butternut squash. Make sure that the squash is thoroughly cooked before feeding it to your rat.

Safe foods for rats include grapes, carrots, and cucumbers.

Safe Foods (C–G)

• Cantaloupe
• Carrots
• Cashews
• Cauliflower
• Celery. This vegetable is fine for rats, but it doesn't have very much nutritional value.
• Cheese. Small amounts are okay for rats. Soy-based cheese is healthier for them.
• Cherries
• Chicken. This is the healthiest meat for your rat.
• Chicken bones. Surprisingly, these are not only healthy for rats but also good chew toys. Next time you have chicken for dinner, save the bones.
• Choy
• Cold cuts
• Corn. Corn is good for your rats whether it is on the cob, from the can, or even frozen.
• Cottage cheese
• Cranberries
• Cream cheese on crackers
• Cucumber
• Dog food. People who make their own rat food will often add dog food to the mix. However, you don't want to skimp on quality, and you want to get a low-protein type of food.
• Dog treats (small). Small treats are ideal because rats should only have treats in small portions. You can always cut up larger treats into smaller ones—you may even need to do the same with small treats.
• Dried bananas. These are great for rats because they are high in potassium.
• Dried cranberries. If your rat is prone to urinary tract infections, this is great to add to its diet. Cranberries are good for keeping the urinary tract clean and healthy.
• Dry cereal. Cheerios are great for feeding your rat. However, be careful about cereal that contains a large amount of sugar. Puffed rice cereals are yummy for rats, but avoid rice krispies and other sugary choices.
• Dry rolled oats. Any type of oats is fine as long as it does not contain any sugar.
• Fruit baby food
• Grapes. Purple grapes are believed to prevent cancer in rats.
• Green beans. Cooked green beans are very nutritious.
• Green peppers. Just make sure they aren't too spicy for your rats and try to feed them in small amounts at a time.

Lettuce is also good for your rat, as long as it's not iceberg.

Safe Foods (H–P)

• Ham
• Hard-boiled eggs. These should not be fed to your rat on a regular basis, just as a treat once in a while. I've heard that these are good for pregnant rats because of the fat and extra protein.
• Honeydew melons
• Kale
• Kiwi
• Lettuce. Romaine lettuce is the best for your rat because it has more nutritional value than iceberg. Some people will tell you to avoid iceberg lettuce altogether because it has close to no nutritional value.
• Macaroni and cheese
• Mashed potatoes
• Mealworm
• Meat baby food
• Melons
• Mushrooms. These are only okay for your rat if they are cooked and should be fed in moderation.
• Oatmeal
• Oatmeal cookies
• Papaya
• Parsley
• Pasta. Rats can have cooked or dried pasta. They find tri-colored spirals that have a spinach or tomato flavor extra tasty. Dried pasta is good because it is crunchy and they like to chew on it. Pasta has a great source of carbohydrates, which are good for rats.
• Peaches. Make sure to remove the pit from peaches because it can be harmful.
• Pears
• Peas
• Plums
• Pomegranates
• Popcorn. It should be unsalted and unbuttered if possible.
• Popsicles. These are great for rats on hot summer days. However, try to only feed your rats non-fat and sugar-free popsicles.
• Potatoes
• Pumpkins. Pumpkins are fine for rats to eat. However, the seeds are high in fat and should be fed to your pet in moderation.

Feel free to feed your rat strawberries, scrambled eggs, and rice.

Safe Foods (R–Y)

• Raspberries
• Red peppers. Test the pepper first to make sure it isn't too spicy. Then feed only small amounts of it to your rat at a time.
• Rice. Brown rice is especially good for your rat.
• Saltine crackers. My rats love these as snacks. I keep a small stack of them by my chair and feed them crackers when they want a snack. I try not to overdo it though because the crackers are high in salt and I'm not sure if too much would make them sick.
• Scrambled eggs. The protein is great for rats, especially pregnant rats.
• Soy products. Soy nuts are good for rats, but make sure they are roasted and unsalted. Soy products are high in protein and have cancer-preventing agents. Other good soy products include soy milk, soy yogurt, soy tofu, and soy crumbles.
• Squash. Cooked squash is best.
• Strawberries. Rats love strawberries. They are not only sweet and yummy but also healthy for them.
• Sunflower seeds. Make sure that the seeds are unsalted. You can buy these cheaply in bulk and add some to your rat's cage every once in a while for a healthy snack.
• Sweet potatoes (cooked)
• Turkey. Chicken is the better meat for your rat, but small amounts of turkeys are fine too.
• Vanilla custard baby food
• Vegetable baby food
• Walnuts. Make sure to only feed your rat these in moderation. They make a great treat every once in a while.
• Watermelon
• Whole grain crackers. Add a little topping to the crackers for a wonderful little snack.
• Whole wheat pasta
• Whole wheat bread
• Yellow peppers. Peppers are fine for your rats as long as they aren't too spicy, so you may want to test them first.
• Yogurt. Probiotic yogurt in small amounts is good for gut flora.
• Yogurt-covered pretzels
• Yogurt drops. Most rats absolutely love these.

These foods are dangerous for your rat.

Dangerous Foods (A–H)

• Apple seeds. Apple seeds have a small amount of cyanide in them that can be harmful for rats.
• Avocado skin
• Artichokes (raw). This vegetable inhibits protein digestion in rats.
• Beans (uncooked). Destroys vitamin A and enzymes that rats need to digest protein and starches. This can cause red blood cells to clump and is a hazard for rats.
• Beet tops. These can cause urinary tract problems and stones in the kidneys and bladder due to their extremely high levels of oxalates.
• Blue cheese. The mold that is used to make blue cheese is toxic to rats.
• Brussels sprouts (raw). These can destroy thiamin.
• Carbonated drinks. Rats can't burp, which is why they should never drink carbonated drinks.
• Caffeinated drinks. Drinks containing high amounts of sugar are bad for your rats.
• Candy. Like chocolate, candy is too sugary. Rats can have problems digesting these foods.
• Chocolate. This is also bad for rats because of the high fat and sugar content. I've heard that some owners feed dark chocolate to their rats once in a great while without problems. However, I just avoid chocolate altogether.
• Dried corn. While fresh corn is okay, dried corn is not. This is because it contains fungal contaminants that can lead to liver cancer in rats.
• Green bananas. While regular bananas are okay, green bananas inhibit starch digestion enzymes.
• Green potato skins and eyes. These contain solanine, a toxin for rats.
• Hamster food. Hamster food is high in fat.

Foots that are bad for rats include candy, carbonated drinks, chocolate, and blue cheese.

Dangerous Foods (L–P)

• Licorice. This food is suspected to cause neurological poisoning in rats.
• Mango. This fruit contains d-limonene and can cause kidney cancer in male rats.
• Moldy foods. Some people think that just because rats are rats, they can eat moldy food. However, mold and bacteria can be extremely toxic to rats, just as they can be to humans.
• Onions (raw). These can cause anemia and give rats upset stomachs.
• Oranges. Both the outer and the white parts of orange peels can be harmful to male rats. I've heard that it seems okay for females, but I would just avoid citrus fruits like oranges to be on the safe side.
• Orange juice. Orange juice contains d-limonene, which can cause kidney cancer in male rats.
• Peanuts. These have been found to have anti-nutrients that, like raw dried beans, will destroy vitamin A and certain enzymes that rats need to break down proteins and starches. This will then cause red blood cells to clump together.
• Poppy seeds. While the reason is unknown, poppy seeds seem to cause rats to become sick and sometimes even die.
• Potato eyes

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Read More From Pethelpful

Surprisingly, a number of vegetables are bad for rats, including sweet potatoes, potato eyes, raw onions, oranges, and spinach.

Dangerous Foods (R–W)

• Red cabbage (raw). Raw red cabbage destroys thiamin.
• Rhubarb. Rhubarb contains toxic amounts of oxalates.
• Spinach. Due to the high levels of oxalates, spinach can cause urinary tract problems and stones in the bladder and kidneys.
• Sweet feed. This is feed made for horses and is not good for rats because there is too much corn and molasses in it.
• Sweet potato (raw). Since sweet potatoes are potatoes, people think they are okay to feed to their rats. However, raw sweet potatoes recently have been found to have compounds that will form cyanide in rat's stomachs.
• Tofu (raw bulk). The bulk unpackaged tofu contains bacteria and is unsafe.
• Wild insects. These should never be fed to your rat because they can carry diseases and internal parasites. I've heard that cooked insects and insects bought from a store is okay.

Foods to Be Cautious With

• Peanut butter and other thick, sticky foods. These should be given in very small amounts because they can cause choking. I will mix the peanut butter with a little bit of jelly or water to help it become less sticky and less of a choking hazard.

Reminders and Tips for Feeding Rats

Here are a few things to keep in mind about feeding your rats and offering them new foods to try.

Rats Test Their Food First

When you first feed your rat a new food, you will probably notice them take a small bite, then ignore the food. Many owners think they are done and will take the food away. However, what the rat is doing is testing it. Rats do not have a gag reflex, so if they eat too much of something that will make them sick, it could kill them. By testing their food, the rat is trying only a little to see if it makes him or her sick. If it doesn't, your pet will go back and finish off the food.

However, I've noticed that after a while, rats will begin to trust their owners and eat all of the food without testing it more and more frequently. It is important to realize this as an owner so that you are careful to not feed your rat something that may make him sick.

Rats Might Help Themselves to Your Food If You Leave It Out

It is also important to remember that your rats are strong. If you leave food laying around while your rats are out, you can expect it to be dragged off before long. Rats are strong enough to move large pieces of pizza, hot dogs, and even tacos or bean burritos.

Rats Can Help Reduce Food Waste

When I cook, I try to conserve food that I would have thrown away for the rats. Potato peels are a good example. I keep a bag in the freezer, and when I peel potatoes while cooking, I will place the peels in the freezer and occasionally treat my furry friends to a snack. Frozen veggies are great for rats on hot days. They love it when I place the veggies in some water so they can play with their food before they eat it.

Further Information

• The Best Foods for Your Pet Rats
  There are a ton of rat foods on the market. This article will tell you which foods are the best to feed your pet rat, and which foods to avoid.
• Foods That Are Poisonous to Your Rat
  Contrary to popular opinion, rats can't eat everything. Learn how NOT to poison your pet rat!

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

ShyLar on August 18, 2020:

Are tiny tomatoes okay for Ratt??

Ratatouille on August 07, 2020:

Can rats eat unripe fruits?

Chloe on August 05, 2020:

Hello can rats have tapioca? I gave mine just a bit cus I was having some and now I'm worried

Brick_Ghandi on July 14, 2020:

thanks my rats were about to eat some mango but i got worried. Very helpful!!!!

Garlene Crippen on June 12, 2020:

Can rabbits eat asparagus?

chyna on June 05, 2020:

can rats (male) eat hominy?

Jade on May 28, 2020:

Can rats have bird seed everyday?

Autumn Touchin on May 18, 2020:

So rats can have butter

rats are awesome on March 09, 2020:

what else can prevent stuff like cancer for rats of course?

cheese on March 07, 2020:

they like porridge but in small amounts and make sure it does not have any sugar

Tara on February 28, 2020:

Also fig branches are deathly poisionous to rats i had a few branches given to me my rat went onto coma like. He survived but was in vet care for 3 weeks

Fee on February 22, 2020:

Dried corn is bad due to fungus but cooked sweetcorn (like corn on the cob or canned corn) is fine! Also please make sure when feeding things like cherries, peaches etc that you remove the pits! This is also important with avocados, while certain parts are ok, the skin, pit, and parts near it are toxic! Also, peanuts are fine if they're roasted, just don't feed them raw, any type of legume or bean should be roasted. Give rats fruits and veggies in moderation, every few days/a few times a week is enough

digger dave on February 14, 2020:

can i feed my rats taco bell?

Emily on February 11, 2020:

How much veg should my rat eat?

joe on February 02, 2020:

can my rat eat blueberry oatmeal?

Rat Momma on January 24, 2020:

@Isabel Clark

All my girls were intended to be feeders so they didn't have much human contact before I got them. What worked best for me was letting them sit on a covered couch with me (with a sweater and some small pillows for a hiding spot) and just letting them slowly start to explore towards me. Oftentimes giving them a hiding spot is the key to helping them feel more comfortable since they feel less exposed. I would also recommend putting something with your scent on it in their cage, even something like a sock can be used as a sleeping spot and helps acquaint them with your scent and associate it more with comfort. Treats are also a great way to associate yourself with good things in their mind. Try to move very calmly and slowly around them until they gradually relax a bit. I know my girls used to immediately vanish the second someone lifted an arm and now they love jumping on shoulders and climbing on my with no fear at all if someone moves fast or reaches a hand put! Hope this helps a bit!

Isabel Clark on January 16, 2020:

Two rats we have just acquired (4 months old) seen very scared of people. If we move very slowly and creep our hand up to the cage bars and put our finger in, they do sniff them but then vanish if you slowly stand up. I don't know what circumstances they lived in, although I know they were well fed and cleaned. I don't think they were handled but we were promised they do not bite. What is the best way of encouraging them to let us hold them?

Rats on January 13, 2020:

Rats

Bean on November 17, 2019:

Mushrooms are plain out bad for rats, and I don't recommend people feeding them to rats at all. Also, since dried corn is really bad, shouldn't normal corn be on the 'Dangerous' list? Just askin'!

Chloe and Lily the rats on November 13, 2019:

My best friend owns these 2 rats and they both have tumors please pray and hope they don't die.

Vince on October 28, 2019:

Dumbo - NO your rats cannot have candies like that. Please if you care about your rats give them appropriate treats. They don't have the same cravings than you. Hope you choose wisely

Dumbo and Timothy the rats on October 04, 2019:

Can rats have nerds every once in a while? I want to give them one small candy (I will give them each 1 or 2 nerds) on Halloween this year! Please answer soon! P.s. is wellness core a good dog food for rats because that's what my dog eats?

Brooke on September 05, 2019:

I read that corn, if fed in large amounts is dangerous for rats, even though they do seem to like it, it can cause cancer in them. I have been picking the corn out of my two female rat's food, and they have been healthier, and haven't been experiencing the crusty eyes, or bleeding nose that my past rats have experienced. They are over all more healthy, and happier with out corn!

P.s the corn you find in rat food is even worse, because it is the small and weak corn that is left out of human food.

- It also has pesticides, which can cause cancer in a rat.-

Sevia 123123 sad on September 05, 2019:

Can rats have tortillas please answer soon

Pixeypie on August 30, 2019:

I love what you write

SadorahZiegler on August 18, 2019:

I feed my rat dog food because I live Belize and it's hard to fine rat food. So is it fine if I feed my little rat wet canned dog food?

Dawnita Lowe3385 on August 11, 2019:

How can I succeed in getting my pet adult rats to stop biting?

Bchbellezza on July 26, 2019:

To RatMotherOf2

Sorry to hear about you're little guy:( A few tips: Refrain from anything contaminating the air such as cigarettes or air fresheners/plug ins. Also make sure you remove the bedding entirely or use dust free only, this is where most respiratory derive

Angie on July 18, 2019:

Can they have pickles?

RatPack27 on July 18, 2019:

Okay this information is extremely inaccurate and I really recommend everyone do their own research rather than rely on this list and end up with a sick, unhealthy or dead rat.

I can't go through every item on this list but there's a lot that should be swapped around. Something important to note is just because your rat will eat something and like it and he doesn't drop dead instantly, doesn't mean that it's healthy for them. Foods are usually something that will affect them over time so watch out.

Things like dairy(cheese,milk,etc) and red meat, just as a few examples, should NOT be fed to your rats, their digestive systems aren't designed to process these foods and it's really bad for them. Another thing is not all store bought rat foods are completely safe either so make sure to check the ingredients.

I'm not an expert but I really hope everyone does some research before feeding anything new to their ratties.

SChalice on July 11, 2019:

Sweet potatoes are not potatoes. Potatoes belong to the Solanaceae family and are Nightshades. Sweet potatoes belong to Convolvulaceae family.

RAT&RAT on June 20, 2019:

what about Romaine hearts or leaves? I've heard they're good for rats but it's not on the safe or dangerous list.

"Hee hee" on June 13, 2019:

My rats are going crazy.there like eating everything

Sam darly on June 09, 2019:

My rats have drank a small amount of my mango iced tea by accident, should I be worried ?

kjbfrjhn on June 03, 2019:

my pet rats love corn oats and milk

AWESOM3_XP on April 28, 2019:

My rat is getting old so she is having some trouble eating her normal food. I heard giving them baby food is good so I bought some. I got apple, pear, and sweet potato. Since you said raw sweet potato is bad, do you think it's okay in baby food?

sue olson on April 28, 2019:

can rats have asparagus? i read another site says asparagus is ok for rats - raw or cooked?

Mossnorabubbles on April 25, 2019:

Why does rat food like Reggie Rat have dry corn in if its dangerous for them.

Rat Lover 101 on April 14, 2019:

@Kendra, same, my 2 rats loved dried corn

Amber Zbella on April 01, 2019:

Half of these are wrong. Show your resources that half of these are good or bad for rats. I've given my rats dark and regular chocolate in moderation and I've never had a problem.

Kendra on March 31, 2019:

@Sam I have fed my two rats DRIED corn their whole life and I've never had any problems, but that might be because it's dried...

Oxyume from New Jersey on March 30, 2019:

thank you :))

Sam on March 30, 2019:

Corn is not good for rats. It can kill them.

kj on March 27, 2019:

thanks it helped a lot

Sue on March 23, 2019:

Just wondering how reliable this information is. What references or resources did you use to write this list?

tina on March 21, 2019:

Peanuts are bad, but not peanut butter? Other than the stickiness? Doesn't make sense.

Also, it's "beets."

Dark chocolate in moderate amounts is known to help with respiratory issues.

Katelynn on March 09, 2019:

So the rat food I buy from my local pet store has peanuts in it but it says above that peanuts are bad for them? Is it true ?

ivan maloney on March 09, 2019:

Been trying to store my red onions in the garden in poly grocers boxes but the rats are having a field day. They have scoffed at least a dozen in the past week and as this is a food that rats are not supposed to eat, why dont they nick off and eat something that wont give them belly ache :-(

RatFanClub on February 19, 2019:

You actually CAN give rats chocolate, just not too much. A little chocolate once in a while is perfectly fine.

unknown on February 10, 2019:

thanks this has really helped me give my 2 rats a good and healthy diet.

Fox_Squash on February 09, 2019:

Thank you, I just got two rats and want to feed them the best.

Sam on February 07, 2019:

@Kari your rat might be overgrooming himself due to stress. if they're being kept alone, then that's def the cause of it

Kari michele Winger on January 13, 2019:

I have owned a rat before but never looked anything up on them. I am glad I came across your Dos and Donts about feeding them, never knew they could eat so much variety.

I do have a question about my rat (his name is Gramps) even though he is very playful and acts more like a dog then a rat he has started losing his hair on his back. The hairless patch is about the size of a nickel, smooth skin showing and dont see anything on the skin under the surrounding fur. Wondering from what Ive read if its to much portien or an actual skin irritation? is there a way to know for sure, dont have vets that actually see rats.

rat lover on January 05, 2019:

my 2 rats are loving cheerios when they have just done a trick this has been a good treat for them

Gia on December 29, 2018:

Hi there, may I please print this article out

Julian Lenz from Johnstown, PA on December 27, 2018:

Could it be possible that the opium in poppy seeds could be what's hurting rats? Since there's enough to flag a false positive on a drug test, seems plausible that there would be enough to hurt a rat's system.

Aimi on December 25, 2018:

I have always wanted a pet rat but I've never been allowed one. If I did ever get a rat I would definitely be cautious and help him or her live the best life possible

Autumn on December 20, 2018:

Is Rosemary safe for rats to eat?

Reinhard noorman on December 18, 2018:

Thank's for the info.

Danny Gunter on December 18, 2018:

Thank you for this info.I am a new rats owner ,and I might add that 24 little ones are here too !Can anyone help in this field of finding new homes ,let me know please.ThxDannyGunter.

Mike on December 04, 2018:

didn't know about the dried corn one, most of the store bought food comes with dried corn

Mija on December 03, 2018:

What about nuts?

Angela on December 01, 2018:

Can I feed my mouse goldfish pellets?

Mia on November 25, 2018:

Thanksgiving I really needed to know if it was okay to feed them certain foods! :D

Ellie on November 22, 2018:

Can rats have tuna

Rob H on November 12, 2018:

I've had my very first pair of rats for just over a year now and I still keep coming back to this page is it's just so damn useful! :)

Tara K on October 26, 2018:

Ratmotheroftwo, please let us know an update on turbo.

Im assuming she's visited the vet by now...what are the results?

Jaya on October 23, 2018:

#RatMotherOfTwo

I don't know much about rat diseases, but in general I have heard that it's better to give them milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate since dark chocolate have higher amount of theobromine, which is kinda poisonous to rats.

I have two albino rats, and I had never fed them more than one or two chocolate chips in a week.

But other than that I can understand how are you feeling right now, to see these little darlings suffering is the worst thing possible. I hope you get help soon and your turbo gets healthy again.

RatMotherOfTwo on October 22, 2018:

My poor rat is sick with a respiratory infection. She is sneezing and breathing hard. I dont understand why this is happening but maybe because she was a "feeder" rat originally when I bought her and her sister home as pets. Shes a sweetheart and has never bitten me or hurt me and loves to give licks. Her name is Turbo. I have a vet app this wednesday Oct. 24th 2018 at 11:00 am, sadly they were all booked up and so busy this is the earliest I could have her be seen and to try and get medicine for her. I have steroids for my cat who has feline asthma and I wasnt sure what dosage or how small a piece to give my right to help with her breathing or if I could or not so I didnt administer it to her. However I have been giving her small pieces of peeled orange to help her immune system with the vitamins from the fruit and my bf is on his way to find the darkest purest cacao chocolate he can find so we can give her a teeny tiny bit to help with her breathing issues. Its just something to help her hold on until she can be seen. But I worry because I have no idea how much to give her or if dark pure chocolate is safe as long as no sugars, salts, or additives are in it. Ive read some things that say I can and some things say I shouldnt. Ive also read I COULD safely in a small dosage .25 or 0.05 MG/ML of the steroid could help her. I am petting her and giving her lots of loves, water, healthy food and trying so hard to keep her hanging in there til she can be seen. The poor thing is suffering and shes getting worse. Her body shakes like a small seizure, she has raspy wheezing sounds, her nose crackles and is crusty, and her breathing is labored. But she IS still eating, drinking, grooming herself, and alert and playful and calm and happy in my hands when I gently hold her and she still licks so shes alert. I worry if the vets make me wait too long this could progress and get worse and she may develop pnuemonia (sic) and possibly die. Just two more days! I am hoping someone here can tell me if its ok to give the dark cacao pure chocolate and how much to give her to help with her breathing problems. I read not to give her too much of an orange slice within one weeks time, to only give a half a slice peeled fully and with no skin on it. Ive given her a half of a half yesterday and a half of a half today so thats roughly a half of the orange slice. It seemed to work and help her breathe a bit better for a time but I know these are all temp fixes. If someone here could help me with what to do about the feline corticosteroid dosage or the chocolate to help my rat baby hang in there til wednesday that would be great. Sadly, if she passes or I have to put her down, I know her sister Glitch will go after... they were born and raised together as siblings and cage mates and well... when they are that close, usually, if one goes the other follows. Please help. D:

Lucy and Amber on October 21, 2018:

I want rats for Christmas and I need to know good places to get rays and good brands to buy food from. This is a very helpful website that matters for me. Maybe make a list of good kinds of rats you want and maybe even if Petco is a good place to get rats. How disruptive are rays? Do they bite? PS Do rats and dogs get along?

Jaya on October 15, 2018:

Hello. I have two albino rats for two years now. I often feed them raw wheat dough since they really seems to enjoy eating it. Though they haven't shown any bad reaction to it (other than getting super fat and lazy), do you think it might cause any harm to them? And what about whole milk? They drink it daily.

Kayla on October 14, 2018:

I want people to take note that many rat foods contain corn. Avoid those! The corn is bad for them. Just because it says rat food doesnt make it good for your rat. Just like dog food and cat food. When choosing a brand please do your research to make sure you are using the best quality you can! Rats are very prone to illness eapecially reapitory issues. Even some beddings are toxic! Tha ks for reading this wonderful help page

Maddie on October 05, 2018:

Im a new owner of rats and have 2 ludo and hoggle....how can you tell the difference between fighting and playing

Jessi Bone on October 04, 2018:

I have 3 boys.. Remy, Templeton and Socrates and I just printed up the list so I have it on hand for when i need to look. better than looking up the site every time

Destinyz on October 02, 2018:

Thank gosh! I am getting 2 new pet rats.... I am naming them both Mihaw and Mahaw, now I know what to feed them! :-3

Lucy :) on October 01, 2018:

I've seen a couple of people ask about honey, and to answer your questions, I'd stay on the safe side and avoid it. It's sticky, and VERY sugary, which probably isn't good for ratties.

Taken over by wild rats on September 30, 2018:

I hope to soon be rid of the rats that have moved to our acreage.

They are living under our chicken houses , digging holes and probably going to have a mess of babies.

If the traps or poison doesn't get them the shotgun will.

Those nasty rodents have to go!!!

Emma on September 30, 2018:

@rat*hater maybe you should keep your nasty comments to yourself.

Caprice on September 30, 2018:

wow, people acctually look at these to poision their rats, thats sad.

Rat Grandma on September 28, 2018:

To Rat*hater who commented 3 weeks ago!!

Poisoning pet rats is animal cruelty. I am not sure of the law but in some states it is against the law to poison any animal unless they are an infestation or other and not purchased as a pet. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF! There are pet rescues that will take them of your hands with pleasure! UNBELIEVABLE !!

Courtney on September 25, 2018:

I am Very new to having rats but this was very helpful oh and my rats names are luna and ivie two females

Liam R legault on September 15, 2018:

This article has has been a great help I'm a new owner of two rats named chocolate and milk because one is white and the other brown

Rat Owner on September 10, 2018:

What about honey?

Chino & Basil on September 09, 2018:

I have two rats and was feeding them peaunut butter dipped Cheerios and I was looking at a book that said it was bad to feed them peanut butter... I immediately took the treats away from them, and looked here for answers! Thankyou so much for this post!

Fitri on September 06, 2018:

Two of my rats recently died of a urine infection and I believed I had been feeding them something bad. Thinking now if that were the case my other two would have also passed, but the clarification I didn't feed them anything bad is nice. Thank you for posting.

Rat*hater on September 05, 2018:

I so hate rats.

They can be very mean. Am actually planning to poison them. I now the food that are poisonous to rat body system... thanks to the post.

rats on September 01, 2018:

aww no honey

Tina on September 01, 2018:

"beat" tops? LOL. Also, I'd like to question the "sugar free" popsicles. Many "sugar free" things are full of nasty chemicals that clearly cause health problems in the small animals they do the testing of them on. I can't see anyone suggesting rats (or anyone) get any artificial sweetner at all.

Terri on August 28, 2018:

If peanuts and dried corn are dangerous for rats, why do alot of rat foods found in pet stores contain these ingredients?

Noah Lokey on August 24, 2018:

Thank you for the help I'm sure my rats will love you for it

Megan on August 22, 2018:

I have two pet rats both beautiful girls Mercury the oldest about 3 to 4 months and maple who is one month both are very easy to train but I'd like to give them treats now for doing suck a good job!!

The almost best rattie mom on August 16, 2018:

My male rat just died a couple weeks ago and it still hurts. I looked on this site to see if maybe I had fed him something wrong but I didn't. So I'm glad but the funniest thing is that I'm allergic to mango and rats cant eat it witch means that we have more than one thing in common! :)

meg curran on August 13, 2018:

are you allowed to feed rats honey

Majestic gardener on July 26, 2018:

I've been picking corn out of my rats food for a while now.

My rat got cancer and died at only a year old

GUNMAY SAINI on July 25, 2018:

MY RAT IS SCABIES WHY

zoe on July 24, 2018:

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

my moms boyfriend told me that rats can eat anything, I told him they couldn't, he didn't believe him, now I get to prove my point!!!

hehehehehehehehe

I also am getting 2 pet rats and wanted to know what I shouldn't give them. Now i know!!!

Suzi Reynolds on July 23, 2018:

Thank you very much for the lists of foods that my babies can and can't have. It's a great help. I learned a lot from the lists, especially that they can have chicken bones. Thanks again.

amiee on July 22, 2018:

very interesting

Kodaline on July 11, 2018:

is fries okay for rats? i fed my rat a piece of my fry from Fatz and the next day he started acting weird...

Charlotte on July 10, 2018:

I love all of you great reasons I used to have a pet rat named toffee but she died from a tumr

collinshapat1960.blogspot.com

Source: https://pethelpful.com/rodents/Rat-Nutritional-Information-Can-my-Pet-Rat-Eat-This

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