Rats can be all raw and vegan

[chilove]

Hi there,

I didn't want this to get buried in the rattie discussion thread because I think it's important so I started a new thread.

Rats can be vegan and raw! When I did the research it seemed to me that rat's nutritional requirements were pretty similiar to human's, so I went ahead and fed my ratties that I adopted fruits and veggies and some nuts and seeds and they are super healthy and active and happy and have been for over two years now.

I do feed mostly organic because of rat's predisposition towards cancer. I don't eat mostly organic even because I can't afford to--but I think that rats are much susceptible to cancer than we are and they eat so little that it doesn't cost much.

I mostly feed my ratties melons, mangoes, bananas, dates, avocados, some tender greens, broccoli, tomatos, carrots, brussel sprouts, and pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and pine nuts.

They do get a variety of other fruits and veggies depending on what I'm eating but the above are their favorites. Mangoes and avocados are their absolute favorites and I have to agree with them!

I notice that when I give them too much fat they start to loose some hair and it grows right back as soon I cut back. I did read that they do better on low fat diets.

Blessings!

Audrey
www.rawhealing.com

[Rayne]

Hey fellow rat lover, I am starting a new pair of rats and devoting them to raw for the first time, so knowing what you feed your rats and how they are faring is really helpful =)

[Eva]

One of my college roommates had some pet rats, and they were funny, smart little boogers! I took a real liking to them. I'm picturing them now eating avocado (never saw them do that, but this makes me picture it). Pretty funny.

Why not organic? They weigh what? 5 ounces? LOL!

[Rayne]

Lol! I have a big pic from my calander of a rat eating avocado staring at me!

[RawKnitster]

Our family adopted a pet rat about 6 months ago. Once I started giving her fresh food she quit eating the pet store rat food.

Rats must have different tastes, just like people. Our rat won't touch mango. Avocado and banana get eaten immediately! We give her a bit of fruit as a treat in the afternnoon. I read that to much fruit upsets their stomachs. Her favorite nuts are macadamia and cashew. She gets an assortment of veges every night, but it always includes kale. She loves corn on the cob. It's so cute to see her dragging the corn back to her cage. She is very fussy about where the fresh food get stored, so we put it outside her cage and let her stash it herself.

I have not given her pine nuts. I assumed because rats are not supposed to have bedding made with pine, that pine nuts would not be good for them...?

Since our rat doesn't have a companion, she has to have lots of attention. At least 15 minutes each evening out of the cage, "playing" with my daughter. She gets plenty of attention from me, too. I've knit and felted her 2 sleeves, where she spends most of her time. She was adopted against my better judgement, but that little rat has gotten to me. We just love her.

[Emma-Liza]

RK, I had no idea you had a rat! How kewl! What is her name?

[RawKnitster]

Emma-Liza, Her name is Kitty Kat. My husband calls it Ricky Rat. We think it's a female, but really don't know.

We adopted it when my husband's brother got hit riding his Harley. First I said don't bring that thing in my house, but we had no choice. Three days later I was out buying it a better cage and toys. BIL spent two months in the hospital. By then we were so attached, he let us keep it. Funny, that's how we got our dog, too.

[forseti1980]

Anyone that has rats as pets should buy Debbie's Rat Health Care Booklet.

http://ratfanclub.org/books.html

It has not only saved me a ridiculous amount of money on vets bills, but it also has saved their lives.:)

Read this booklet, and you will know more than 9 out of 10 vets probably. It has been invaluable.

Good day

[goobygirl]

There's also a green powder that's organic and vegan that's recommended for rats, but I can't remember the name now (it also has digestive enzymes and probiotics I think). I used them for the dogs and they had a berry smell to them, I think.

[goobygirl]

It's called Green Mush.

http://www.veganessentials.com/catal...rt-formula.htm

[JennaBoBenna]

Does anyone know if rats can eat cacao butter(or shea butter)? My poor little Weetzie Rat had a huge breakout of lumpy-dry-peely skin! She looks like a mangy little sewer rat! I've been putting olive oil on her to help moisturize and she is also getting antibiotics from the doctor. The doctor didn't know what caused her skin to breakout like this We think it might've been from my guinea pig peeing on her anyway, i wanted to rub some cacao butter or even shea butter onto her skin but I'm worried she will get sick from licking it off. Would olive oil be enough to help her skin heal? Normally I have coconut oil, but I just ran out and can't buy any more right now(or spend any more money on this rat!) any help is appreciated :)

[MelissaO]

My parents used organic shea butter for their english bull dog in the winter on her knees and elbows to relieve dryness. They use to wash her with some kind of oatmeal stuff to soothe her irrated skin. She was kind of fat though and could not really reach most spots to lick off any of the shea butter :)

[goobygirl]

I would add some good probiotics to the diet to counteract the antibiotics and also rub on some aloe from real aloe plant. I don't think the aloe would hurt, but you might want to google it first.

Of course adding the green mush would address a lot of those issues in and of itself, has probiotics and food enzymes plus healthy whole food ingredients.