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Can Rats Eat Chocolate?

Rats have gained a bad publicity since the darkest times of human history, but they don’t deserve all of it, for sure! It is true that large groups of rats could be a great threat, in terms of spreading diseases and such, but if we speak of a rat taken as a pet, the story is completely different.

Rats are very intelligent little fellows and taken care right way, they could be really dear and lovely pets. It is not surprising people are usually reluctant to the idea of having a rat as a pet. On the other hand, there are lots of people who find those cute rodents quite adorable.

The first and very important thong about rats is that they are highly intelligent living beings. They are sociable, very playful and completely aware of their surrounding. A rat learns quickly and recognizes its owner. This funny little fellow enjoys company of humans and loves to spend time playing with its human friends. Rats could be really entertaining pets, but that doesn’t make them toys for fun. They are tiny, sensitive and kind, so you need to treat it tenderly.

Rats are reasonably easy to maintain. They require proper living conditions and care, but are less demanding than bigger animals, such as dogs and cats. However, this playful rodent relies on you to provide it the best care possible. It needs a cage of a right size, like a guinea pig cage, for example. It has to be equipped with some constructions for exploring and climbing, because rats are very active animals. Besides that, a good nutrition is an essential.

Feeding rats

Rats belong to a wide family of rodents. Therefore they are given constantly growing teeth, so they need to have something to nibble and sharpen them all the time. There are great choices amongst chewing stuff for other pets you can safely use for your rat. Dog chewing toys made from pig ears and beef bones are good option, as well as those designed for parrots.

When it comes to actual food for your rat, there are several good advices. Food-blocks for lab rats, combined with grain mixture could be safely used as a base of your pet’s regular diet plan. Since rats could eat many different viands and they are small, feeding them is not difficult. You can safely add some small portions of some of your meals, such as breakfast cereals, hummus, yogurt, cheese and such. Pieces of fresh fruits and veggies, raw or cooked are also good.

Dark chocolate as a beneficial treat

Rats are not so complicated to feed, unlike some really picky pets, such as cats. They are rare animals that can actually eat the same food we eat. Most snacks you enjoy are safe for your little buddy, as well. You may wonder if it is a good idea to treat your rat some chocolate. Well, let us check this out.

We’re happy to inform you chocolate is safe for rats. Chocolate is known to be good for our mood; it is full of healthy flavonoids and also works as a natural pain killer. There are some studies that showed chocolate is synthetically used as a remedy for treating chest infections in rats, thanks to valuable content of a chemical theophylline.

Chocolate is beneficial to rats. The only thing you should worry about are the amounts. Serve chocolate in moderation, meaning use it as a treat. It should never replace your pet’s regular food. Pay attention on the choice of chocolate, as well. Dark chocolate is the best, as you may suppose. It is nearest to the pure form of cocoa and other great chocolate ingredients. You can also read about birds eating chocolates and if that is safe for them.

Keep away from white chocolate and such products that only resemble it. They do not contain valuable and useful ingredients like the dark one. As for the amount, a pea sized piece of it should be sufficient for one serving. You can also pick carrots for more healthy eating.