Rats became popular as pets during the nineteenth century. Since then, those adorable rodents have been given appreciation they deserve, being friendly, sociable and very intelligent animals. Rats may not be as popular pets as cats and dogs, but they have a considerable number of fans amongst humans.
Taken as a pet, this tiny rodent could be easily trained to solve many tasks, such as running the wheel or finding the way out through the maze. They are able to learn even more complicated tasks and they enjoy the game. Therefore, rats are also considered some of the most entertaining pets.
However, that doesn’t mean those little fellows are toys to play. They are gentle, charming and very intelligent and they would enjoy your company. Since rats are sociable and friendly, it is often suggested to take a pair of them. Rats are quite active and love to explore, so you have to provide them some constructions to explore and climb. They should be kept in a cage, but you can let them out and play with them as well.
When speaking of rats nurturing, they are considered not so demanding pets. They need your care and attention, of course. Your lovely little friend should have a cage big enough to comfortably rest and play, equipped with toys and constructions, as mentioned. Rats love cuddling and pampering, but you need to be careful, because they are tiny and gentle. Never take it by its tail, they really dislike that! Once a rat get used to its owner it would enjoy to be carried in hands.
How to feed a rat?
So, how to feed your little furry friend? Rats eat different types of food and they need various ingredients in their diet.
However, a mixture of seeds and grains should be used as a basic food on the menu. It contains valuable nutrients a rat needs for energy and healthy growth and development. To keep your pet in good shape, enrich its diet with several of other ingredients, as well. Fruits and vegetables are important and should be included in your pet’s diet plan. Fruits (see our article on whether rats can eat apples) and veggies are good both raw and cooked.
Rats are able to digest different ingredients and to utilize material coming from different types of food. You can safely give your pet some meat, yogurt or cheese once in a while. Even mushrooms are permissible.
Avoid salty food, spices and such, of course. Some leftovers from your table could be fine in very small portions and not so frequently. Keep to a proper diet plan for your pet and there should be no problems.
Healthy carrots for rats
Rats love eating vegetables and they are good for their nutrition. Most of vegetables are safe and welcome on a rat’s menu. Vegetables are an excellent choice to enrich a rat’s diet plan in a healthy and useful way. Carrots are high on top of rat friendly veggies list and they are often warmly recommended.
Carrots are very good for rats. They are packed with vitamins and minerals, as well as other useful elements. Your rat could only benefit from having this vegetable on its regular menu. You just need to keep it in moderation, because too much of fresh veggies could lead to diarrhea, which is not funny at all, nor for your pet neither for you.
Carrots could be safely given to rats both raw and cooked. Raw vegetables are always the better choice, in terms of nutritional value. If you use seeds mixture as a regular food, you should add some veggies as a supplement and carrots are naturally a good choice to do so.
