Rats are amazing little rodents. Although they are not as popular as cats or dogs to be taken as pets, there are people who find them totally irresistible. That is not without reason, for sure. Every person who is familiar with rats knows a lot of funny and interesting facts about those animals. Rats are known to be very intelligent, extremely sociable and active furry fellows. Domesticated rats are clean and dear, lovely and mild. They love to be in company of their friends and relatives, as well as the company of other pets.
They also enjoy cuddling and playing with their humans, whom they could show great affection and kindness.
Rats are truly spectacular! They are easily trained to perform different interesting tasks, such as overcoming obstacles in a maze or similar constructions, running the wheel and others. They enjoy having such times, since they are active and playful.
However, rats are not toys or show performers; those tiny animals are very sensitive and gentle. They need your love and care, to be happy and content. A rat could become really attached to its owner and it would let you carry it in your hands. They love cuddling and pampering!
Despite common belief, rats are quite tidy and clean animals. If you think of taking a rat as a pet, you need to keep its living space in good condition. Rats don’t like messy surrounding and they need to rely on you to keep it tidy. Since pet rats live in a cage, you need to clean it regularly and always provide your pet the best conditions possible.
Beside a cage of a good size and with equipment for exercise, you have to create a good diet plan for your pet. Always make sure it’s fur is shiny, its eyes bright and it is in good mood to play and exercise.
A good diet plan for a rat
Rats are omnivores in every sense. They are able to eat and digest all sorts of food. However, that doesn’t mean you can feed your pet literally everything at any time you like, if you want it to grow healthy. Feeding your rat a good, balanced diet will make your pet feel good and prevent unnecessary health risks. So, don’t feed it your snacks and sweets or such; at least, keep to very small amounts and don’t do it often.
Seeds and grains mixtures are always good choice to use as a basic food on the menu. Those mixtures are full of necessary nutrients for a rat’s healthy development and for keeping its body in good shape. If it receives all viands and nutrients it needs on a daily basis, your pet will be strong, happy and satisfied. Rat food is available in pet stores and it is really a good choice to feed your pet.
Beside rat food you buy, you should enrich your pet’s diet with some other ingredients, such as fruits, veggies, occasional portions of meat, yogurt and cheese. You can also learn if rats can eat blueberries on our site.
Cheese as an occasional snack
We’re sure you could easily imagine a rat nibbling delicious pieces of popular Swiss cheese with holes. You’ve seen it in cartoons so many times, for sure. Mice and rats eating cheese are such a stereotype, so you may wonder whether it is actually truth or not. While your little friend would most likely enjoy nibbling some cheese, it is not actually its favorite food.
Feeding rats cheese is okay, in general. However, it is not recommended to feed your pet diary products so often, because many of our pets are actually lactose intolerant and having too much cheese would cause them stomach problems. The same is with both cats and rats; people are wrong thinking cats and rats really enjoy cheese and milk on a daily basis. It is fine for your little friend, but only as a treat. If you keep to the menu of various viands, based on rat pellets, fruits and veggies, some delicious pieces of cheese could be a great occasional snack! You can also read about rats eating mushrooms next.
