According to the latest data from zoologists, rats are inferior in numbers except to insects. And some scientists believe that there are even more rodents. Their number is growing steadily, regardless of the welfare of the country they have chosen to live. In Moscow, according to the most rough estimates, for every citizen, including migrant workers, there are forty rats. The vitality of the latter is explained by their omnivorous nature (what rats eat — we will discuss with you a little later) and the breeding rate. But no less important factor is their adaptability, quick wits and intelligence. Thanks to these qualities, rats quite confidently fit into the category of pets, sometimes showing an enviable devotion to the owner and the ability to take into account his wishes. And now about everything in more detail and in order.
Rat Nutrition Features
Making a list of what rats eat is almost impossible, since they eat everything. The exception is only absolutely inedible things, although even wires and polyethylene can be nibbled on them and partially swallowed. However, for all its illegibility, rats are reasonably rational. In the wild, they never overeat, so they do not have obesity. If the rat is lucky enough to get a high-calorie piece, it eats less food. If what rats eat is malnourished, the amount consumed accordingly increases. With a lack of some minerals or vitamins in their body, these rodents are looking for products with a high content of the necessary substance.
It should be noted that rats (domestic or wild - do not care) eat constantly. If you forget to feed your pet for at least two days, he will die. Therefore, in the wild, the animals are constantly in search of food, and, if possible, create reserves.
Taste addictions of wild rats
Despite the indiscretion of the creatures we are considering, there are some foods that rats like best. So, if there is a choice between wheat and wholemeal, preference will be given last. Although if the grain is thoroughly wet or mixed with odorless vegetable oil, attention will be divided equally between the two “dishes”.
Sweet is what rats (both tame and free) eat with particular pleasure. Moreover, no matter how nutritious the food is, sweetened with saccharin will do. So in this case, it’s not the calorie content (and, accordingly, the survival factor) that matters, namely the taste sensations.
The following fact is noteworthy: what a white rat eats can be categorically rejected by its wild relatives. For example, it has been well established that laboratory albinos prefer food with the addition of anise and butyric acid, while ordinary rats carefully avoid it. Moreover, if experimental cubs are fed only with food with such additives, and then they can offer a treat without them, they do not hesitate to change the imposed diet. Scientists believe that the attachment of white rats to these "flavorings" is genetic, innate.
How to feed a pet
The diet of a manual animal must be calculated and diversified, because decorative rats eat everything in a row, like their wild relatives, but they move less, and therefore they can get obesity. And if they don’t miss an element, they will not be able to find it on their own. In pet stores, balanced feeds are sold, during the development of which manufacturers took into account what domestic rats eat and what they need most. However, you should not limit yourself only to such products if you want to have a healthy animal in the house, and not to wear it regularly in the veterinary clinic. It is necessary to give the cook boiled meat, seafood and entrails. By the way, even kitten food is suitable. Without fail, vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, turnips, cabbage), berries and fruits should be present in the diet. Instead of multivitamins, you just need to regularly feed the domestic rat with greens - lettuce, dandelion and clover leaves, dill. Remember what rats eat in the wild. Cereals, right! Grain can be given in its usual form, but can be sprouted. Oat and wheat sprouts are especially useful in this regard - in winter they are a valuable source of vitamin E.
Healing products
No matter how you try to protect your pets, it may very well be that they will still get sick. In this case, you need to be more careful about what rats eat: some products will help them overcome ailments. So, if your animal is already “aged” so that it does not suffer from arthritis, add a little garlic and ginger to the food. As a prevention of all kinds of viral infections, you can give onions, prunes, cranberries, strawberries. If a pet needs antibiotics, before injecting him with medicines, feed the patient better with bananas, eggplant, raspberries, plums, all the same garlic and onions. You can feed the animal a decoction of Echinacea.
Fruits and vegetables, which are given little by little
When discussing what rats eat (we are talking exclusively about pets), we should specify not only the quality of the food, but also its quantity. So, you need to know what food can harm pets if they receive it regularly and in large doses. Among these products can be identified:
- Pears Fasten, therefore, give no more than once every two weeks.
- Grapes It can “pull” fermentation.
- Beet. Diarrhea is almost guaranteed, but if for the first time it has not been observed, you can give it, because it is useful. Just don't overdo it!
- The eggs. Be sure to cook, it is better to buy quail and offer no more than once a week.
- Sour cream. Only as a treat, little by little and with the same frequency.
Poison grass
So what rats eat, we figured it out. But one must also have an idea of what is dangerous for them. Especially if your pet has the ability to freely move around the apartment, and you are a lover of a home kindergarten. If he can get potato, cherry, tobacco, euphorbiaceae leaves only from your hands (that is, it is enough just to check that the animal does not eat them), then he can nibble indoor flowers without your knowledge. The following domestic plants are poisonous to rats:
- dieffenbachia;
- room feces;
- azalea;
- begonia;
- ivy (any variety);
- amaryllis;
- cyclamen.
The worst part is that the rat cannot be forbidden to eat flowers, well, or hide them so that she does not reach them. If you have such plants in your house, you will have to keep the animal in a cage.
Prohibited
Some food is generally contraindicated for these animals, although not as dangerous as herbs. From the fact that you can’t eat rats categorically, you must first name the blue cheese. Anyway, any cheeses are fatty and salty, therefore they lead to obesity in domestic animals. But "blue" can even poison your pet.
Green bananas impair the digestibility of starch. These fruits should be given to rats only ripe.
The green parts of the potato incorporate solanine - a fairly strong poison for rats. In boiled form, it is less dangerous, in raw it can be fatal.
Raw beans and peas are almost guaranteed to cause flatulence and, as a result, tympanum.
Smoked meats, lard (especially salted), fried meat, sausage - without all this, your pet will do without a doubt. The consequences of regular feeding with such products can be very sad.
Chocolate, sweets, cakes and pastries should also be excluded from the rat diet. Want to treat her tasty - give a piece of fruit.
Rat and Mouse War
Many people holding rodent homes wonder if rats eat mice. In the wild, in the absence of other food, no doubt. However, if there is a choice, the rat will eat more interesting food, although the mouse will kill - as a competitor. However, if rats appear on the territory, the mice themselves leave it and go in search of other housing.