Homemade Rat Food
Feeding your rat is not as simple as just putting random food in a bowl. Like any animal, rats need certain vitamins and nutrients to ensure proper health. Most store-bought rat foods contain the proper balance of these vital vitamins and nutrients. However, store-bought feed mixes can be expensive and contain preservatives. If you prefer to make your own rat food, you can do so using fresh ingredients for little money and time.
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Things You'll Need
- Frozen cauliflower
- Frozen carrots
- Frozen snow peas
- Frozen peas
- Microwave-safe bowl
- Microwave
- Silken tofu
- Spoon
- Fresh spinach leaves
- Hard wheat kernels
- Soft wheat kernels
- Oat flakes
- Rye flakes
- Triticale flakes
- Spelt kernels
- Dried bananas
- Dried cranberries
- Dry pasta
- Essential fatty-acid supplement
- Air-tight containers
Instructions
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Veggie Mixes
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1
Place 2 tbsp. each of frozen cauliflower, snow peas, carrots, carrots and peas in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the vegetables for 30 seconds on high to thaw them. If they are not thawed after 30 seconds, place them back in the microwave for another 10 seconds.
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2
Chop up 1 tbsp. silken tofu into small bite-size pieces. Add this to your thawed vegetables.
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3
Stir the vegetables and tofu together with a spoon. The tofu will melt into the vegetables.
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4
Place the tofu and vegetable mixture on top of a handful of fresh spinach leaves, and give it to your rat. This is one serving.
Grain Mixes
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5
Place 1 cup each hard and soft wheat kernels, oat flakes, rye flakes, triticale flakes, spelt kernels, dried bananas and cranberries, and dry pasta, such as tri-color spiral pasta, in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
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6
Place 1/2 cup of the grain mixture into your rat's food bowl at each feeding. Sprinkle 1/8 oz. of an essential fatty acid supplement on top of the food before giving it to your rat. Essential fatty acid supplements can be found at your local pet store.
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7
Store your grain mixture in your refrigerator in an air-tight container. This makes two day's worth of food for one rat.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Although homemade foods are free of preservatives and inexpensive, store-bought foods ensure your rat receives all the nutrients and vitamins it needs. Check with your vet before switching to a strictly homemade diet to determine if any other supplements are needed for optimum rat health.
References
- Photo Credit rat image by Oleg Sviridov from Fotolia.com
