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A Rattie Diet
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HomeMade - I make my own mix based off of the Sue Bee Diet and feed that along with "Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul Light"
Here is another homemade mix created by Debbie Ducommun.
Dry Dog Kibble -Some high quality dog food brands include - Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul Light, Canidae, Avo, Innova Senior and Wellness. (recommended percentage for rats is 12-15%. Babies and pregnant and nursing does should receive a higher percentage.
Lab Blocks - Harlan Teklad and Mazuri are just two of the better quality lab blocks. Lab Blocks are nutritionally designed to meet all the dietary requirements for rats, However many of the ingredients used aren't very high quality.
Fruits and Veggies, Grains - Here is a list of some of the fresh foods you can give to your rattie daily -- Amaranth, Apples, Apricots, Avacodo (this is high in good fats and should be used in moderation...especially with 'Big Squishies'), Banana, Barley, Beets, Black Beans Cooked, Blackberries, Blueberries, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Buckwheat, Cantaloupe/Melon, Carrots, Cauliflower, Corn(cooked), Cranberries, Edimame(baby soy beans in the pod), Eggplant w/ skin, Flaxseed, Grapes, Green Beans, Kale, Kelp, Kidney Beans (cooked), Kiwi, Lima Beans ( cooked), Mango, Millet, Mushrooms, Nori, Oats or Oatmeal, Papaya, Parsley, Peaches, Peas, Plums/ Prunes, Quinoa, Raisins, Raspberries, Red Grapes, Rye, Spinach, Sprouts, Squash, Strawberries, Sweet Peppers, Turnip Greens, Turnips, Wakame, Watermelon
Nuts - Almonds, Walnuts, Peanuts, Hazel Nuts...etc. should be given only occasionally. For a boredom buster give them hard nuts (Walnuts, Pecans, Hazel Nuts) in the shell.
Forbidden Foods - There are a few foods that should NEVER be offered to your rat. Debbie Ducommun has created a fabulous Forbidden Foods list .
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Bedding
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Aspen - Is a hard wood and a good choice for litter. Because Aspen can be home to mites it is important to freeze it before placing in the cage. It is also light and can be messy if your rats like to dig around in it.
CareFresh - Made from paper pulp absorbs well and many people are quite happy with it. It can get a bad smell when wet so daily spot cleaning is recommended.
Cat Litter ( the typical clay kind) - This is way to dusty to be used in the bottom of the cage.
Cedar- This is not a good bedding choice for your ratties. The phenols found in it, as well as other soft woods, are toxic to all rodents.
Cloth - T-shirts and fleece can be changed out daily, washed, and then reused. Since rats like to chew holes in them, once they need to be sent to t-shirt heaven, purchasing more at thrift stores is a great money saver. Do not use material that unravels easily especially with babies and young rats, they could easily lose a limb or worse if a thread gets wrapped around a leg, a neck etc.
Corn Cob - It becomes moldy quickly when wet, so must be changed often if used.
Paper Pellets such as Yesterdays News and Good Mews- This is made of recycled paper and can be found in the cat litter section. It is very absorbant and keeps odor down well with daily spot cleaning. It can get quite expensive for multi-rat homes.
Pine - Same as Cedar
Rabbit Food - Rats won't eat it, it is great at odor control and is inexpensive. It is heavy so is not thrown out by digging rats. I buy 50 lb bags at the feed store for under $12.00. A bag that size is enough for approximately 12 to 14 changes for a 30" x 18" cage pan. Smells of freshly mowed grass imo.
Shredded paper - Shredded paper can be used on the bottom of the cage. Clean soiled areas daily. If using newspaper be sure the ink used is non-toxic.
*highlighted blue - recommended
*highlighted red - I do not recommend
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Home Sweet Home
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Cage Cleaning - A clean environment is essential for your rats health. Rat Care Guide has great step by step cage cleaning instructions .
Cage Decor - Rats spend alot of their day sleeping, so provide them with comfy places to rest. Igloos, Roll-a-Nest beds, Kleenex boxes(these are disposable), plastic storage containers with holes cut into them, etc are great hidey hole places. Hammocks are a must...and there are so many different varieties (ex. Light wieght, hammocks w/ pockets, fleece lined...there are cubes, tubes, and space saving corner hammocks) . They are also quite easily made. One way is to buy wash clothes, (on sale) no hemming is required, place grommits in each of the four corners and use wire shower curtain hangers to secure them to the cage. If you enjoy sewing there are endless possibilities! Rats love to play. When they can't be out of their cage playing with you, they need something to occupy their time. Here is a link with many wonderful playtime ideas.
Cage Calculator - Choose the right size cage for your ratties
Some Quality Cage Links - Martins Cages
Quality Cage Company
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Recommended Rattie friendly vets
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Oregon
*Albany
Ken Fletcher, DVM
Albany Animal Hospital
629 Madison Street Southeast
Albany, OR 97321
Tel: (541) 926-8817
http://www.albanyanimalhospital.com/
Periwinkle Pet Clinic
1590 9th Ave.
Albany, OR 97322
Tel: (541) 967-8384
*Aloha
Dr. Thomas Tsui
Rock Creek Vet Clinic
1445 NW 185th Ave
Aloha OR
(503) 645-4458
*Beaverton
Dr. Mark Burgess
Southwest Animal Hospital
6139 SW Murray Boulevard
Beaverton, OR 97008-4421
Tel: (503) 643-2137
http://www.swanimalhospital.net/
Dr. Wilson
Beaverton Vet Clinic
503-646-6101
11876 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy.
Beaverton, OR 97005
www.beavertonpetclinic.com
*Clackamas
Banfield Pet Hospital
Dr.Joshua Horner
9450 SE 82nd Avenue,
Portland, OR. 97086
(503) 788-2154
http://hospital--www.banfield.net/
*Salem
Oak Hills Vet Clinic
1212 Wallace Rd NW
Salem, OR 97304
(503) 581-8161
Turnbull, Melissa
West Salem Animal Clinic
1174 Edgewater St.
Salem, Oregon 97304
503-588-2903
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