RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

Tue Sep 06, 2005 6:38 am

Why is egg plant not good for rats? Or is it like some other veggies and has to be cooked first. I have never tried eggplant with my rats and thought maybe it would be worth a shot since they are tireing of summer squash, yellow squash, and zuchinini... Shaz

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Tue Sep 06, 2005 6:59 am

I never liked the idea of the MM -- a lot of work with some things in that seem iffy (oysters, I believe, was an ingredient). It could be good in small batches as a treat, but Suebee's beats the MM hands down cos it's got everything they need in it plus there is no goop or questionable ingredients.

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Tue Sep 06, 2005 7:22 am

	Kate wrote:
	I never liked the idea of the MM -- a lot of work with some things in that seem iffy (oysters, I believe, was an ingredient). It could be good in small batches as a treat, but Suebee's beats the MM hands down cos it's got everything they need in it plus there is no goop or questionable ingredients.

Thanks Kate

Suebee's mix it is then!

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Tiana

~~*Polar, Petey, and Kona the Burmese*~~

Tue Sep 06, 2005 7:52 am

Well, that's just my one opinion. But I'm pretty sure the majority of RP members use Suebee's mix or at least use most of it as a base for their own mix (I do). It's just a nice plus that it's also far less work than the MM.

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Tue Sep 06, 2005 7:56 am

	Kate wrote:
	Well, that's just my one opinion. But I'm pretty sure the majority of RP members use Suebee's mix or at least use most of it as a base for their own mix (I do). It's just a nice plus that it's also far less work than the MM.

Well seeing as that a majority of the members here use it including yourself, whom I see as a highly respected mouse owner (they are absolutley ADORABLE btw), I'll take your word for it and switch wink

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Tiana

~~*Polar, Petey, and Kona the Burmese*~~

Tue Sep 06, 2005 8:58 am

LOL thank you. Those little buggers of course only eat the bits they like, but my solution to that is to not refill until they've had at least some of the other stuff! It's hard but I try to be firm most of the time.

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Wed Sep 07, 2005 6:33 am

	MerlinsMagic wrote:
	so what about eggplant? Shaz

Eggplant with the skin left on is fine- I haven't read anything that says it needs to be cooked so I suppose you could give it to them either way. Hope that helps wink

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Tiana

~~*Polar, Petey, and Kona the Burmese*~~

Wed Sep 07, 2005 6:35 am

I know somewhere it said not to give it to them because of the high nitrates...I was wondering if thats raw cooked or both...or if I should only give like a sliver a week? I dunno...I have never even eaten eggplant and I thought it would be nice to expand all of our diets.. thanks, Shaz

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Wed Sep 07, 2005 6:41 am

Aaah I see- here we go: according to Pet Rats Canada, it says that it should be limited because of high nitrates that can become carcinogenic when combined with amines in the stomach. So, I'd say maybe once every week, week and a half?

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Tiana

~~*Polar, Petey, and Kona the Burmese*~~

Thu Sep 08, 2005 6:39 am

cool me and my rats are going to try eggplant tomorrow..Shaz

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Wed Sep 28, 2005 9:26 pm

I have read all of the threads and individual questions about food, but i am just so paranoid that i'm not feeding my boys properly. Here is what they eat. Everyday, all day they have a supply (little bit of each thing) of Zeigler Rodent Blocks, puffed rice, dry pasta, cheerios, bran flakes, total cereal, unsalted saltines. Every night i alternate giving them fruit (i haven't found any they really like though) one night and veggies (they love!!) the next night. Does this sound ok? If not, please offer me any advice you can give. Thanks so much.

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Mama's Boys Milo & Ben Ace & Jack

Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:38 pm

RKisses It sounds fine from everything I've ever seen/read or encountered, you could even stand to chuck in a chicken bone or two now and then.

Ratties love the whole grains, lab block and fresh fruits and veggies! Except in moderation, which you appear to be doing, or else they'll get RattyRunnies.....use your brain to guess what that is *-)

I found that last tidbit out the hard way X__X

Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:48 pm

I was giving them fruits and veggies everyday, but Milo can't take too much of the veggie Yuck

that's why i switched it to every other day. I feel bad because the veggies are their absolute favorite, but it's for his own good (and mine LOL

). I find this very odd as well...My boys dont like any kind of treat. I have tried Yogies, Nylabone Peanut butter flavor, those ice creams and flavored bark that you put on the kabob. they don't touch them. I don't know what to give them to grind down their teeth or get them to come when i need to. ScratchHead

Does anyone have anti-treat ratties too?

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Mama's Boys Milo & Ben Ace & Jack

Wed Sep 28, 2005 11:18 pm

No...but the best thing to give them for their teeth is nuts in the shell.
Try hazelnuts...not something soft and easy to get into like a Peanut.

Hazlenuts, and almonds are great for their teeth, and occasionally helps their fingernails..at least it does in mine! Try nuts in the shell fo rtheir teeth, and see if they like it as a treat!

Also, the chicken and pork bones would help their toothies as they work really hard on the bones to get the marrow! Rats are piggies like that Yum

Thu Sep 29, 2005 1:59 am

Yup - cooked chicken bones and hazelnuts are mine's favourites to gnaw on (but noisy!). Mostly though, as long as they have some hard bits in their regular diet, they will keep their teeth down chewing their food and bruxing. You don't say how old they are, but I found mine became much more treat orientated as they got older. Maybe it's an aquired taste? wink

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Thu Sep 29, 2005 2:03 am

Mine are only 2 months and are like: ' YUM TREATS GIMME! *nab, inhales food* MORE PLEASE NOWNOWNOWNOW! *popcorns* MORE! Yyyyyaaayyyy! Pumpkin seeds, oh mummy I LOVE those *inhales next bit*'

And that amoutn of excitement isn't an exxageration.

They don't do that for Hazelenuts though..mostly pork bones and pumpkin seeds. They don't even go nuts over yoggies! Yep...pumpkin seeds is their favourite. And they absolutely DIE for a salted seed...It's like....Rat Popcorn central...

Thu Sep 29, 2005 2:17 am

It's also worth bearing in mind that a rat might be less keen at first if they're not used to treats, or if they're still settling in or being socialised etc. And it's also worth remembering that not all rats like the same things. They each have their own personal favourite foods, and some hate yoggies - despite their general yumminess to rat kind. Mr. Green

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Wed Oct 05, 2005 2:21 am

Yeah they like other treats. I swap it out. Some nights cheery ohs. Some nights pecans. Some nights wheat flakes. Some nights oat mill. Oh oh oh and cheery ohs just came out with some new stuff its yogart coverd cheery ohs. So some times I give them that. They get a regular diet of there rat chow but for a snack befor I go to bed I give them something. They have a little snack bowl. I put about a table spoon of what ever I'm given' them in it.

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Davina, 2 Select Few Rats
~Maggie~*~Nutters~*~Nani~
~*~RIP~*~Gail~*~RIP~*~

Wed Oct 05, 2005 2:24 am

What "rat chow" do you feed them? Most rat food is actually just repackaged hamster food, and rarely a sufficient diet. Try using a mix of suebee's mix(found at ratsrule.com) with a high quality lab block, such as Harlan Teklad or Oxbow.

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Thu Oct 06, 2005 2:15 am

I don't know the name of it off hand. I had got a huge bag of it and dumped it in a empty 1.5 gallon ice cream tub and so the bag it was in is gone. But thank you for the names of the other stuff. When this stuff runs out I will look for those and get them.

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Davina, 2 Select Few Rats
~Maggie~*~Nutters~*~Nani~
~*~RIP~*~Gail~*~RIP~*~

Wed Oct 19, 2005 1:36 am

I just switched to Suebees, and I love it! It is so much easier to make than the Molasass mix, and the rats love it!
I have 2 questions though. First, Do ya'll chop up the dried fruit, or give it to them whole? I spent most of the time that I was making Suebees cutting up the fruit.

Second, I know that you are supposed to let your rats have access to food all the time, but with 4 rats I am giving them 1/2 cup Suebees, 1/2 cup nutro dog food, and some fresh fruit several times a week, and they eat it all right away. Yesterday I gave each rat half a date, and there regular 1 cup of food total, and it was gone within an hour. It is also not just them not being used to such good food, because it has been over a week.

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Rosie

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I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Wed Oct 19, 2005 2:49 am

If the dried fruit is large then yes, I cut it up - but I tend to use fruits that are rat sized already.

I found that a double batch of Suebee's and kibble would last 14 rats for around 3 weeks. Are you sure they're not stashing it? I found it took a couple of weeks maybe for them to stop scarfing the food because it was new and tasty, but after that I could work out how much would last a day and go with that.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Sun Oct 23, 2005 1:35 am

Tapioca has some scabs around his chin and I think he has too much protein in his diet.
They get a bowl of Ol'Roy dinner rounds (16.5% protein. I know it's a little high, but it was the lowest I could find) and then a mix in the evening.
It has:
unsweetened multigrain cereal
puffed rice (no preservatives or additives)
puffed red wheat cereal (no preservatives or additives)

I mix that with this:
http://www.thatpetplace.com/Products/KW/S06/Class/Small+Pet+Supplies+Food/T1/S06+0107+2269/EDP/35519/Itemdy00.aspx

They also get fresh fruit and veggies three times a week.
Does this sound okay? I thought it was mites at first but the vet said it wasn't.

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Rats:
The boys:
Chester (PEW hairless), Kye (Black mismarked hooded), Scout (agouti), Reminder (Beige)

Tapioca(Beige hooded) RIP my big squishy boy...Play hard at the Rainbow Bridge.

Sun Oct 23, 2005 1:39 am

That does not sound to high in protein, but some rats are more sensitive then others. There are many things it could be, so I would just feed him very bland foods for a week or so (brown rice, total cereal, yogurt), and see if he improves. How are your other guys doing?

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Rosie

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I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Sun Oct 23, 2005 1:59 am

ol'roy is a horrible horrible horrible brand! it is often referred to as "crap in a bag" and that it is! the number one ingredient in most of their products is corn, most of them contain ash, and tons of chemicals and preservitives. i would starve myself before i ever fed my animals anything from ol'roy!

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i miss you dove, oz, briar and fern. liam, my love, i 'll never forget you.