Good diet for rats? - Page 2

Mark · 03-27-05, 10:26 AM

you bet I do.

Ciddian · 03-27-05, 04:39 PM

LOL Make sure to lock him in the car and get a good head start jon hehehe!

Linds · 03-29-05, 11:10 AM

Just because it is made for rats doesn't necessarily mean it is the best thing for rats, just like most cat food is unsuitable for cats (nobody can argue it is best to feed a strict carnivore a diet of meat-flavoured cereal).Some of the stuff Mazuri markets towards animals would do nothing but slowly kill them. I mean... the rodent diet, iguana diet, and tortoise diet are very similar... yet these animals have drastically different natural requirements... and all contain harmful preservatives. Now sure the rats aren't living long since they are feeders, but the stuff does go in to the animals eating them. Even if the differences are minimal... maybe you could tax on a few extra years of life, or a few more babies in the litter? I've used Mazuri and had sub-par results in my colonies during that time (a few hundred rats and some mice). The only variable that had changed was the food... housing, substrate, temps, etc. were all the same.

Right now I feed a staple of Masterfeeds 16% horse chunks supplemented with sunflower seeds and chicken scrap (bones, cartilage, meat). They also get the occassional sprinkling of all-natural cat food. My mice do not get fed animal protein. I consistently get litters of 12-22 rats, and females last much longer. My pets get the same diet, but are also supplemented with whole grain pastas, veggies, fruit, nuts, grains, etc.

Ciddian · 03-30-05, 03:13 AM

Thank you for the imput Linds! The rats i have are pets to me and will be around for a while hopefully so changing the diet should definatly help me.

All natural cat food is the best for cats? I am just so sick and tired of having to change diets because the next person that comes along says this or that food is crap. Sorry to switch the subject.

I dont mind paying the extra cash for food if its good for my animals. If i did... then i wouldnt keep them.

mykee · 03-30-05, 10:04 AM

If you had asked which food was better 6 months ago, you would have had half the people on this thread tout the wonderful benefits of the "super low quality" dog food as the next best thing for your rats. I guess it's all just a matter of when the question is asked.
When it comes down to it, it's a personal choice, do your research, play with their diets and you'll find something that suits your needs.

NadaNaga · 04-10-05, 11:23 AM

I keep pet rats, and have them on a diet of rat blocks from Hagen. I also feed them fruit, dog kibble, veggies, rice, pasta, babyfood, yoghurt or anything else rat appropriate in my fridge. They seem to be doing fine, but admittedly I don't breed, so maybe that makes a difference. As for other pets (cats and dogs) when choosing a brand of food I suggest ignoring the front of the bag (pure marketing) and concentrating on the AAFCO label and ingredient list. If you want me to be more specific, feel free to PM me.

This is a reptile forum after all.

Linds · 04-13-05, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ciddian
All natural cat food is the best for cats? I am just so sick and tired of having to change diets because the next person that comes along says this or that food is crap. Sorry to switch the subject.

Just about all commercial diets suck for cats. I feed my kitty a raw diet alternating meats such as lamb, turkey, chicken, and beef (emphasis on the white meat). Cats are strict carnivores, the only grains, fruits, etc. they eat in the wild is whatever may be in the stomach of the prey they are eating. Some cats tolerate grain-based diets better than others, but a lot of the 'common' problems are a result of this popular diet. Cooking the meat kills off a lot of vital enzymes and nutrients as well. Their bodies are designed to efficiently process raw animal matter, not cooked meats or cereals. It isn't as difficult to acheive either, there are several 'just add meat' supplements if you are not comfortable making the entire diet from scratch. I freeze the meat in daily portion sizes (I feed twice daily) so it is easy to access and kills off any potential parasites.

sapphire_moon · 04-13-05, 03:45 PM

yup, while I can't afford to to an all natural meat diet for my kitties, a holistic food for the cat (or dog) is usually better.

Linds · 04-13-05, 04:40 PM

It's really not that expensive at all, especially when you look at all the (expensive) problems you will be avoiding in the long run. The supplement is the most expensive part, running me $27 cdn for a container, but it lasts a very long time, so I don't even count that in the monthly bill. It only costs me about $30 cdn a month, which is cheaper than feeding a holistic commercial diet would run me.