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Anonymous
I've been feeding my rats hamster food and lettuce so far. The guy I got them from says hamster food is fine...

But are there any specific veggies he needs? Would he be fine with just lettuce + hamster food, or does he need certain vegetables or what?
>> Anonymous
Also, is there a limit of how much lettuce and stuff I can give them?
>> Anonymous
The beauty of rats is they will eat anything. ANYTHING.

Give your rats what ever you want. But if you do, do so gradually. If you just give buckets of veggies in one hit it can upset their stomach for a bit and cause Diarrhea amongnst other problems.

tl;dr Give them whatever.
>> Anonymous
Make sure they get all their basic nutrients and they're good. Things like food pellets or rodent blends (try to use ones made specifically for rats or gerbils) are good for a staple diet, and then you can supplement it with pretty much anything. Greens like romaine or iceberg lettuce or collard greens are always good, as are root vegetables like radishes and carrots. They love fruit and the occasional cooked meat (sliced deli meats are great) but just be careful not to give them too much fat.
>> Anonymous
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Hamster food is OK but not the best. Get em a good lab block, Mazuri Rat and Mouse diet is easy enough to find. If you're in the US, www.craftyrat.com sells Harlan Teklad relatively cheap (12 pounds shipped for around 22 bucks, should last a few months for 2 rats. This is far cheaper than pet store prices for any rodent food). I recommend Harlan Teklad 8604 for young rats (under 6 months), 2016 for older rats, and 2014 for old rats (>1 year).

They'll eat lettuce, but it's pretty much empty for them - not a whole lot of nutritional value. They'll love peas, just thaw some out and they'll go nuts. I spoil mine, they usually get a bit of whatever I'm eating. Rule of thumb is that if it's unhealthy for you, it's unhealthy for them, and vice versa. Rats can eat just about anything, and love variety. My boys love meat (especially bacon) and eggs but I only give them a bit a few times a week, usually off of my plate.

Only thing is, stay away from oranges with male rats, it can lead to cancer for some reason. Something to do with the pulp in the peel, I believe, but best to avoid oranges altogether just to be safe.
>> Anonymous
You do realise that it is a rat?

It'll eat just about anything and thrive, that's how they've spread all over the planet.
>> Anonymous
Troll thread. Fuck off and die.
>> Anonymous
>>319603
You're right, but for the wrong reasons.

Communities of rats thrive, yes, due largely to a high birth rate and incredible adaptability. An individual rat's average life span in the wild is a year or less. Rats are individually pretty delicate.

Owing to their long use as laboratory animals, the domesticated Norway rat's dietary needs are well-researched, and this combined with proper care allows them to live several times as long as they would in the wild foraging, scavenging, and preying upon other animals.

Providing a well-balanced diet for pet rats is cheap and easy through quality lab blocks and supplementing with veggies and occasional treats.

To summarize: rats as a species are hardy and will thrive anywhere as communities, not as individuals. The key to their success is being omnivorous mammals with high birth rates. If you want to keep an individual rat healthy, don't lie to yourself about its hardiness, give it proper food.
>> Anonymous
>>319603
I'm not sure how anyone can say this without being a complete retard.

Sure rats can live off garbage, but it's not healthy and doesn't promote a long life. Humans can live off of eating junk food and McDonalds, but again, it doesn't promote a long healthy life.