{"id":3351,"date":"2023-07-20T19:23:20","date_gmt":"2023-07-21T00:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/?p=3351"},"modified":"2023-07-20T19:45:42","modified_gmt":"2023-07-21T00:45:42","slug":"rat-food-myths-the-facts-about-foods-to-avoid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/rat-food-myths-the-facts-about-foods-to-avoid\/","title":{"rendered":"Rat Food Myths: The Facts About Foods To Avoid"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"rat
You may be surprised at what people foods rats can and cannot eat. Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From staple diets to treats to what foods are a no-no, a rat\u2019s diet is easily one of the most talked about subjects in rat care. What complicates things is that the internet is full of confusing and often overly exaggerated information about it. Doing just a minimal Google search on the foods to avoid giving rats immediately returns list after list of fact AND fiction from well-meaning rat lovers.<\/p>\n

Consider The Information Source<\/h3>\n
\"rat
Grapes, in moderation, are a safe treat for rats. Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The main problem is that most of the information these sites are regurgitating is based off of old lab studies done on rats. These studies are usually done to learn what\u2019s safe for people, not what\u2019s safe for rats. Lab tests often give rats exorbitant amounts of different foods that far exceed any reasonably sized portion. So, yes, in lab conditions with extreme quantities fed, rats often died. It doesn\u2019t mean that your pet rats will be harmed if given tiny amounts of the same foods.<\/p>\n

The other issue I\u2019ve noticed is that many people creating these lists confuse rats with dogs. They add in items that dogs can\u2019t eat. In reality, these items are perfectly safe for rats. For instance, the number of times I\u2019ve read someone online proclaim that grapes\/raisins and chocolate are toxic to rats is quite staggering. Are they in fact toxic for rats? Nope, not at all! But they definitely are for dogs.<\/p>\n

Grapes are actually a perfectly healthy treat to give rats. My rats get some weekly. And dark chocolate actually has medicinal benefits and can act as a bronchodilator to help rats with respiratory issues. My veterinarian even \u201cprescribed\u201d dark chocolate chips for some of my sick rats (one given four times a day during respiratory treatment). Consult your vet before using any food as a treatment. Note that milk chocolate offers no real benefits and contains sugar your rat doesn\u2019t need, so skip it.<\/p>\n

So, how do you know what foods to actually avoid giving your rats? The internet is full of misinformation, and it\u2019s difficult to find concrete answers sometimes. Even after three decades of researching this topic, I still find it rather confusing. But I\u2019ll share everything I\u2019ve learned through a lot of time and effort and talking to other rat experts.<\/p>\n

Potentially Toxic Foods<\/h3>\n
\"rat
Never let your rat eat an avocado skin or pit. The pulp\/flesh is safe in small amounts. Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are a few well known foods that rats shouldn\u2019t eat. Especially because a few of them are unsafe for humans as well. For the most part, what isn\u2019t safe for people isn\u2019t safe for your rats either.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Avocado skin and pit (the pulp\/flesh is OK)
\n\u2022 Apple seeds
\n\u2022 Blue cheese
\n\u2022 Raw or dried beans and legumes
\n\u2022 Raw sweet potatoes
\n\u2022 Raw squash
\n\u2022 Green potato skins and eyes
\n\u2022 Raw peanuts<\/p>\n

The pulp\/flesh of the avocado<\/a> is safe for rats and actually a healthy treat, especially for sick or underweight rats. But never let your rats eat any of the skin or eat off the pit. They contain an oil-soluble fungicide called persin, which animals are sensitive to.<\/p>\n

For the same reason humans shouldn\u2019t eat most raw beans and legumes, rats shouldn\u2019t either. They contain lectins<\/a> that our bodies can\u2019t break down and can lead to sickness \u2014 and sometimes even death. If you\u2019re ever unsure of what beans your rats can eat and how they should be safely prepared, research how humans should eat them.<\/p>\n

Raw peanuts can contain mycotoxins<\/a> that are naturally found in mold and are unsafe for rats. While roasted and unsalted peanuts are safe, they are very high in fat and should only be given occasionally in very sparing amounts.<\/p>\n

Green potatoes can contain the toxin solanine<\/a>, which can cause digestives issues and illnesses. Both humans and rats should not be eating green potato skins or eyes. Research how to tell if your potatoes should be thrown out<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I consistently read that the mold in blue cheese is highly toxic to rats and is even used to kill wild rats and mice. I can\u2019t find any real scientific studies on this myself, but it seems prudent to avoid giving your rats. I mean, do they need blue cheese? No. More common cheeses like cheddar and Monterey jack are safe, but their high fat content means it should only be offered occasionally and in tiny portions.<\/p>\n

Foods Best Avoided<\/h3>\n

There are foods that won\u2019t outright kill your rats but aren\u2019t necessarily healthy for them either. Avoid offering them.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Sugary foods
\n\u2022 Fast food
\n\u2022 Fried food
\n\u2022 Highly processed food
\n\u2022 Sugar substitutes
\n\u2022 Foods high in sodium
\n\u2022 Sticky foods (see Choking Risk)
\n\u2022 Carbonated beverages
\n\u2022 Alcohol
\n\u2022 Caffeine
\n\u2022 Dried corn
\n\u2022 Citrus peel (see The Myth About Citrus)
\n\u2022 Tap or fluoride-treated water<\/p>\n

For obvious reasons, never give your rats foods high in sugar, fat, salt, or anything highly processed or fried. Can you give them a nibble of a French fry or some ice cream every now and then? A teeny, tiny taste maybe, but this should absolutely not be a regular occurrence \u2014 no matter how much they beg for a bite of your fast food.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a myth that carbonated drinks will kill rats and mice. This is unfounded, but due to the rat\u2019s inability to burp or vomit<\/a>, carbonated drinks aren\u2019t exactly ideal for your rats either. Besides these drinks potentially making your rat feel really uncomfortable, they absolutely do not need any of that sugar or sugar substitute.<\/p>\n

It is said that dried corn can contain toxins from mold. For this reason, it has been on the \u201cdo not feed\u201d lists for rats for decades. In the past I was against this as an ingredient, but I\u2019ve since learned that there\u2019s a lot of conflicting data on whether it\u2019s actually harmful to pets or not. And it\u2019s in many of the most highly recommended commercial rat diets, even the ones specifically formulated for lab rats that require controlled diets and weight. So, I honestly don\u2019t know what to say about dried corn, except that, if you feel uncomfortable giving it to your rats, then don\u2019t. But it is perfectly safe to offer your rats a few kernels of freshly cooked corn, which they will love.<\/p>\n

Choking Risk<\/h3>\n
\"rat
Peanut butter or any nut butter are no-no foods. They are too sticky to feed directly to rats. Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some foods are perfectly fine for rats to eat, but can cause a choking risk, especially when given alone.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Honey
\n\u2022 Peanut or nut butters
\n\u2022 Overly soft dried fruits
\n\u2022 Mashed potatoes
\n\u2022 Soft, doughy bread
\n\u2022 Popcorn
\n\u2022 Chips
\n\u2022 Pizza crust<\/p>\n

For instance, honey, dried fruits, mashed potatoes, doughy bread, and especially peanut butter can become too thick or sticky for rats and get stuck in their throat. Foods like this should either be thinned out or used as an ingredient in something else. I have personally witnessed a rat choke on peanut butter. He survived, but it was a horrific, frightening ordeal that no one should have to experience.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also had a rat choke on dried fruit before. It was a plump piece that was very soft and sticky. Allowing fruit like this to dry and harden a bit more makes a huge difference.<\/p>\n

The food items on this list aren\u2019t forbidden, but be really mindful when offering them to your rats. Seriously, never give your rat any type of nut butter straight from the jar!<\/p>\n

The Myth About Citrus<\/h3>\n
\"rat
Small amounts of citrus as a treat is likely fine to offer your rats occasionally, even male rats. Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For decades, rat owners have been warned against giving citrus fruits like oranges and mangos, or orange juice to male rats. This is due to the chemical compound D-limonene, which is found in the peel of citrus fruits. The warnings claim that the D-limonene from the peel could get on the fruit or in the juice and could cause kidney damage or cancer in male rats. Unfortunately, this was based on studies done where rats were fed D-limonene in extraordinarily large amounts that far exceed what even humans would ever consume. It is nowhere near comparable to the reasonably sized serving that a rat might be given. It is not fair to conclude that the tiny amount of D-limonene found in a rat-sized chunk of mango would have nearly the same effect on your rat as to what the lab rats were given over long periods of time.<\/p>\n

For this reason, it is my opinion that citrus does not need to be avoided at all costs. I have given my boys small chunks of mango and oranges before. I do think, however, that it\u2019s fair to keep citrus skin and peels away from your boys. They likely do not contain enough D-limonene to be an issue, but why risk it when your rat doesn\u2019t actually need to eat it. To read more about this myth, check this blog.<\/a><\/p>\n

Moldy And Spoiled Foods<\/h3>\n
\"rat
If you wouldn’t eat something, don’t offer it to your rats. Spoiled, moldy, or expired food isn’t good for them. Brandi Saxton<\/a> of It’s A Rat’s World<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This should go without saying, but just in case: do not give your rats anything that is moldy or spoiled. Just as it would make you sick, it will make your rats sick. And cutting off the mold doesn\u2019t automatically make the rest of the food safe, because mold is not always visible. This is especially true in soft foods like bread, soft cheese, and fruits and vegetables, where the roots of the mold continue to burrow their way through. Yuck!<\/p>\n

All of this may seem a bit daunting, but don\u2019t worry too much. A lot of this is just basic common sense. If you\u2019re ever in doubt about a food, just don\u2019t give it to your rat. There are plenty of other things you can offer them. For a much more in-depth article on rat diets and knowing how to feed them, check out the diet article<\/a> I helped co-write on the Rat Guide.<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019re ever worried that your rat has eaten something toxic, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control<\/a> hotline at (888) 426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline<\/a> at (855) 764-7661.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s time to examine the lists of people foods rats can’t eat that have floated around the internet for years to find out what is fact and what is myth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":3358,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rat","category-rat-food"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3351"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3351\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3359,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3351\/revisions\/3359"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3351"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/mammals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}