|
What's
the quickest way to your rat's heart? Through his
stomach, of course. While nutritionally complete
lab blocks should make up the "meat and potatoes"
of your pet's diet, you'd be hard-pressed to find
a rat who doesn't appreciate a little (okay, a LOT!)
of variety now and then. To ensure that your little
guy enjoys his snacktime in the best of health,
you'll need to know what treats are healthy--and
which ones aren't.
Tasty Rat Treats
Fruits
and veggies are excellent choices, and you should
offer your rat small amounts of these fresh foods
every day. You may have to experiment to find your
pet's favorites, but carrots, shelled peas, grapes,
bananas, apples and leafy greens are recommended
for starters. If you want to offer your pet sweet
potatoes, cabbage or Brussels sprouts, you must
cook these foods first. No matter what's on the
day's menu, however, be sure to wash everything
first--and never offer your animal companion any
food that is spoiled. Also keep in mind that a little
goes a long way. Your rat has a tiny tummy, and
too many fruits and vegetables can cause diarrhea.
It's
obvious that rats love food--but they seem to especially
love whatever their human friends are eating! On
occasion, it's great fun for your pet to have a
little taste of what you're munching on. Good choices
include spaghetti with sauce, pizza crust, a few
sunflower seeds, small bits of cooked egg and chicken,
and wheat bread. Avoid junk food and anything high
in fat, salt or sugar. If it's healthy for you,
it's probably healthy for your pet. Please take
care to ration out treats, though; try limiting
snacks to the successful conclusion of a training
session, for example, or special occasions.
Choose Only Healthy Treats for Pet Rats
Topping
the no-no list are alcohol; caffeinated and carbonated
beverages; candy; chips; cookies; chocolate, and
sticky foods, such as taffy and peanut butter, that
could cause your pet to choke. We know that many
owners indulge their rats with inappropriate treats
like cake and candy bars--but we also know that
there are many unhealthy rats out there, too. Overfeeding
your rat and/or offering him inappropriate foods
can lead to obesity, high cholesterol and heart
disease--all health problems that can shorten your
pet's time with you.
We've
got one final word of caution on the topic of treats.
It's probably not a good idea to give your rat his
treats through the bars of his cage. He may learn
that whatever comes to him this way must be something
yummy for him to eat--including fingers! This is
especially important to consider if you have young
children.
|
