First-time rat owner

[Shelbyxo]

Hello! I'm brand new to this board and to owning rats. Just curious as to what you should feed baby rats (approx. 7-8 weeks, I'm guessing). I could not find any baby rat food, so I've been feeding Oxbow Regal Rat Food. But the bag says it is not suitable for growing rats so I did some searching around and read online that babies should get extra protein and fat (as they are growing of course) so I picked up a bag of high-quality kitten food and have been giving that as well, is that okay? I have been free feeding both as well as giving fresh fruit and veggies (for now some broccoli, cucumber, apple, lettuce, carrot). Because rats are so new to me, I have no ideas what quantities I should be feeding! Does this sound right? Should I be giving more or less of something? I know the Oxbow bag says it is complete nutrition so I'm confused as to whether I should still be supplementing it with fruits and veggies (when they're older, I know it's not suitable on its own right now). Do I also need to be giving grains or is that all included in the food? Is there a limit as to how many new foods I should be introducing in a day? I have lots of rabbit experience and know they have very sensitive tummies and you have to be very careful with new foods, are rats the same way at all?

Any help/recommendations are greatly appreciated. I just want to make sure I am giving them the best possible!

Thanks in advance

 

[*Rebel_Angel*]

Congrats on ur new rat's!

I know HT 2018 is for babies high protein and stuff, but unless u feel like switching to an adult food down the line (less protein) u'll be fine with just a bag of HT 2014.. just feed high protein food's ex: egg's...

Trust ur instinct's it's very hard to go wrong with rat's if u know enough about animal's, I'm sure u'll be fine..just a reminder: unlike bunnies rat's are omnivores and don't eat hay so stick to the "food's to give" list on the forum and any new foods in very small portions.

Read, Read, Read is ur best ally!
And Welcome to the shack!!

 

[eagle]

Welcome
You can feed the oxbow and as Rebel said supplement with extra food. You can do baby cereal mixed with either water or some ensure ( not the one with extra calcium) veggies and fruits daily is fine. I wouldn't over do the fruits at first it can sometimes cause runny poo's. Scrambled eggs are a hit here and I will throw in a few frozen veggies for them.

viewforum.php?f=38 This is the dietary section of the forum and has useful information.

 

[MuffinsMum]

Congratulations on your new friends! Be prepared to lose your heart completely! :heart:

I found this article so helpful when getting started: http://www.ratfanclub.org/diet.html it deals with the protein question and also some of the do's and don'ts of fresh food.

Many people use Harlan Teklad (available from www.chinchilla.ca in Canada) the numbers tell you what the protein content is - 2018 is 18% protein, 2014 is 14% etc. Some people have elected to use the Oxbow Regal Rat, which we haven't tried, but it sounds excellent.

The rule of thumb I've used for feeding is 80% block diet and 20% fresh foods (using a variety to cover all the vitamins and minerals).

We've used Debbie Ducommun's serving sizes from "Rats Practical Advice from the Expert" a veggie serving size averages about a 1" cube, fruits 1/2".

Enjoy those little ones! :cloud9:

 

[victoria]

Welcome!

I would stick to the Oxbow and add some egg or baby cereal for some calorie dense food. I find Oxbow's better quality than HT adn I've never had any issues feeding it to young or old rats.

 

[jorats]

I've always fed my rats oxbow and Harlan 2014. Rats upon weaning do not need higher protein. They will be just fine.

 

[SQ]

The oxbow or harlan tech 2014 would be fine.
For babies, many of us also give daily soy infany formula (grocery store or pharmacy) thickened a bit with baby cereal.
Soy infant formula is the closest thing you can get to a rat mamas milk.

A diet for rats is basically:
80% good quality lab block available at all times
20% daily vegs and occassional fruit and healthy treats such as a cheerio, a piece of puffed wheat, etc

As previously mentioned, the forbidden foods list can be found at www.ratfanclub.org

 

[Shelbyxo]

Thanks so much for your helpful advice I'll stick with the Oxbow and feed a bit of egg. As well as veggies and fruit too, of course.

Another question, I have 2 baby boys (they're brothers and the same age) but one of them is noticeably larger than the other. The larger one is also a lot more active and eats considerably more than the smaller one. They'll both come up and take cheerios out of my hand, but the smaller one is happier grooming himself or curled up in ball for most of the day, while the larger one is often running around, exploring, climbing the cage bars, re-arranging their cage, etc.
The smaller one is eating, but only about half as much as the larger one and I'm concerned it's not enough. Do rats just have different appetites/energy levels? There are time when the smaller one gets burst of energy and does dart around a bit, but nothing like the larger one. Should I be concerned?

 

[Joanne]

I would definitely keep an eye on the little one, but I have had 'runts' before and the runt of Jazzy's litter, Casey, outlived most of his siblings! They can have different personalities - the larger one may just be more adventurous and out-going than the smaller one. So you have to decide if this is just a difference in personalities, or if he seems a little too quiet for your liking.
What are his markings like? Some rats with particular "high white" markings are more likely to have problems with their digestive system.
If it's mainly size difference, then I wouldn't worry too much if his activity level is OK. I have two kittens right now from the same litter, and one is twice the size of his brother! But the little one is healthy.

 

[Aida]

I wouldn't worry too much. Rats are all unique. As long as he fits into the healthy weight of a rat his age, I think he's fine.

I have two rats, Matilda and NoName, and Matilda is a lot slimmer and more slender than NoName- yet Matilda still gets all the food and is alpha.

 

[Aida]

Well, what I meant is that she eats more and is more obsessed with food. Obviously NoName gets food, too. xP

 

[Shelbyxo]

Oh my goodness I had never heard of high-white markings and megacolon until now and I am almost certain they both have high-white markings. The have almost identical markings, they are both hooded (one is black and the other grey) with white blazes on their face. I am so upset and worried now, I can't imagine anything happening to them. For now they both seem to be pooping normally, but knowing that late onset can happen anytime between now and 1 year, is going to cause me constant concern. I wish I had known about high-white markings and megacolon before because now it's going to break my heart if either of them have to go through that.
I'm really terrified Theodore (the smaller one) is showing signs of failure to thrive. Their size difference wasn't as significant (although Finnegan, the larger one, was always slightly bigger) when I brought them home almost a week ago, which tells me one is growing and the other is not.

What do I do, wait it out and see what happens? Is there no way to diagnose this before the GI symptoms occur?

 

[Joanne]

Oh my goodness I had never heard of high-white markings and megacolon until now and I am almost certain they both have high-white markings. The have almost identical markings, they are both hooded (one is black and the other grey) with white blazes on their face. I am so upset and worried now, I can't imagine anything happening to them. For now they both seem to be pooping normally, but knowing that late onset can happen anytime between now and 1 year, is going to cause me constant concern. I wish I had known about high-white markings and megacolon before because now it's going to break my heart if either of them have to go through that.
I'm really terrified Theodore (the smaller one) is showing signs of failure to thrive. Their size difference wasn't as significant (although Finnegan, the larger one, was always slightly bigger) when I brought them home almost a week ago, which tells me one is growing and the other is not.

What do I do, wait it out and see what happens? Is there no way to diagnose this before the GI symptoms occur?

I don't *think* there is a test at present. You just need to be aware of the potential, and if they start to have problems, especially bloating and pain, then get them to the vet ASAP, ie same day. Unfortunately there is no cure, and for most that have megacolon, they need to be euthanized. But not all high white rats have megacolon, so your boys may be fine. Either way, these boys needed a home and if something happens, at least you will know how serious it is and get them to the vet right away, which someone else may not do. Try to be informed, but don't spend all your time worrying about something out of your control. Spend your time enjoying your boys and living in the moment. Who knows? That moment may last years! :hugs: