Ratty Treats and chews!

[Aina Kintsu]

I am going to list the treats found in stores, that are good for ratties. Don't forget! While it may be very tempting to give your animal baby a lot of treats (especially when they give you that adorable "treat!?" look) remember that treats should only make up 10% of any animals diet. You don't have to be very strict on this rule, but it helps your animal baby in the long run.



On to the treats and chews!

Found in the Small Animal Section:

-TREATS-

Yogies!- my rats LOVE these! especially the fruit flavors. This is also a great treat for socializing. However, some rats can be lactose intolerant so only give 1 or 2 pieces per rat, at day. (One of my co-workers took home a rat that was abandoned at the store, to socialize her a bit more. She used yogies, but didn't realize she should only give a limited amount. She noticed the ratty had diahrea and asked me what could be causing it. After asking a couple of questions I found out that she was giving the rat a lot of yogies a day and told her to limit it to only 1 or 2. She did so and the ratty's diahrea went away.) There are other yogurt treats in stores that are just as good, but again, only 1 or 2 a day per rat.

Mini-pops- pop corn for your furry family member! a half of the cob thrown in the microwaze will be good for 4 rats. (In my opinion, a whole popped cob is a bit much. Plus if you only do half, the treat will last you longer)

note- dried corn is not the best for any small animal because is can contain fungus, or even moth larva. However, popped corn is ok because you can now see the inside of the kernel and can tell whether there is fungus.

Snack Shaks- there are many different kinds of this item. There is a hut, a couch, a food dish, and a log. You can find a half log or a hut without hay for a roof, at Walmart. This is a treat that should probably be removed from the cage every other week, because there is a few things in the ingredients that are not necessary, like *alfalfa. I gave one to my rats and they had a blast gnawing on it and even though it had alfalfa, there is only a little that it didn't affect them. However, to be on the safe side I only buy one to last them half the year. Once it is gone, they don't get another for quiet some time. Doubles as a chew toy.



*rats can not digest alfalfa very well

**Nutra-Puffs- Just a fun little treat. However, looking at the ingredients, natural flavor is the very last on the list, meaning the rest is just added stuff. If you are concerned about unnecessary ingredients, this may not be the best treat. (in my opinion, I would rather give my rats fresh fruits or dried fruits rather then something that barely has fruit in it. >.> )

**treat stick- ATTENTION!! I do not recommend this treat! This "treat" is all seed! Seed makes rats fat and one stick is way to much. If you still wish to give this to your ratties, then I recommend cutting it in multiple small pieces and give only one small piece every other day at the most. But again, I do not recommend this treat.

**Healthy Bits- not very healthy! Another treat I do not recommend. The main reason is because it contains a lot of corn. Dried corn is not the best for any small animal because it can contain fungus, or even moth larva. another is the seed. Again, seed makes rats (and other small animals and even birds) fat. This is not a terrible amount, but I recommend you only give this treat every other day at the most.

**although I do not recommend these treats, I have posted them because they are located in the small animal section an. One might think because they are located here, that they would be ok for their rat. The fact is, companies that make these treats and those that supply them, do not know a thing about small animal health. They are just in it for the money.

-CHEWS- Rats teeth are constantly growing. Because of this, they need chews to help keep their teeth at a healthy length. If you do not provide chews, their teeth can over grow causing major health problems: animal becomes unable to eat resulting in weight loss and eventually death. The teeth can even grow through the top and bottom lips, which would be very painful. However, if this knowledge was unknown to you and you have a rat that you believe has teeth to long, please consult a knowledgeable rat vet. The vet will need to trim down the teeth. Remember to keep an eye on your ratties teeth and provide a vet visit hen needed. :3

Bark Bites- a good natural chew.
Munchies #3
Munchies #2
Branch Bites- comes in apple and peach flavors!
ABC Blocks- these are just cute!
Knot Nibbler- has a nut treat inside! Can double as a toy.
Twig Nibblers
Chola Chews
Critter Ka-bob

note- if you wish to give sticks from your yard be careful, because they can hold parasites or even pesticides.

Bird Section

-TREATS-



Goof balls.- there are 2 versions of these you can find. One is in the bird section, and the other is in the dog section (can't find it on the site, it is a new item so that may be why. But it is in stores down the rawhide aisle). Both goof balls are rawhides in the shape of a ball. The bird goofs contain seeds in the center. I would recommend the bird goofs because the seed gives them a better reason to chew on them, plus it is a little extra treat! However, seed contributes to overweight animals, and while this amount of seed will not be bad, you can go with the dog goofs if your ratty is already overweight. Plus, the rawhide helps keep teeth down therefore, goofs double as a chew toy. Also, watching the ratties carry it around is amusing :3



F/Q: Is rawhide safe fore rats?



A: yes! unlike dogs who chew and therefore sometimes choke on a peice of rawhide, rats gnaw.

Healthy Toppings- some small animal sections have these as well the packaging just says :for small animals" Instead of "for birds" It is just dehydrated fruit. However, the carrot and greens contains *alfalfa.

*rats have a hard time digesting alfalfa

-CHEWS- Please look in levels post under bird ladders :3


Dog Section

-TREATS-

Newman Organic Treats- come in chicken and peanut butter flavors.
Greenies
Natural Balance Treats
Healthy Edibles by Nylabone
Milk-Bone

Natural Choice by Nutro- come in apple, berry, and carrots. (found at Petco)


I give my rats the animal crackers and pretzels from the Petco treat bar. They love them! I also get a customer who comes in frequently to get the peanut shaped treats off the treat bar for her rats. :3

-CHEWS-

rats can have rawhide, but I recommend it be small pieces, so I would stick to rawhide found on bird toys and the goof balls mentioned earlier in this post.

Again, treats should only be 10% of your ratties diet. Have fun spoiling your ratty kids!