I also feed my rats foods that are all organic- why? Here's the answer.

You can add or subtract any of the following foods to spice it up for your rats on a daily basis.

• Fresh Spinach or fresh Baby Spinach.                                                                                                  Look for this seal.

• Sprouts, like Alfalfa, Clover and Bean.

• Green Leafy lettuces; Butter (Boston), Arugula, Romaine, Mesclun, Watercress and Kale are great but don't feed Iceberg lettuce, it has no nutritional value.

• Avocados; rarely, only as a snack because of their high fat content.

• In-the-shell nuts like Walnuts and Brazil nuts. Peanuts are high in fat and protien, but it's ok only as a snack, make sure to get the unsalted variety!

• Green, red, orange and yellow Bell Peppers

• Carrots- cut up in small pieces rats can get their paws around, or in thin "coins". If not cut up, my rats just pee on them and they end up in the trash.

• Hard boiled eggs.

• Scrambled eggs.

• Ripe bananas (no skin).

• Green apples, NO CORE, the seeds can be poisonous.

• Orange segments only to the non-pregnant/non-nursing girls and NEVER to the boys (it helps the girls with tumor prevention but if fed to boys it can cause problems with their reproductive organs and cause pancreatic cancer).

• Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Mango, Kiwi, Peaches, Pears; really any fruit- just make sure it's ripe and no large pits or seeds are given in case they're toxic.

• (Real) Cheddar cheese (once in a while as a snack). NO processed "cheese".

• Cooked chicken bones with some good stuff left on it, same with pork and beef bones- good for gnawing and keeping those teeth down. **Antlers are also a great item to give to rats for chewing.

• Raisins, unsweetened (for iron).

• Other fresh veggies and fruits, frozen when I run out of fresh.

• Organic green tea rice cakes- my rats LOVE these!

• If you decide to give rats Yams or Sweet Potatoes- MAKE SURE they're cooked thoroughly!

• Rats can have beef or chicken liver, oysters and tuna or other low fat fish. I gave mine Albacore Tuna in water but nothing else. They can also have meal worms or crickets to fill that hunting instinct!

I suggest Bully Sticks INSTEAD of Rawhide. Bully sticks are all natural and are totally digestible, rawhide has no nutritional value. My Doberman LOVES his Bully Sticks, so I don't feel the need to get him any more rawhide, besides, rawhide (along with raw beef bones- fat, connective tissue, meat and bone marrow) gives him the runs. Yuck!

If your rat has diarreha try feeding the following: Bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. Make sure the cage is cleaned and clean bedding is added. Clean all toys, feeding dishes, water bottles and potty boxes. If after a few days the rat doesn't produce better stools, bring him/her to your vet.

** I DO NOT recommend ANY human-made rodent blocks, "seed" mixes or packaged "rat food" like Reggie Rat or Oxbow Regal Rat!!!** God only knows how long the feed has been sitting in a store or feed storage bin before it was shipped to a store. I also do not suggest feeding cat food- wet or dry, it's higher in protein than dog foods usually.

**I HIGHLY recommend sticking with the diet I give the rats here, it will keep your new pups health as steady as possible and then once you get them home and they  get comfortable with their surroundings, then you can slowly incorporate new foods into their diet. BUT please, don't feed them any product that contains Soy!! I have developed soy free rats and after the 3rd generation (which we are well beyond now) they shouldn't even be near Soy. It will have a negative reaction to their immune systems (according to Social Rats research). And please remember, if you give your rats something with soy in it after they are in your home and either get sick or die, I will not replace them.

The dog food I feed, I buy in bulk- 40# bags, it can be found at Menards, it's cheaper than the same amount in Lab blocks overall and is better for them. It is NOT their main food source and shouldn’t be fed as such, they need other staples along with what I’ve listed to be balanced. Rats will eat what their body needs, unlike my dog that will eat anything just because it's there, Lol!