Rats can eat just about anything that we humans can eat, so why not make a little treat for your rat while making dinner for you and your family. As long as what you are giving your rat isn't too spicy or filled with chocolate, it should be safe to give to them.
I've made a few treats for my rats and these are the ones that they really seem to like a lot. It's also fun to watch your lil furry buddy happily eating something special you made just for him.
Rat Cookies
You will need:
¼ cup ripe banana, smashed
2 Tablespoons of Wheat Germ
2 Tablespoons vanilla pudding
¼ cup crushed Cheerios Cereal
Mix everything together, set aside in a bowl in the refrigerator for an hour. Take out of the refrigerator and shape into a roll. The mixture will be soft. Take a sharp knife and cut into small 'cookies'. Give one cookie to your pet rat and store any unused 'cookies' in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to one week.
Fruit Rolls
You will need:
½ cup diced fruit (most fruit is fine but I used apples)
1 teaspoon peanut butter
1 small lettuce leaf
1 teaspoon Wheat Germ
Mix fruit and wheat germ together. Spread peanut butter on one side of lettuce leaf and fill lettuce leaf with fruit mixture. Shape into roll and cut into small "rat treat' size pieces. Store any left over fruit rolls in an air tight container for up to 2 days.
These are just a couple of the things you can make for your rat as a treat. You can also do what I did and just set a portion of your food on the side of your plate and let your pet rat sit on your shoulder and eat his portion. If the food is on the edge of the plate he is less likely to try and walk all over your plate to get at the food.
Other things you can do are make a small burrito when you are making your family burritos. Just make sure that everything you give your rat as a treat is a rat sized portion, meaning a small piece.
The more vegetables, dry cereal and fruit you give to them the more they are going to want and expect. So keep that in mind. If you always have a little treat on the edge of your plate for your pet rat at dinner time they will come to expect it. It's also a great way to bond with your pet rat.
