The 10 Best Food for Rats – Guide & Reviews 2021

Feeding your rat pet with the right food is always crucial. You do not have to worry about finding the best food as there are many available.

Today, we will discuss some of the best food for rats on the market right now. These food types have been chosen carefully so that the buyer gets the right product.

Also, the foods have all the important nutrition that the rat needs to grow and develop better.

Essential Nutrients for Rats

It is important to know what your rat needs as nutrients before you can purchase the right food. Rats would need a fresh, healthy, and balanced diet. Make sure that you read the package to know if it is meant for rats or not. The best part is that meeting the nutritional needs for rats is fairly easy.

Rat’s nutritional needs can also be supplemented by using small amounts of fruits, cooked seeds, grains, and seeds. You are not to use fruits in large quantities also. Using them in large quantities is likely to lead to health problems such as obesity. Well, since rats are omnivores, expect them to eat both plants and animal food types.

The food is also not supposed to be high in sugars and carbohydrates. It is better to have more proteins as such helps to improve development and growth. The diet that is high in sugar is linked to causing tumors and cancers in rats. It would be best to stick to diet having good protein and healthy fat content.

It will be great to opt also for lab-grade food. Look at the label to see if it has such indication. This type of food will have the dietary needs the rat requires for growth.

Tips for Choosing Good Food for Rats

Overall Quality

The quality of the food is very important as it determines what kind of nutrients the pet will receive. It is important that you buy the food from top brands and pet stores. This way, you are sure that the food is at least of top quality. The food also needs to offer complete nutrition so that you do not have to worry about buying supplementary food later on.

The Taste

To help the rat enjoy the food, you have to look at the taste also. You will find the pet being picky if the food does not taste good. You will then end up wasting a lot of food. As a result, pay attention to reviews to see if people say the food made the rat a picky eater. You can as well as buy the food in small quantities first to do experiments to see if the rat will love it.

Value

Value for money is always great. You want to get food that offers good value for the money. Always make sure that the quantity still matches up to the quality too. This helps you save a lot of money in the long run.

Safety

The content of the food should be safe for your pet. Consider doing a proper research to ensure that you end up with the best food in terms of safety. You do not want to cause health issues to the pet with the wrong food.

Best Food for Rats

It is always nice to see your pet looking playful and healthy. That is possible if you give it the best food. That should be easy to achieve when you have a comparison table.

Below, we have compared the right food you can give to rats to help them grow and develop better.

Pictures	Food for Rats	Weight	Links
	Oxbow Essentials Mouse and Young Rat Natural Food	2.8 Pounds	Buy from Amazon
	Kaytee Fiesta Mous and Rat Food	3 Pounds	Buy from Amazon
	F.M Brown Tropical Carnival Fruit and Nut Animal Treat	8.8 Ounces	Buy from Amazon
	F.M. Brown’s Pet Mouse and Rat Food with Fruits	2 Pounds	Buy from Amazon
	Mazuri Rat & Mouse Food	1.8 Pounds	Buy from Amazon
	Volkman Seed Small Animal Healthy Formulated Diet Food	4.1 Pounds	Buy from Amazon
	Oxbow Animal Health Essentials Regal Adult Rat Food	20.4 Pounds	Buy from Amazon
	Kaytee FortiDiet ProHealth Rat Food	5.1 Pounds	Buy from Amazon
	Vitakraft Vita Smart Rat Mouse Food	2 Pounds	Buy from Amazon
	Supreme Tiny Friends Farm Reggie Rat Food	2 Pounds	Buy from Amazon

Top 10 Best Food for Rats Reviews

1. Oxbow Essentials Mouse and Young Rat Natural Food

Buy from Amazon

If you need a top quality rat food, then this is what you have to get. The food is good to prevent selective feeding behavior. Selective feeding is common with other food mixes that might not be appealing to your pet.

It is also a safe product. This is because it does not contain seeds, nuts, sugary fruits, and artificial preservatives. Since the food is also rich in the vital nutrients, it should be worth every penny. The young rats will have enough proteins to help them grow.

On overall, the food is designed to meet several needs such as growing, pregnant, and even nursing rats. Being fortified with calcium, vitamin C and others help improve the overall health and immune system of the pet.

Pros

• Has multiple nutrients
• Good for young rats
• No sugary fruits

Cons

• Not the best for adult rats

2. Kaytee Fiesta Mouse and Rat Food

Buy from Amazon

Kaytee has always been a top brand when it comes to making pet foods. This type of food is good for rats as it comes with all the important nutrients the rat needs. The shapes and textures of the food help to induce the natural chewing activity. As a result, the pet ends up with a strong dental health.

That is not all as it also has prebiotics and probiotics. These two are important to support the digestive health. Well, your pet should not have any digestive related issues once they feed on this food.

The food is also rich in natural antioxidants. This is to help improve on the general health and immune system of the rat. It is also naturally preserved.

Pros

• Naturally preserved
• Rich in antioxidants
• It supports dental health

Cons

• The food can feel too dry

3. F.M Brown Tropical Carnival Fruit and Nut Animal Treat

Buy from Amazon

If you like to give your pet some treats, then this is a nice option to consider. It is not just for rats, but also other small animals. This includes guinea pigs, rabbits, and more. Your pet will definitely love the fruit, nut, and veggie mix.

From the components of the mix, it is easy to tell that it is nutritious and delicious. It does come with ingredients such as papaya, pineapple, carrots, mango, and so much more.

Many people find it being good as a pet training reward. It encourages the pet to do better so as to get the reward in the end.

Pros

• It is good for multiple small animals
• Excellent training reward
• Nutritious and delicious

Cons

• Small package

4. F.M. Brown’s Pet Mouse and Rat Food with Fruits

Buy from Amazon

This is another top consideration you might want to get today as food for rats. One thing that stands out should be that it is vitamin nutrient. This means that it will be able to meet the daily dietary needs of rats and mic.

The food is also good for supporting digestion. This is thanks to having beneficial bacteria. It is able to stimulate good digestion so that the rat can get the most out of the food.

It is not all about digestion as it also boosts the immune system. The food contains antioxidants which we all know are good for maintaining a healthy immune system.

This food is delicious on overall thanks to the many ingredients. You should find that even picky rats will enjoy eating it.

Pros

• Vitamin nutrient fortified
• Supports good digestion
• It is delicious

Cons

• Has traces of corn that can be bad for rats

5. Mazuri Rat & Mouse Food

Buy from Amazon

It is one of the best foods you can opt for when it comes to feeding rats. This is because the food is nutritionally complete. You will not have to buy additional food to supplement it. The same might not be said for other food types in the market.

The food is also vegetable based making it really good on overall for various nutrients. You should find it having enough nutrients, especially vitamins. As a result, it is not only good for health, but also boosting the immune system of the rat.

Another thing you will like about the food should be that it is in pellet form. It makes it easy for feeding and also encourages chewing. This is good to improve dental health.

Pros

• Nutritionally complete
• Contains natural vitamin E
• Easy to feed

Cons

• The pellets are dusty

6. Volkman Seed Small Animal Healthy Formulated Diet Food

Buy from Amazon

It is generally good for the young rats you might have as a pet. It is also affordable and thus making it easy for many pet owners to buy one.

The food on overall is soft and thus making it easy to eat. You will always find the young rats easily going through the food instead of ending up being picky.

The food is still low-calorie. The aim is to deliver the right amount of energy that the rat needs. It still contains healthy fat and proteins. This makes it good since it nutritionally complete. You will not have to worry about supplementing the food with other types.

The food does not contain any artificial flavors and preservatives. It should then be a safe source of food.

Pros

• Prevents selective feeding
• Nutritionally balanced
• Good value

Cons

• Expensive

7. Oxbow Animal Health Essentials Regal Adult Rat Food

Buy from Amazon

We have looked at some food types that were good for young rats, but this one is good for adult rats. It comes with all the important nutrition contents that an adult rat would find great. The food is low-fat and still nutritionally balanced. This will help in improving the overall quality of life for the rat.

The food is also delicious. You will find that the pet always likes to eat the food all the time. With the improved flavor, no more dealing with a picky eater. Still, the food is safe for your pet as it does not have artificial preservatives, seeds, or artificial flavors.

The food still encourages chewing. This is important to improve the overall dental health of the pet.

Pros

• No seeds
• It is corn free
• Great value and price

Cons

• Not suitable for young rats

8. Kaytee FortiDiet ProHealth Rat Food

Buy from Amazon

It always feels good when you can give your pet the best food. That is what happens when you opt for this rat food as it is nutritionally balanced. Still, the food comes from a top brand, so we expect it to be also safe for your pet.

As for the price, you should find it being affordable for the package size. It should have enough food to be of great value. That is not all as you will find the food maintaining freshness for longer. This is because it is naturally preserved.

This food comes with prebiotics and probiotics. These are all essential for supporting the digestive health.

Pros

• The crunchy pieces encourage chewing
• Nutritionally balanced food
• Naturally preserved

Cons

• The protein content is too high

9. Vitakraft Vita Smart Rat Mouse Food

Buy from Amazon

This is another nice food for rat. It is high quality, making sure that your pet ends up with the best food that it requires. The food is designed to have all the important nutritional content that a rat would need. This means that it would be able to remain healthy and develop better.

The food is rich in antioxidants. These are all crucial to improve the immune system of the rat. You will end up with a healthy rat that does not get sick all the time. Still, the food has Omega-3 fatty acids that prevents joint problems. It does not have artificial flavors, which make it even safer.

It also does taste great. This is because the rats love to eat the food all the time. It is then good to prevent having a picky eater.

Pros

• Naturally preserved
• Good for all stages
• Prevents selective eating

Cons

• The protein level seems too high

10. Supreme Tiny Friends Farm Reggie Rat Food

Buy from Amazon

The food is highly recommended among people who keep rats as pets. This is because the food is nutritionally balanced to give your pet the important nutrients to keep it growing better. It is also tasty on overall making your rat to easily love eating it.

The food is also safe and suitable for all breeds. As a result, you will not have to look for a particular food only good for a certain breed. The food is also good for improving the coat of the rat. You will notice that the rat ends up having a healthy skin and shiny coat.

The taste is still good even without the addition of sugar. We all know how sugar can be bad for rat. The size and texture of food is good for promoting natural foraging. This will then improve the dental health of the rat.

Pros

• Good for all breeds
• Promotes natural foraging
• Good taste

Cons

• Contains corn

What Types of Food do Rats Eat?

If you are in the market for the right rat food, it is important to do a proper research. It is recommended that you look at food types specifically made for rats. In most cases, such foods will be made of pellets or blocks. The pellets are good for rats as they encourage chewing. This natural foraging goes a long way to help with improving the dental health.

It is also possible to get some food types having loose seed mixes. These seeds are still good to have a balanced diet. It is also great to ensure that the food is low-calorie and low-fat. Having high calorie and high fat foods often leads to problems such as obesity. Stay away from food that are meant for gerbil and hamster as most of the time they are not good substitutes.

You do not just have to rely on packaged food as you can feed rats on other food types. Rats can easily benefit more when you feed them on vegetables, fruits, among other fresh foods. Keep in mind that such foods should be served in small amounts. This is because when you feed your rat fruits and vegetables in large amount may lead to diarrhea.

As for treats, always keep them to a minimum. Below is a list of treats you can consider using when feeding your pet.

• Fruits: plums, melons, apples, grapes, strawberries, bananas
• Cooked liver and other lean meats
• Vegetables: carrot, kale, bok Choy, parsley, squash
• Mealworms
• Unsweetened breakfast cereals
• Cooked beans

Now that we have covered the best food types of rats, there are those foods that will be dangerous for rats. These are the foods you should never feed rats.

• Chocolate
• Green potatoes
• Caffeinated beverages
• Raw sweet potato
• Raw beans
• Sugary treats or simply human junk food
• Poppy seeds
• Wild insects

It is important that you always look out for the safety of your pet. With many food types that are safe, you should not have a problem getting the best for the rat.

What Are the Best Food for Rats?

Feeding your pet rat should be hard. You will always find many food types on the market and online stores that you can use.

We have reviewed top food types above that you can choose, but foods such as Oxbow animal health essential adult rat food is one of the best among them all. From the food name, it is easy to tell that it will be great for adult rats. The food contains all the essential nutrients an adult rat would need for development. Also, it is lab-grade food meaning that it can deliver on healthier choices for your rat.

Volkman seed small animal rat and mouse diet food is another top choice. This is because the food is good in terms of price and value. You will find that the food also contains the right nutrition for rats. It can still be used as a treat to reward your pet while training. Since the food also tastes good, it will prevent having a selective eater. It is the reason it is a popular food choice for pet owners.

Conclusion

You always have to watch the behavior of your pet to know when to contact a veterinarian. If you notice loose stools, excessive urination, obesity, and sore on the feet, then consider seeing a professional. Getting your pet to a veterinarian early enough goes a long way to help it get professional help.

As for the food, make sure you take the time to understand what the food would provide. This will always result in getting the best food that keeps your rat healthy. The list above has many food options so you have an easy time picking the one that works for your pet.

See also:

• 8 Best Bedding for Rats – 2021 Guide & Reviews