Is it ok for my rat eat hamster/gerbil food?
My dad went to get rat food and accidently came back with hamster/gerbil food. Is it alright to feed them this? It’s a seedmix called “bonanza bounti-buffet” the only thing that looks diffrent in this mix than the ratfood to me are the pees, almonds, papaya, and pinto beans. they should be ok eating this right?
I know you may not believe me since everyone answered differently, but no. Not all foods are good for rats. It’s quite the contrary. There are alot of foods that could kill them for three simple reasons.
Rats cannot burp, vomit, or pass gas.
Anything that is stringy or too textured ( shredded wheat cereal, triscuits) could choke them to death since they cannot gag or cough it up. The same thing goes for things that are too sticky such as peanut butter.
Since they cannot pass gas feeding them any foods that are gasy such as beans or meat is bad for them since it will make them bloat which causes them pain.
Giving your rat anything carbonated could kill them since they cannot burp. No, I’m not being dramatic.
I have researched this before getting a rat to know what to feed them.
DO NOT give your rat/rats the pinto beans. That could make them feel sick. Maybe not immediatly but after a week or so it will.
And just on a last note, rat food is specially formulated for rats. Hamster food is formulated for hamsters. Think of it as giving cat food to a dog or vice versa. The basic problem with feeding your rat food designed for hamsters or gerbils is that your rat simply has different requirements from those other little animals. Your rat needs protein, but if you feed them a seed mix they eat lots of seeds, nuts, etc., whatever they can find in the mix. This stuff is really fatty too, and one day you find that when your rat sits down he/she’s nearly as wide as long. And your rat may end up getting all scabby (literally, it causes skin problems) from getting way too much protein and fat. Rat chow is much lower fat, but high enough in protein for your rat. There are other good things in rat chow for your rat (vitamins and nutrients and all that) that are hard to find elsewhere, but I won’t go into those, as I wouldn’t really know what I was talking about.
A little hamster mix once in a while won’t hurt, just don’t over do it, and if your rat shows any skin problems at all, do away with it entirely. I’m not saying they’ll die or starve, just that it will make them lose essential vitamins and minerals that their little bodies may need. No, I’m not trying to make you rush out and buy more food, just know that it may not be great for them too eat it too often.
Hope this helps!
Day Lily Bonanza – Part 1