Rating of the best food for decorative rats in 2024

Decorative rats are increasingly becoming pets due to their friendliness, playfulness, ingenuity and cleanliness. These animals are easy to train, do not cause trouble in keeping.

When starting this animal, it is important from the very beginning to adhere to the correct balanced diet for it. Pet food should be nutritious, fresh, healthy, with an optimal content of trace elements and vitamins.

There is a huge amount of all kinds of food for decorative rats on the market. Bright packages with tempting annotations, which are littered with pet shop counters, lead customers to be at a loss when choosing which one is better to buy for their pet. We offer a rating of quality food for ornamental rats from the best manufacturers in 2024.

Features of feeding decorative rats

Many people completely wrongly think that rats can be fed homemade food. Despite the fact that they are omnivores, the digestive system and metabolism are peculiar.

Features of the diet

It is advisable to take this into account when drawing up a balanced diet. It includes:

• carbohydrates - 65%;
• proteins - 25%;
• fats - 10%.

Therefore, human food with a huge amount of sugar, salt, fat is harmful to the health of a tailed pet. And the off-scale content of chemical additives in it is deadly.

The diet of a decorative rat consists of three components:

1. The main food. To maintain vitality, 30-40 g of special food enriched with vitamins is enough for a pet per day. The daily rate depends on the age of the animal, its size, conditions of detention.
2. Lure. These are three main groups of foods, the consumption of which normalizes the life processes of a pet and helps to strengthen the immune system. You should clearly know what groups of complementary foods are, how to give it to animals. The first group is made up of vegetables and fruits, which give 15-20 g per individual every other day. An overdose of juicy foods can cause diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The second includes food containing animal protein with essential amino acids. It is recommended to give them no more than twice a week, 20 g each. Rats need more animal protein for the development of a growing organism. The third group - fermented milk products - a source of calcium, with which you can pamper your pet once a week, giving a tablespoon.
3. Treats. Occasionally, in small quantities, you can please your pet with a delicious treat. It can be: croutons, baby purees, cookies, dark chocolate, some other snacks. The main thing to pay attention to when giving your pet a treat is not to overdo it with the amount and frequency of such a treat. Otherwise, serious problems with the overweight of the animal, hormonal failure, disturbances in the work of the gastrointestinal tract, and refusal of regular food are possible.

A decorative rat must be given tough food for grinding teeth, which grow in it all its life: carrots, crackers, cookies, branches of fruit trees

When feeding berries and fruits with a bone, it is advisable to first remove it in order to prevent poisoning with hydrocyanic acid, which is poisonous for rodents.

Including meat and fish in the pet's diet, it is important that they are low-fat, boiled, even with broth.

The following products are strictly prohibited for use:

• sweets;
• sausage;
• fatty and spicy dishes;
• citrus;
• raw fish, meat;
• raw legumes;
• raw potatoes;
• melons and gourds;
• cabbage;
• alcohol;
• spinach.

Feeding recommendations

To keep your pet healthy and playful, it is appropriate to adhere to several important feeding guidelines.

1. You can not abruptly switch from one feed to another. The change should be made gradually, in small quantities over several days, adding to the food the feed to which it is planned to switch.
2. You cannot feed the rat with food from the table. The composition of human food, the ratio of nutrients can be detrimental to the health of the animal.
3. In the diet of the animal, it is necessary to constantly include products containing animal protein: eggs, cottage cheese, lean boiled meat.
4. It is better not to grind the cereals (oats, barley, wheat) present daily in the feeder, so as not to remove the vitamins and trace elements necessary for the rat.
5. As a vitamin supplement, it is imperative to give green grass in summer, hay, greens of sprouted oats in winter, nettle in spring. All year round - chopped raw and boiled root crops.
6. It is imperative for pregnant females and growing young animals to introduce mineral supplements (chalk, calcium gluconate, phytin) into the diet.
7. Be sure to have clean water in the drinker.
8. It is advisable for elderly, sick, weakened individuals to cook porridge without adding milk.
9. Rats with a sweet tooth can occasionally be pampered with a portion of raisins, berries, dates.
10. Rat pups up to six months old cannot be limited in food, it should always be in a bowl.

When compiling a diet for a decorative rat, it is advisable to give preference to ready-made specialized dry food, balanced in the amount of nutrients, vitamins, and trace elements.

Feed selection criteria

When buying food for a tailed pet, it is important to avoid mistakes when choosing. To do this, you should rely on basic criteria to choose the best nutritional option for your pet.

Release form

Combi food for rats is produced in two types:

1. granulated
2. grain.

The main advantage of the granules is that the animals do not have the opportunity to dig into the food, choosing tidbits, and eat all the granules without a trace. This ensures the economy of feed, the body of your beloved pet receives all the necessary nutrients and vitamins.

Grain feed consists of whole grains of cereals, dried slices of vegetables and fruits, grass flour. Its disadvantage is that the animal can start choosing its favorite grains or pieces of vegetables, leaving the rest in the bowl.

The composition of both types is identical, it has no significant differences, in addition to the form of release. Crispy granules are made from the same grain mixture and vegetables by crushing and pressing.

Balanced composition

The key to health and energy is always a balanced, proper nutrition of your pet. The best option is a diet based on natural, safe ingredients. Verified manufacturers always indicate the composition and nutritional value on the packaging. The owner of a decorative rat can accurately imagine what his pet will have for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Ready-made feed must contain:

• corn;
• herbal flour;
• pieces of vegetables and fruits.

According to the composition, all feeds are divided into specialized (for domestic rats) and universal, with a selected composition for all types of rodents kept at home.

Each component is characterized not only by a certain amount of nutrients, but also contains elements that allow the animal to remain active, have a shiny coat, strong claws and teeth. For this, the feed mixture is combined according to the amount:

• vitamins;
• microelements;
• fiber;
• fat;
• proteins;
• amino acids.

Feed class

Food for decorative rats can be roughly divided into three groups:

• Economy class;
• premium class;
• super-premium class.

Economy class - budget proposals with a rather poor composition. As a rule, they are incomplete, it is difficult, in the opinion of buyers and veterinarians, to use them as the main daily food, because they practically do not contain the necessary vitamins and minerals. The basis is made up of grain and herbal sticks.

Well-known producers of economy class feed:

• Biosphere (Baka, Baka Lux);
• Zoomir (Ratny. Animals);
• Biotech (Pet);
• Vitapol (Karma).

Premium food is the most popular, which is preferred by most pet rat owners due to its excellent quality and low price. It is based on grains of cereals (wheat, rye, millet, oats), pieces of vegetables and fruits. It does not contain animal protein, so it is advisable to supplement it with lure from fermented milk, fat-containing products (eggs, boiled meat).

Premium food is produced by:

• Vitakraft (Menu Vital);
• JR Farm (JR Farm Classik, JR Farm Ratten-Schmaus);
• Mialberry (Little One);
• Benelux (Funny Premium).

Super-premium class - complete feed of the highest quality with a balanced composition, enriched with vitamins and minerals. The average price is well above the first two lines of rat food. High-quality wheat grain is taken as a basis; an obligatory component is animal protein in the form of pieces of real meat. Also, there are always sources of Omega-3, which is indispensable for the body - sunflower and flax seeds, as well as dried vegetables, dried fruits. Among the main useful additives are dried alfalfa, extracts of aloe, echinacea, chalk, calcium gluconate.

The most famous super-premium manufacturer:

• Beaphar (Rat Food, Xtra Vital Rat Food).

Review of the best food for ornamental rats

Quite a lot of quality food for ornamental rats is produced. Customer reviews will always help you figure out how to choose the best one, which company is better, what to choose. We offer an overview of popular feeds with a description of the main characteristics, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages.

Beaphar Xtra Vital

Combined super-premium class complete food from the Dutch manufacturer Beaphar, which is a combination of various granules, individual grains, seeds, pieces of dried vegetables and fruits. It is rightfully considered one of the highest quality for decorative rats due to its natural ingredients. This is organic meat, selected cereals and much more.

It contains a large amount of vitamins and microelements that have a beneficial effect on the immune system of the animal, helps against skin diseases, and an additional ingredient for proper grinding of the incisors, dental helps to strengthen the teeth and gums.

This food was developed in cooperation with veterinarians and nutritionists, therefore it is very nutritious, tasty, perfectly balanced, easy to digest. Suitable for sick, weakened animals due to the contained echinacea extract, which strengthens the immune system and activates the body's reserve forces in the fight against diseases.

The packaging deserves special attention: the food is packaged in boxes made of opaque material, filled with nitrogen for the preservation of nutrients for a long time. After opening, the package can be hermetically closed with a special built-in lock to prevent the entry of air and insects.

Average price: 350 rubles. (for 500 grams).

• the presence of natural meat;
• balanced composition;
• enrichment with vitamins and microelements;
• high-quality opaque packaging with a lock for tightness after opening;
• complete digestibility;
• positive effect on strengthening the immune system, the condition of teeth, skin and hair;
• high nutritional value.

• animals choose tasty pellets, leaving some of the feed.

Jr farm rat classic

A feed mixture made from natural useful ingredients, well-eaten by animals. The composition includes fortified cereal granules, grains, seeds, dates, protein supplements, legumes, cereals. Contains dried vegetables and fruits, carob, nuts.

The food helps to normalize digestion, strengthen teeth, and improve the condition of the animal's coat. Servings eaten down to the crumbs indicate that it tastes good to rats. Beautiful appearance, multi-colored components are provided due to added food colors.

Average price: 360 rubles. for 600 grams.

• rich balanced composition;
• natural ingredients;
• improves the condition of teeth and hair, normalizes digestion;
• animals eat everything without a trace.

• the presence of dyes;
• fragile packaging without airtight fasteners.

Versele-laga rat nature

The manufacturer indicates on the packaging not only the composition, but also the analysis of nutrients, additives (vitamins, minerals, trace elements). The rat is quickly satiated due to the balanced composition and nutritional value of the feed. The combination of herbal granules, whole grains, dried vegetable and fruit chunks provides excellent digestibility. Does not contain animal protein.
The package is semi-permeable to light, made of durable material, with a flap fastener.

Average price: 520 rubles. for 750 grams

• balanced composition;
• variety of components;
• flap fastener for tightness of the package after opening.

• not all pellets are eaten;
• contains dyes;
• lack of animal protein.

Funny Muis-Rat-Gerbil Premium

A premium, complete, balanced food for all ages from a Belgian manufacturer and popular with rat owners. The composition contains the most delicious natural ingredients that make the animal eat every crumb, including herbal alfalfa granules, which are not always to the taste of tailed gourmets.

It is rich in vitamins and minerals necessary for a full life of a rat. The Omega-3 and antioxidants included in the composition help to increase the lifespan of the pet, provide physical activity.

Average price: 280 rubles. for 1000 grams.

• easy to digest;
• normalizes digestion;
• has a beneficial effect on the condition of the coat and teeth;
• suitable for different ages of rats;
• Contains antioxidants and Omega-3s to support health;
• complete;
• convenient vacuum packaging;
• low price.

• lack of animal protein.

Fiory

Balanced food for rats of a famous Italian brand. The composition includes natural ingredients from carefully purified high-quality plant materials. Delicious cereal and alfalfa rings and granules taste appealing to animals thanks to the addition of honey.

The composition includes Omega-3, which improves the condition of the animal's coat and skin. Intestinal function is normalized thanks to inulin, a naturally occurring prebiotic that produces beneficial intestinal microflora. The chelated minerals in the composition strengthen the immune system.

Average price: 370 rubles. for 850 grams.

• balanced composition;
• beneficial supplements that affect health;
• natural taste improver - honey;
• light-tight cardboard packaging;
• suitable for adult animals with intestinal disorders.

• does not contain animal protein.

The popularity of a particular food for ornamental rats is based on the quality of raw materials, the balance of nutrients and vitamins, and is expressed in customer reviews. The presented rating will tell you which food is better to choose for a pet in order to ensure a healthy full life.