Can rats eat tomatoes with the peel and seeds? Are they allowed to consume the whole vegetable or just some parts of it? Feeding your rat and keeping track of what foods it is allowed to eat can be quite irritating from time to time, but this tiny little creature’s health should always be top priority for you.
Can Rats Eat Tomatoes? In What Amounts?
During summertime, tomatoes represent one of the many types of veggies people prefer. They are perfect for salads and they go incredibly well with cheese and toasted bread. Put together, they are the perfect recipe of bruschetta, an Italian recipe. But are they as delicious for rats as they are for us?
To answer the question, yes, tomatoes are safe for rats. They might make a mess from all the juice and the fleshy parts, but tomatoes are not on the restricted list. I suggest you to peel the tomatoes, so that you can avoid any chocking possibilities. At the same time, you can take out the seeds if your rat is having tomatoes for the first time. After some time, you can also give your rat the seeds. Leave the tomato in your rat’s cage for awhile. When confronted with new food, your rat will be very careful to try it. In other words, you rat will approach it, take a few bites and then leave it. This is a rat’s method to see if the food has any bad effects on him. If he feels good after eating the specific food, he will take other bites.
Also, at first, you might want to give him the tomatoes in moderation. They are very watery and might lead to diarrhea. After a while, your rat’s body will get used to their consistency and you can start feeding it more.
You can also combine tomatoes with food that has a drier consistency. This way, the water in the tomatoes will be absorbed by the other food and the chances of getting diarrhea are less likely.
What Else Should I Know About My Rat’s Eating Patterns?
Well, the very first thing you need to know is that green bananas, apple seeds, mango and oranges can harm your baby rat and you should keep it away from these. Also, blue cheese has mold in it that is poisonous. You can also find other harmful veggies, fruits and foods if you do your own research. Make a list and check it regularly.
In the meantime, you also need to know that feeding your rat the same thing all over again can be boring for it. Eventually, it will not touch the food anymore. Keep your rat’s diet healthy and balanced but maintain it diversified. Your cat will love it. Rats get very excited when it comes to food and you might hear a sound similar to laughing when they are happy. Keeping them happy and excited, even when it comes to small things, is good for them. Having a diversified diet will keep your rat entertained and always expecting food.
Most commercial foods are full of additives, chemicals and waste foods. Therefore, those are not the healthiest foods and you should not feed them to your rat. You may have plenty of food in your fridge and you can spare some of that to give to your rat. Even though, rats are small, they seem to really enjoy eating. They eat when they are bored, they also eat when they are sick or just for the sake’s of it.
Because they are such gourmands, make sure you give them fresh food as many times as possible. When food is left in the cage, clean it out. Although, rats will not particularly approach it, they might do so if they are hungry. Spoiled food can lead to an upset tummy and diarrhea.
Furthermore, you can start feeding you rat lab-blocks. They represent food especially made for rats and they have all the nutrients a rat needs. Since they are hard food, you can combine them with tomatoes.
How To Know If My Rat Is Getting All The Nutrients It Needs?
If you feed it lab-blocks combined with regular intake of veggies and fruits, then your rat is as healthy as it can be. At the same time, if you avoid the things it should not be consuming, you can rest assured of its health.
As other animals, your rat will “show” you when it is not feeling well. You will start to notice changes in its weight, behavior and feces. The best way to prevent your rat from getting sick is to take proper care of it and, at the same time, offer it lots of love and attention.
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References:
http://rattitude.com/articles/information/heathy-rat-diet/
http://www.ratforum.com/showthread.php?235826-Can-Rats-Eat-Tomatoes
http://www.goosemoose.com/rfc/index.php?topic=4050375.0
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