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What is a Shunamite diet?
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The Shunamite Diet was created by Alison Campbell of Shunamite Rats, author of The Scuttling Gourmet. The basic principle is to create a nutritionally balanced mix, based on volume. To create your own mix, you will need: – 50 – 60% base mix. This is the basis of your mix.
Rats are omnivores, meaning they are healthiest when they eat a combination of fruits, veggies, and meats. So, the best rat diet consists of mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, plus a small portion of rat pellets or rat cube food daily.
What should I put in my rats food mix?
Your rat will appreciate the variety!
Dry food mix: 1 part plain Total cereal. 1 part Cheerios (or off brand) 1 part Rice Krispies (or off brand) 1 part Oats.
Rat Salad: 3 parts Kale. 1 part Spinach. 1 part Parsley.
Rat Yogurt Treat: 2 parts Plain Yogurt. 1 part Blueberries and/or Other Fruit.
Give them some variety – rats are omnivores, so you can supplement their diet with small amounts of fruit, vegetables, cooked egg, grains and seeds.
Avoid harmful foods such as onion, citrus fruits, walnuts, rhubarb, grapes, raisins and chocolate.
Avoid sugars and high-fat foods such as dairy.
What is a Shunamite diet? – Related Questions
Should I feed my rat every day?
As a general guide, your rat should be offered a bowl of fresh vegetables twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Alongside this, a tablespoon of high-quality rat pellets should be offered daily for a healthy diet.
What food is poisonous to rats?
Toxic foods are poisonous to rats and should be completely avoided.
Avocado skin and pit.
Chocolate.
Citrus fruits (causes kidney damage)
Mango (causes kidney damage)
Green potato.
Fluorinated and/or Chlorinated Water (use only filtered water, never tap water)
Green bananas.
Uncooked/dried beans (contains toxic hemaglutin)
How much rat food should a rat eat each day?
Rats need approximately 60 calories per day. The equation used to determine amount of food needed being: 5 to 6 grams (0.16 to 0.19 oz) of food per 100 grams (3.22 oz) of body weight of the rat per day. Feed consumption would be between 15 and 20 grams per day for an average adult rat.
How do I keep my rats healthy?
Rats are very active and social.
Enrichment inside their cage
A cage with multiple levels as they love climbing.
Hang up rope toys.
Buy a rat-friendly hammock – you can make one easily by tying or clipping a small towel to the top of the cage.
A rat-friendly exercise wheel.
Cardboard tubes and boxes to hide in and chew on.
How do I keep my pet rat healthy?
Fancy rats enjoy a mixed menu of pellets, vegetables, and fruit. Pellets should make up 75% of their diet; keep the bowl three-quarters full and refresh it daily. Feed rats dark, leafy greens every other day; and apple, banana or melon once a week. Rats should have access to fresh, clean water at all times.
Protein – Meats can be offered in small amounts but particular attention needs to be paid to food hygiene, other protein sources include insects, unsalted, raw nuts, flax seeds, beans, lentils, chickpeas, butter beans and kidney beans. Treats – nuts, seeds, fruits and low-fat dairy products.
How do I bulk up my rat?
What happens if rats get too much protein?
As they get older and their metabolism and activity slow down the extra protein can be rough on their kidneys. Also, just like with humans, too much protein can end up stored as fat in the liver. No one likes a fatty liver! High protein diets can also make an older rats’ skin very itchy.
What foods make rats gain weight?
Rats tend to have a reduced appetite and resultant weight loss when they are ill.
Food Options To Help Your Rat Gain Weight
Nuts: Pecans, Brazil nuts, Walnuts etc.
Liquid Human Nutritional Supplement like Ensure or Pediasure.
High Calorie Dog/Cat Recovery Food.
Are bananas good for rats?
Basic Rat feeding guide
Some examples of suitable fruit and vegetables are: apples, pears, banana, melons, stone fruits, citrus fruits, broccoli, cabbage (not red cabbage), endive, carrots, Bok choy/other Asian greens, celery, parsley, berries, fresh corn (small amount only) and peas.
How long can rats go without food?
It’s very likely that most would survive for a week but no more than two weeks, without having anything to eat. Rats are like squirrels and like to store their food. So even if you cut their food source they would still have some reserve to last them for a while.
A normal rodent diet contains about 10% fat, so both 45 and 60% fat diets are high-fat for rodents. Mice on the 45% fat diet become obese. However, mice on the 60% fat diet become more obese, and do so more rapidly.
What meat is good for rats?
Meat is very important for a rat’s development, and they can be given unseasoned raw or cooked meat such as beef, chicken, and even fish.
What is a healthy snack for rats?
Small amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables. There’s a list of rat-friendly fruit and veg below. Occasional treats such as small pieces of lean meat, mealworms, egg, lentils, beans, peas and chickpeas.
What do rats like to eat besides peanut butter?
Traditional types of bait include cheese, peanut butter, bacon, cereals, or meats. However, rats can be picky.
To feed the black rat, try the following foods:
dried fruit and berries.
slugs, snails, or snail shells.
nuts of all varieties and peanut butter.
unflavored dental floss.
Can rats have yogurt?
Can rats eat yogurt? Yogurt can play a wonderful role in keeping your rat’s digestive system healthy. Plain yogurt with low sugar and live active cultures are the healthiest.
