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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.
How do you make homemade rat 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.
How do you give a rat a balanced diet?
A balanced diet for rats
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.
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.
What should I feed my rat every day?
Rats should be fed a combination of ad lib fresh fruits and vegetables and small amounts of good quality rat pellets or rat cubes (ensure they have a protein content of at least 16% & fat content of 4-5%).
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.
How do I bulk up my rat?
Can you overfeed a rat?
In summary, postnatal overfed rats had decreased levels of energy expenditure from postnatal to adulthood and increased body weight and fat weight gain.
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)
What is toxic to rats?
Ammonia. This is known as a cleaning agent, but it also acts as a poison to mice and rats. All you need to do is mix 2 – 2 and a half cups of ammonia, 100 – 200 mL of water and a 2-3 spoonful of detergent in a bowl. Then, put it to places where rats are usually seen.
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.
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.
Can you overfeed a rat?
In summary, postnatal overfed rats had decreased levels of energy expenditure from postnatal to adulthood and increased body weight and fat weight gain.
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 long should you hold your rat?
Hold your rat for 5-20 minutes a day so it gets used to you handling it. Begin holding the rat for a short period of time, like 5 minutes. As your rat gets used to being held, increase the time by 5 or so minutes a day. This way, your rat grows to enjoy spending time with you out of its cage.
How do you tell if your rat trusts you?
They want to interact with you
If your rat is interested in maintaining physical contact with you, it means they love and trust you. You may see them follow you around the house, seek your attention by standing on two legs in front of you, or invite you to play together. They all mean they like to spend time with you.
Do rats miss their owners?
Their intelligence is one of the reasons they make such popular pets. Rats have the neural capacity to remember an owner, but the likelihood of a captive rat remembering his owner after a long absence depends on various factors.
