Hamster/gerbil/guinea pig food OK?

[thelionsof]

I find myself looking at a LOT of ingredient labels when looking for things to add to their food mix. I like the variety and they eat everything single bit, little pigs. So, I'm lucky they aren't too finicky about what they eat and what they don't.

My question is this...I see a lot of items in the hamster or gerbil or guinea pig or ferret section that I'd like to use in the mix or as a treat. Are these items a bad idea? What should I be avoiding? The only thing I've seen that had questionable ingredients was a dehydrated carrot and sweet potato mix, and I wasn't sure if the sweet potato was raw or cooked so I didn't get it.

I guess I'd like to know which of these items on the market for other small animals are OK for the rats. Are there any products not specifically made for rats that yours love?

Thanks! I'd love to add more diversity to their mix and snacks, so if I knew what to look for that'd be great. I appreciate it.

[Lise]

Can you clarify what type of food you are talking about?  If you are talking about different seed/veggie mix's, most of us just avoid those all together.  They are very very fattening.  It is basically total junk food for rats. If you DO feel the need to treat with a mix (which is not really neccessary, but we can relate to the temptation), then probably making a homemade grain mix (such as Suebee's) would be healthier for them.

And of course you should have some kind of blocks as a staple.

For treats though... yogurt drops and that type of thing, the ones made for ferrets/guinea pigs/rats are all the same, they just come in different shapes and sizes.  I often grab treats made for other species to try out different flavours and things.

[twistedlittle-puppy]

those mixes tend to have a lot of dried corn (which may sometimes carry a dangerous toxin) and alfalfa pellets, which rats can't digest (many here use alfalfa pellets as bedding/litter). there's also A TON of seeds in there that's very fattening in large quantities. Seed bars are just no good. plus, that stuff is pricey compared to most fruits, which is my preferred treat.

dog treats are great for rats, so long as it has a little corn. I give me rats Wellness dog biscuits as treats. or I go to the pick and choose dog treat section at my Petco and pick up a few biscuits (as opposed to a whole bag full)

[Dearpie]

I find the best treats, in addition to their lab block 'meals', are fresh/frozen fruits, veggies and table scraps.  All human foods.  If you insist on yoggies, which are pretty much all sugar, I go with baking chips, instead.

[Lise]

I find the best treats, in addition to their lab block 'meals', are fresh/frozen fruits, veggies and table scraps.  All human foods.  If you insist on yoggies, which are pretty much all sugar, I go with baking chips, instead.

LOL I tried the baking chip treats after someone posted about the yucky ingredients in Yogies.  My rats wouldn't touch them!  I got some chocolate chips and some vanilla chips.  They just sniffed them and then ignored them.  I put them in the cage figured maybe they will acquire a taste for them later -- nope.  Is there some other kind of baking chip??

[menagerie]

I find the best treats, in addition to their lab block 'meals', are fresh/frozen fruits, veggies and table scraps.  All human foods.  If you insist on yoggies, which are pretty much all sugar, I go with baking chips, instead.

LOL I tried the baking chip treats after someone posted about the yucky ingredients in Yogies.  My rats wouldn't touch them!  I got some chocolate chips and some vanilla chips.  They just sniffed them and then ignored them.  I put them in the cage figured maybe they will acquire a taste for them later -- nope.  Is there some other kind of baking chip??

Try peanut butter baking chips. They are to die for.

[Dearpie]

Hmm then don't push them!  They're not healthy anyways. 

[thelionsof]

I was more talking about the treats...like the dehydrated veggies and fruits, blue/red Capn Crunch looking balls, and pumpkins seeds I add to the dry mix with blocks. I was more curious about the treats.

I also have these dog training bits that contain carob, they're carob chip cookie flavor. Is carob okay or is that too much sugar?

[Marybelle]

Carob is better than chocolate, as far as sugar goes.    I'm sure that would be fine.

Dehydrated fruits tend to have a lot of sugar added than their fresh counterparts, but would be okay on occasion.  Pumpkin seeds are a big hit with my crew.    What are the Cap'n Crunch balls made from?  Any clues?

[twistedlittle-puppy]

are you talking about those small packets of "Small Bites" (can't remember exact name)? there's a papaya/mango multicolored variety, a pumpkin seed one, and one type w/ rose hips, right? yeah, those are ok for ratties. I've bought them myself and used them on occasion in their Suebees. my rats love the multicolored fruit pieces!! the bags are so small, it's hard to overdose, unless you use more than one bag. plus they're cheap (less than $2) and can be bought at Target.

please excuse my previous post-thought you were talking about hamster/gerbil food

[moonsingingfreak]

My girls sometimes get raisins... but I only buy them the naturally dried no sugar added ones at the bulk barn. They don't get them all the time, mind you. They LOVE Pumpkin seeds... they each get probably one a day.
I dunno about the capn crunch lookin things.. but I can't imagine they're all that good. Puffed rice and wheat are healthier alternatives. One of my girls LOVES rolled oats.. the big, non instant ones. She can't get enough of them. The other could care less about rolled oats, and ravages any veggie pasta I give them.

[1lila1]

LOL I tried the baking chip treats after someone posted about the yucky ingredients in Yogies.  My rats wouldn't touch them!  I got some chocolate chips and some vanilla chips.  They just sniffed them and then ignored them.  I put them in the cage figured maybe they will acquire a taste for them later -- nope.  Is there some other kind of baking chip??

Peanut Butter!!  My rats love those, of course they love all baking chip flavors.  And of course, only in moderation!  But I couldn't imagine going without dessert my whole life so my boys won't either. 

[Popcorn]

All of my rats love Cheerios, either the regular or multigrain.  Once in a while I also give them Shreddies,
just one each.  I know they have sugar in them too but it's a treat, not a meal.

The treat that I have had the most success with is baked yams.
They act like they've died and gone to heaven. 

[Dearpie]

Baked yams are a HUGE hit with my crew, also. And corn on the cob!!

[mandycoot]

Oh yes, yams are a favorite! But I find it gives some very squishy poo, so I feed them only on occasion. My kiddos also love when I bring home an avocado, asparagus and cucumber sushi roll.

I don't like a lot of processed food for my kids, but I do buy boxes of banana-flavored Organic Crunchin' Blocks by Earth's Best Tots (alpabet cookies for toddlers) and break off little pieces for treats. The rats adore them and go nuts at the shake of the box.

Those blue and red Cap'n Crunch thingies are called...um...well I forget. Nutra-Puffs or something. They're by Kaytee or some crummy brand though and I imagine they're full of crap. I bought them when I first got Ratley and she wouldn't touch them! I think puffed rice, wheat, or corn is a much healthier and tastier alternative.

[thelionsof]

The Nutra-puffs contain two preservatives and some random chemicals, so I'll definitely be cutting back on them. My rats love them, but they love everything so it won't break their little hearts if I stop buying them.

Those Small Bites or whatever get mixed in with my dry mix, so it usually consists of two store bought dry mixes, Harlan lab block, rolled oats, plain cheerios, Total cereal, pumpkin seeds, Nutra-puffs (not anymore), whole wheat pasta swirls, and whatever Small Bites I buy that time around, usually the mango or banana kind. I've been trying to perfect a mix by researching homemade mixes and adding/subtracting things on my own.

Generally, any of these things I add to it (cheerios, puffs, small bites) once mixed in, usually yield two to three of each per serving.

I was mainly just interested in buying new things to throw into the mix. I always see snack products that look easily stored that I want to add to their mix, but considering the preservatives and sugar in those I'll probably refrain from using those products.

My girls haven't tried baked yams, so I'll have to whip that up and take pictures of them making a mess. Also I didn't think about a veggie roll. Is the seaweed okay, or do you take it apart? I buy California rolls for my daughter when I grab my tofu, so that'd be a wonderful treat for them on occasion.

I never tried Yogies, because I figure they love their mealworm yogurt deserts too much to substitute it.

My girls basically snack on whatever we eat, within limits of course. For dinner I made mandarin chicken salads and saved each of them a slice of orange, small chunk of chicken and some greens. They were in heaven. haha

I have these organic peanut butter flavored dog biscuits, training size, that I give all my girls. Especially my female mice because they were pregnant, I would break the small bones up and they'd disappear into their huts with a piece. My rats each get one whole one, which is about 1" long. I wish I had the money to open an all organic, vegan-friendly store for pets. Man, that would be great!

[mandycoot]

Another fun thing to add to the mix are Just Veggies brand dehydrated vegetables. I find mine at our co-op or the natural foods store and the kids love them! The corn is okay, too, since it's just dehydrate human-quality corn and isn't dried. You can also try the veggie pasta too!

Cheerios are a hit but don't really have a lot of nutritional value--I like Kashi Heart to Heart, Kashi 7 Grain Puffed Cereal, and Heath Valley Heart Healthy cereal (instead of Total), all of which they love and are really good for them.

Seaweed is fine for them. They don't really eat it all anyways, just tear the roll apart to eat the yummy insides! If you're worried though, often restaurants have soy paper you can get on your rolls instead.

I wish I had the money to open an all organic, vegan-friendly store for pets. Man, that would be great!

I wish you did too! I would definitely shop there (or order online!). We have a really nice all-natural organic pet bakery right by me, but pretty much nothing is vegan.

[Suebee]

Another fun thing to add to the mix are Just Veggies brand dehydrated vegetables. I find mine at our co-op or the natural foods store and the kids love them! The corn is okay, too, since it's just dehydrate human-quality corn and isn't dried. You can also try the veggie pasta too!

They also sell online!

http://www.justtomatoes.com

I get the corn, the peas, and the bananas most often.

[brandy]

Just a note about "baking chips"... I would check the ingredients, and would NOT give my rats any with partially hydrogenated oils (sometimes listed as vegetable shortening). Some vanilla or fake-white-chocolate ones are basically pure shortening, I don't know about peanut butter ones. I generally won't even eat the ones with partially hydrogenated oils myself - these oils are the main source of trans fats, and although heart problems aren't generally a rat's biggest issue, I wouldn't want to take the risk of *making* it a problem.

[thelionsof]

I used to work at a health food store and so I'm quite familiar with those names, I'll have to go shopping soon. It's 40 minutes away so I don't get around there often. Those Just Veggies are great, I used to carry them around as snacks to munch on during the day. Thanks for the great suggestions!!!