Rat food
A good rat diet is built around a properly formulated mix or block food, topped up with a modest amount of fresh food, rather than a seed-heavy mix that lets a rat pick out only the tastiest, fattiest pieces and leave the rest. Below is what to look for, and the food we stock.
Why formulated food beats a loose seed mix
Rats are intelligent, selective eaters, and given a loose mix containing seeds, dried fruit and pellets together, most rats will pick out the highest-fat, tastiest pieces first and leave the rest, which undermines the nutritional balance the mix was designed to provide even when the bag as a whole looks complete.
A formulated block or pellet food removes that selective feeding problem, since each piece carries the same balanced nutrition rather than a rat being able to choose favourites. Many owners feed a base of formulated food with a smaller amount of a mixed seed and grain product added for variety and enrichment.
What to check on the bag
Look for a reasonable protein content suited to a rat's needs, which are somewhat higher than many other small pets, and a shorter ingredients list built around named grains, seeds and protein sources rather than a long list of fillers. Avoid mixes that are mostly sunflower seeds or peanuts, since these are high in fat and easy for a rat to overeat given the choice.
Freshness matters more with rat food than it might seem — seeds and grains can turn rancid, particularly in warm storage, so buying an amount that will be used within a reasonable time and storing it in a sealed, cool container is worth doing.
Fresh food alongside the main diet
A small amount of fresh vegetables and occasional fruit alongside the main formulated diet adds variety and enrichment, and most rats enjoy the chance to forage for it. Keep fresh additions a modest portion of the overall diet rather than the main event, and remove anything uneaten before it spoils.
Introduce any new food gradually, watching how your rat's droppings and general condition respond, since a sudden large change in diet is more likely to cause a digestive upset than a gradual introduction.
What we stock
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Science Selective Rat & Mouse Food
Complete rat and mouse food in a 1.5kg pack, with separate daily guides for each species
£8.95
Mr Johnson's Advance Rat & Mouse Food
Complementary dry rat and mouse food with 13% protein, supplied in a 750G pack
£3.22
Mr Johnson's Supreme Rat Mouse Mix
Complementary rat and mouse mix with cereals, vegetables, seeds and mealworms
From£3.22
Supreme Tiny Friends Farm Reggie Rat Mimi Mouse Tasty Mix
A nutritionally balanced mix for pet rats and mice of all ages
From£4.25
Rat & Mouse Starter Kit
Science Selective rat & mouse food, paper strip bedding and a wooden house to sleep in.
£20.49
Little Friends Tunnel Tube Rat
A 36cm fabric tunnel that clips into the cage, for ferrets and adult rats
£12.99
Little Friends Rat / Chinchilla House
A hiding and nesting house for rats or chinchillas, 31 x 20.5 x 16cm with a dark interior
£8.08
Tiny Friends Farm Russel Rabbit Tasty Nuggets
Complete dry nuggets for adult rabbits, with added vitamins and minerals
£5.90
Science Selective Timothy Hay
Compressed UK-grown Timothy hay for rabbits, sold as unlimited daily forage
£18.95
Common questions
- Is a seed mix enough on its own for pet rats?
- Not ideally, since rats tend to pick out the tastiest, highest-fat pieces from a loose seed mix and leave the rest, undermining the overall nutritional balance. A formulated block or pellet as the base of the diet, with a smaller seed mix added for variety, tends to work better.
- How much fresh food can rats have?
- A small, modest portion alongside their main formulated diet is enough — fresh vegetables and occasional fruit add variety and enrichment, but they should not make up the bulk of what a rat eats day to day. Remove anything uneaten before it has a chance to spoil.
- Do rats need a higher protein diet than other small pets?
- Generally, yes, rats have somewhat higher protein needs than several other small pets, which is worth checking for on the label of any formulated rat food. A food specifically made for rats, rather than a generic small animal mix, is more likely to reflect this.
- Why does my rat only eat certain bits of its food mix?
- This is normal, selective behaviour — rats are intelligent and will pick out the tastiest, often fattiest pieces from a loose mix given the chance, which is exactly why a formulated block or pellet, where every piece carries the same nutrition, tends to give a more balanced result.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.