Keeping the room temperature warm
and stable is very important, but the cage wire could also get very cold
too. We used an
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Hello people. Welcome
to Ratamania. I am Minami, this months' navigator rat. How are you all
keeping lately? Hope you are looking after your ratties well, making sure
they don't catch cold!
Cold weather is one thing, but elderly rats tend to have a very bad circulation in their paws, legs and tails, because they spent all day long sitting around and sleeping. Make sure they are kept warm and comfortable.
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Rats
generally prefer a high calorie flavoured food, but statistically, prolonged
unhealthy diet leads to obesity and early death. To avoid such consequences,
you should feed them with low protein, low fat diet, in the most natural
form. Organic vegetable and fruits could also benefit to boost the natural
immunity. Some scientific research had shown that rats fed on a minimum
amount of diet live a little longer because their metabolic rate decreases.
However, one should question whether it is ethical to keep a pet animal
under such condition.
It
is very important to feed your rat with fresh vegetable and fruits each
day, but their main diet should consist of rat mix, or a lab
block, complete with the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that they need.
Hamster mix is acceptable, but not recommended because it has many nuts
and seeds, relatively higher on the protein content. Feeding rats for long
term with high protein diet not only causes itchy skin, dandruff, or bald
patches, but it would contribute to the onset of tumours.
Generally
American and British rat aficionados recommend a diet with protein content
around 14%. You should avoid feeding your rat with anything that has more
than 20% protein. however, the exceptions are the growing young rats, pregnant
or breast feeding mother. For instance, elderly rats would benefit from
light low protein diet because it is very hard to digest, unless he suffers
from tumours.
Mr
rat, checking out the world outside
This young
lady is Oreo
Hello!