Petsmart apparently no longer carries the Mazuri brand of food, which is what I was planning on purchasing for the rats. The only block food they have is the Forti-Diet Pro Health. TSC doesn't carry any block formulas, and I think the only other brand available to me is the Premium 8 and 1 brand sold at Walmart (which is what the rats are currently on, I think). I want to keep them on a block diet, but I'm not sure which one I should purchase.
They currently get a block in the morning and a block at night, and if I'm around I'll typically give them half a small milkbone in the afternoon as a treat (either in addition to one of their blocks, or as a substitute). We also feed them table scrapes from our meals if we're eating something that they might enjoy (bread, fruit - namely bits of ripe banana, bits of egg, crackers, etc.).
Does that sound okay, or are we doing something dreadfully wrong? I figured it wouldn't hurt to give them a variety of things, but this is the first time I've ever had rats and it is a learning experience, to be sure. LOL
And, what are some ideas for toys for them? They absolutely demolished the cat toys I had purchased for them, and I can't keep buying things if they're going to be torn up in a day or two.
They sleep in their bin cage at night/when no one is home, but during the day/when we're around we move them over to the wire cage. In the wire cage they have a little crinkly tunnel/hammock, a wooden house, a tuna helper box, and a metal tube. In their bin they have a bulk-poptart box, a wooden house, and another metal tube. I also give them paper towels to use as nesting material. I've given them toilet paper tubes before as well, but they don't really like them.
I just bought them a little log house/climby tube thing for them to play on/chew on, but I'm not sure what else to do for them. Any good ideas? Would they use a wheel if I bought one, do you think? They hate being in their ball and refuse to move when they're in it, so I wasn't sure if they'd take to a wheel very well.
Also, I'd love to make them work for their food instead of just handing it to them, but I'm not sure how. Can't really give a rat a puzzle ball like you do with dogs. Any ideas there?
They currently get a block in the morning and a block at night, and if I'm around I'll typically give them half a small milkbone in the afternoon as a treat (either in addition to one of their blocks, or as a substitute). We also feed them table scrapes from our meals if we're eating something that they might enjoy (bread, fruit - namely bits of ripe banana, bits of egg, crackers, etc.).
Does that sound okay, or are we doing something dreadfully wrong? I figured it wouldn't hurt to give them a variety of things, but this is the first time I've ever had rats and it is a learning experience, to be sure. LOL
And, what are some ideas for toys for them? They absolutely demolished the cat toys I had purchased for them, and I can't keep buying things if they're going to be torn up in a day or two.
They sleep in their bin cage at night/when no one is home, but during the day/when we're around we move them over to the wire cage. In the wire cage they have a little crinkly tunnel/hammock, a wooden house, a tuna helper box, and a metal tube. In their bin they have a bulk-poptart box, a wooden house, and another metal tube. I also give them paper towels to use as nesting material. I've given them toilet paper tubes before as well, but they don't really like them.
I just bought them a little log house/climby tube thing for them to play on/chew on, but I'm not sure what else to do for them. Any good ideas? Would they use a wheel if I bought one, do you think? They hate being in their ball and refuse to move when they're in it, so I wasn't sure if they'd take to a wheel very well.
Also, I'd love to make them work for their food instead of just handing it to them, but I'm not sure how. Can't really give a rat a puzzle ball like you do with dogs. Any ideas there?