# irresistible treats



## sawyerashton (Dec 14, 2009)

I was just wondering if you could give me some ideas for some irresistible treats that your rats love. I'm a first time rat owner and I'm trying to interact with my rats without forcing them. I thought if I had that treat they couldn't resist then maybe I could entice them to come out a bit more.

I know that this may be different for different rats, but I'm willing to try different things. I just don't want to reinvent the wheel.


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## shanndela (Dec 16, 2009)

I was wondering the very same thing! I just brought home two little guys and one is more nervous than the other. I can't even get this little guy to take any treats. I have tries Yogi's, baby food, bread, banannas, carrots, and grapes. I know he eats because I have seen him eat a few times (the rat food) but he won't eat from my hand or finger. He sniffs all around it as though he can't see it. 

Both little guys are a bit nervous, but the second little one will take treats.

Any advice?


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## sawyerashton (Dec 14, 2009)

Maybe we should stick together. I think we are going through the same thing. I'm sure that they just need time. But I want to be able to reward them for being social.


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## shanndela (Dec 16, 2009)

I know! Me too! I was worried about the one's vision, with him just sniffing it all the time. They are not afraid of my hand, so I don't think it is fear. It just seems like disinterest lol. They came from a breeder who says she held them. What kind do you have? I have two little dwarf dumbo boys. Sooo cute!


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## sawyerashton (Dec 14, 2009)

I have 3 dumbo girls. Mine came from a pet store. Not really any choices of breeders around here in Louisiana.


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## sawyerashton (Dec 14, 2009)

mine sniff around on everything. I think it's just the new environment


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## shanndela (Dec 16, 2009)

I am trying to upload a picture but it says uploader is full.


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## sawyerashton (Dec 14, 2009)

yeah I had trouble with that as well. I ended up just joining photobucket and just linking them.


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## shanndela (Dec 16, 2009)

Okay, will do. I need to go get dinner started. I will be back


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## Alexc844 (Sep 8, 2008)

Have you guys tried Yogies? They are little yogurt drops sold at petstores for rats and mice. My rats go CRAZY over them. Definitely their favorite. They love the strawberry flavor. Just a suggestion


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## Kiko (Sep 18, 2009)

I 2ed the strawberry yogies. Many rat owners dont use then cause they are "bad for rats" but ...is that not the point of a treat? as long as you dont give too many I think they are fine.


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## sawyerashton (Dec 14, 2009)

I agree that some treats can be a bit unhealthy. You don't give a kid a rice cake instead of a birthday cake.

Thanks for the tips. 

What I've been using are 2 things:
1 - Yogurt drops cut up a bit smaller
2 - Reece's peanut butter chips (like chocolate chips that you cook with)

Socialization is going very well


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## Alexc844 (Sep 8, 2008)

Glad to hear it


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## CyborgSlayer (Dec 10, 2009)

I would recommend Cheerios. My 2 girls go bonkers for the cheerio and they are cheap for a treat. Make sure you switch it up with some fruits and veggies as well though


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## ashleynv (Dec 30, 2009)

Hey, 
I am pretty new to rat owning as well and I had to get my girls used to me. I have done some research and it said that rats have built up an instinct to not trust new food for fear of being poisoned. They especially do not trust food from humans because of this. What I would suggest is starting by putting the food in their home for a few days, this will allow them to try it on their own. They tend to try a new food then wait a few days before eating it again, this allows them to see if it is safe. After that you can try to hand feed them the same food that they already trust and they will begin to trust you. My girl Macee acclimated to me within 12 hours of having her, she was handled very well where I bought her.
My girls love yogurt chips, I buy the ones in the baby section at the grocery store because they are cheaper. They also love pecans. My mom has two pecans trees so I just pick a few up, rinse them off, slightly crack the shell, and toss the whole thing in their cage. They love picking the meat of the nut out of the shell. They also like regular fruit flavored yogurt, they eat it right off a spoon. They like bananas cut into tiny squares, I usually just pick pieces off of the banana I am eating and hand it to Macee. The girls also like the puffed vegetable snacks made for infants. They have a very similar palate to humans, so whatever you like to snack on, that's not too fatty, they will love as well. Try to remember they are smaller than us so the fat intake will affect them more vastly than it does us.


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## Alexc844 (Sep 8, 2008)

ashleynv said:


> Hey,
> I am pretty new to rat owning as well and I had to get my girls used to me. I have done some research and it said that rats have built up an instinct to not trust new food for fear of being poisoned. They especially do not trust food from humans because of this. What I would suggest is starting by putting the food in their home for a few days, this will allow them to try it on their own. They tend to try a new food then wait a few days before eating it again, this allows them to see if it is safe. After that you can try to hand feed them the same food that they already trust and they will begin to trust you. My girl Macee acclimated to me within 12 hours of having her, she was handled very well where I bought her.
> My girls love yogurt chips, I buy the ones in the baby section at the grocery store because they are cheaper. They also love pecans. My mom has two pecans trees so I just pick a few up, rinse them off, slightly crack the shell, and toss the whole thing in their cage. They love picking the meat of the nut out of the shell. They also like regular fruit flavored yogurt, they eat it right off a spoon. They like bananas cut into tiny squares, I usually just pick pieces off of the banana I am eating and hand it to Macee. The girls also like the puffed vegetable snacks made for infants. They have a very similar palate to humans, so whatever you like to snack on, that's not too fatty, they will love as well. Try to remember they are smaller than us so the fat intake will affect them more vastly than it does us.


Actually there are a lot of foods we like to snack on that are really bad for rats. There is a list stickied if you would like to look at it.


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## nzumbe (Sep 8, 2009)

Mine like sour cream.


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## heatherrrrrrrrrR (Jan 7, 2010)

PEANUTS PEANUTS PEANUTS! (unsalted of course) my rats have always loved peanuts for some reason. they also enjoy broccoli, yogurt drops, and RATATOULIE CROISANTS!, they really like the fruit bags mixed with yogurt drops, and every now and then i give them the cheese wedges there like giant cheese crackers for rats. they also seem to really enjoy the vegi drops i think there called they are like dog food pellets but made with real vegetables.

but mostly they love peanuts and the ratatoulie croisants they sell at petsmart.

bananna chips with no added sugars is good too, fresh green beans.


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## Devon (Jan 26, 2010)

I make a little peanut butter mix mine go crazy for. take some dry cereal (I used a mix of rice crispies and corn flakes) and a teaspoon of Peanut butter. Crush the cereal in with peanut butter until well mixed into a chunky ball, put in a small bowl and enjoy. I've actually started to get a taste for it myself.


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## derro (Jan 23, 2010)

My little girl likes a lot of breads and grains, but mostly I give her fruit, usually whatever I'm nibbling on. I don't give her citrus, because I've heard it's bad for rats, but she gobbles apples down like it's nothing.

Her eyes just about bug out of her head when I give her a grape (after I've peeled it open for her.... laziness.)


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## Rattieluv (Feb 1, 2010)

My girls favorite treat is bananas! They will practically jump out of the cage on my hand for a banana...and...I've only had them a little over two weeks!


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## horsart (Oct 31, 2009)

mine LOVE any type of quality cheese especially smoked edam. i also give them the little round cheese wheels that are sealed in a red wax and come in a net bag. these are Bonbell brand and avialable in the dairy section near the american cheese slices. one mini 'wheel' cuts up to alot of small pea sized treat bites. there are about 6 mini wheels per bag and because they are each sealed in a wax coating they stay fresh and last a long time. Another favortie are goldfish crackers. I have one rat that makes a 'grunting' sound when she wants a choclate ghram goldfish cracker. she stops grunting once she gets it! i limit the choclate flavor to one fish cracker 3 times a week. Mini grape tomato halves are another favorite they cant resist, as well as a grape half. make sure to wash them well beforehand though.
hope this helps.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

My boys go nuts for plain yogurt chips, which I purchase from an organic/health food store. They are about 3 bucks a pound, so a lot cheaper than yogies. And they're smaller and a lot less sugary


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## clarry (May 19, 2008)

Mine LOVE baby food, I know you said you tried it, but as someone has said before, they will probably take a while to trust you before they start to lick food from your fingers, especially being as they are from a pet shop so therefore probably havent been handled that well. Do try that as a treat when they trust you a bit more, if find that because they are licking it from your fingers its a brilliant way of bonding. If you have a blender you can also try making your own with say pieces of fruit you know they really like, you can also then drop in something they may not be so keen on but that you are trying to get them to eat for health purposes and it will be discuised 
Thats for later on though, Id suggest what someone said before about putting treats in the cage, at such a young age treats are so new to them, coming from a pet shop they will have been fed a very limited diet and they don't know that they will love the treats. I recently had a pet shop girl come to live with me, everything I gave her she would take and hoard to try later. Perhaps next time you clean out the cage hide some treats around (yogies are probably a good one as they dont go off as quickly as say fruit etc outside the packet) like in the bedding, let them find it them selves and then realise that they love them. When they figure out what is yum and a treat they will be more inclined to take it from you


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