# Can Rats Eat apples? What other things can they eat?



## Akita (Aug 25, 2014)

I was in the rodent room laying on the floor trying to fix the pan to the ferret nation (Also eating a bowl of Apples carrots and tomatoes I was being nice and sharing the carrots. I like my apples so I was being quite rude! I got a knock on the door and went to check after shoving my bowl into the mini fridge I left the room and came back to find my rat, mouse, squirrel, and Rabbits. eating out of the bowl and Charlie ran off with all the apples! Is he okay to eat those? or should I be worried that he ate 6 pieces?


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

The flesh and peels are fine, but avoid the seeds if possible! Trace amounts of cyanide.


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## lovemyfurries (Aug 13, 2014)

True about the cynide, but apples are good. Mine eat all the flesh and leave the skin behind. They love the flesh of cucumber as well.


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## Akita (Aug 25, 2014)

Luckily there were no seeds But what else is he aloud to have? (I might have to put a child safety lock on the fridge XD)


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## lovemyfurries (Aug 13, 2014)

I'll say what I remember they can't have... No raw Brussels sprouts or raw beans. Cooked is fine. No green bananas, ripe is good. No onions, like dogs onions are poisonous. No chocolate, but a little dark chocolate is okay now and then. Not too much protein unless pregnant, but a in small portions is fine. Lettuce not good. No full cream milk. No raw potato, but they love it cooked in any form.

Tomatoes good. They love porridge, rice, pastas, yoghurt. Most fruits and veg. Love grapes, it amazes me how they manage to peel grapes and baby tomatoes. Cereal. Peanut butter. Ooh, we managed to get almonds in their shells once they love that. Not too many sunflower seeds due to fat content. Lentils and baked beans or mixed beans and chick peas in small amounts. 

Some ideas for you to mull over. Baddies on top then goodies on bottom. These are extras though, they still need the rat food for all essentials. My boys are spoilt rotten though.they also get bits of rusk or biscuits occasionally. They're so spoilt in fact that they want what we eat not their rattie food.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Peanut butter is a huge choking hazard. It happens all the time.

Peanut butter (and anything peanut butter consistency, such as other nut butters) have to be either watered down or mixed with flour to bind it.


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## lovemyfurries (Aug 13, 2014)

Didn't know that! Thanks. They just get the bits of peanut butter toady my daughter shares. They just lick it off.


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## lovemyfurries (Aug 13, 2014)

What about the other stuff I put on? That advice okay?


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## Akita (Aug 25, 2014)

Okay nice to know! I ended up with a child safety lock on the fridge but he figured it out and taught the squirrel much to my disappointment


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## Pandorascaisse (Mar 12, 2014)

Rats can eat chocolate.

Should they consume it in excess? No.

Can they eat it without dying? Yes.

They can process chocolate like humans can... but remember they're little tiny guys, so just a little piece of chocolate once in awhile is perfectly fine. Of course, once in a VERY great while. Unless it's 70% pure or higher - that can be given whenever you hear sniffles! Dark chocolate isn't really a good indicator - you have to look at the actual percentage because the legal term for "dark" varies.


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## AznDonutBoy (Jul 10, 2014)

http://www.ratforum.com/showthread.php?39486-Good-and-Bad-Food-for-Rats-amp-Ratty-Recipes

Here you go guys. Seems like this link doesn't get passed around enough. Hope it helps.


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## webspinnr (Jul 27, 2014)

Is lettuce really bad? I didn't see that on the other list of bad foods... How bad is it?


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

It's not poisonous or anything. It's just that it has more negatives than positives. It's very watery and it's an empty food. The nutritional value is negligible.


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## Lita (Jul 10, 2014)

That should only be true for Iceburg? Other lettuce varieties have good nutrients in them, as well as some fiber.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Iceburg and most head lettuces, as well as a surprising amount of loose leaf.

The general rule you want to go by is color. The darker the leaf, the more dense the nutrients. If you can find quite dark lettuce, go for it. If not, stick with kale and veggie greens.

#1 priority is vitamin K, which lettuce has very little of. Your big K greens are going to be kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, beet greens, collards, etc. Note that these are all quite dark.


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## Lita (Jul 10, 2014)

Ah, We avoid head lettuce in my house, no good for any of the other animals we have. Our girls get a bit of red and green leaf on occasion, as well as kale, mustard and collard, basically whatever the guinea pigs and rabbits are getting for the night.


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## lovemyfurries (Aug 13, 2014)

Akita said:


> Okay nice to know! I ended up with a child safety lock on the fridge but he figured it out and taught the squirrel much to my disappointment


Ha ha.. Sorry not funny really, but they're just so cute and clever.


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## Kitterpuss (May 9, 2014)

Yikes! I tried to feed my boys raw brussel sprouts the other day not realising they are toxic. Luckily they must have known better because they weren't interested in eating them. Guess I better have a closer look at the band food list


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## lovemyfurries (Aug 13, 2014)

Rats are also super smart, we mustn't forget. They don't just eat anything. Remember they can't puke, so don't they take chances with food they don't trust. Maybe they're just instinctive about some foods. And don't feel too bad, I tried to give iceberg lettuce once before knowing as well. We're never going to know everything right off the bat. As long as we try remain open minded and open to learning and to taking advice from those that know and have experience. I've learned a lot over the years but never enough...anyway think how boring life would be if we already knew everything.


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## Kitterpuss (May 9, 2014)

All I can say is thank goodness for this forum!


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