# My rat loves meat!?!



## Charliesmom (Nov 13, 2012)

*I know rats are omnivores...but total weirdness happened today.

I was sitting here, eating my lunch *flour shelled beef/chees taquitos* when charlie came down from the back of the couch after waking from his nap...and went crazy over my food!

I figured rats are omnivorous so I thought a tiny nibble of taquito wouldn't harm him, not too much though, dont want him getting too fat. So I broke a tiny bit off the end of my taquito, and gave to him...he bit away the flour tortilla, and went straight for the meat filling. I thought that was odd, he proceeded to clean the flour shell bit of any remaining meat, and then kicked the shell down my shirt, and looked at me for more...so gave him one more tiny bit, once again, he just wanted meat.
 he completely disregarded the tortilla, and only wanted the meat....could he possibly be starved for protein? lol, it just sorta took me by suprise that he would flip over meat so much...lol
Figured i would share the story, and see if anyone had similar experiences.
*


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## Cstaar (Mar 7, 2012)

Mine love meat too - but you aren't supposed to give them much because of the protein - but I figure a little is ok.

My girls actually love cooked (usually baked) salmon more though, they go absolutely crazy for it, I think it is their favourite!!

They also really like the bones - they aren't dangerous because of how they eat them so no problem with splintering. Normally they eat through to the middle and have the bone marrow - I read somewhere it was good for them.

Anyway, aslong as it's a treat I dont see a problem - but that being said, I am no expert


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## JudeWriley (Aug 1, 2007)

Another thing to consider is that rats tend to have tastes shaped by their sense of smell. Foods with more "smell" to them are going to naturally be their favorites than blander foods with less of an odor. Seasoned cooked meat would definitely have more of smell to it than the tortilla.


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## Charliesmom (Nov 13, 2012)

*Yeah, I dont think I over did it, I only gave him two bits that were about the size of an uncooked black eyed pea....he spent the next hour searching me and smelling my breath looking for more though....if I ever have problems with him taking meds, I will put them in the taquito meat filling lol*


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

My rats love meat also, but I only feed them raw or extremely rare meat (I cook my steaks that I eat for literally a second on each side to kill germs but the center is still raw as can be) since cooking meat gets rid of a lot of the enzymes needed to properly digest meat.


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## Three B's Mom (Apr 18, 2012)

My girls like fish and chicken the best. When I'm cooking dinner for the family I'll usually set aside a little bit of the ingredients without spices or fats (such as cooked pasta with boiled chicken) and feed it to them. The meat is always gone first which is why I only give it a couple days a week. They get protein from other sources the rest of the week.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

I often hand out a chicken bone, but I am not sure my rats would drop a raw cob of corn for meat...they do so love (and fight and squeal over) a cob of corn LOL


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## Charliesmom (Nov 13, 2012)

*I didn't think about the good smell thing...but now I think about it, it makes sense. 

He loves his baytril...but whatever flavoring they use is pretty potent, because I can really smell the banana strawberry flavor in it the second I open the little vial to draw up his dose. when he gets it i have to hang on to the syringe, cause he tries really hard to yank it away and run off with it. he even sticks his tounge to it and tries to suck the tiny bit left in the tip out.... wish I knew what flavoring agent they use, would post it on here, so folks could request it from their vets.  
*


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## Deegee (Nov 17, 2012)

I've read that rats almost have the same tastes as we do, so it's not really surprising the stuff they'll eat.

I've given Max a tiny chunk of cooked liver before now... he kindly left my hand intact once he'd figured out what it was.

Both Max and Ed have also had cooked/boiled ham as well. Max has had the ham both with and without crushed garlic. He was a bit apprehensive about the strange new smell, but had the ham anyway. Ed was none the wiser, and whipped the ham off my fingers.


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## Charliesmom (Nov 13, 2012)

*Yeah I thought Charlie was going to chew my fingers off trying to lick any little bit I had left...and shoved his head in my mouth to smell it...lol*


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## binkyhoo (Sep 28, 2008)

I dont feed meat products other than eggs. I am sure they would love other protein things. that is my choice, not to say you all are wrong. Being that thanksgiving is coming up, I may try a small bit of turkey. I know they will love the acorn squash and the corn. I want to try the bone chew thing but I am still a scaredy rat from hearing that dogs choke on them. It is hard to get over the old tales.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Not to ruin anyone's fun, or start any fights, but rats don't have gal bladders (or canines) and can't digest meat fats (fish fat is a different compound). when the body tries to digest it it turns into tumor and potentially cancer cells.

So a bit of white chicken, or Highly lean and trimmed steak (beef and pork is not recommended due to it's high protein count), or since thanksgiving is coming a bit of turkey breast is ok.

I think a toquito is ground beef? (I have no idea what they are). in which case besides the meat fats it's treated with ammonia and I get worried when people eat it.

Though if you want to include fish as meat my boys Love sardines, Storm goes crazy for them. Rats also like meal worms, wax worms, super worms, crickets, and **** roaches (Any store bought insect really). Some rats will even hunt them (Insects can't feel pain due to no nerves system) so it also works as stimulation.


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## Charliesmom (Nov 13, 2012)

*Lightning,

The taquitos are homemade with shredded steak and cheese. very lean meat.* I buy half a beef from a local butcher every year with my tax return, it's local grass fed angus...quite good* There is something my rat and I have in common! I have no gal bladder either, and beef, pork, meat in general doesnt bother me at all. I had gal stones and major pancreatitis caused by years of stress from my abusive ex-husband. So had to have it removed.

I used to get crickets when i had templeton from the reptile shop. I would dust the crickets in a rodent safe multivitamin, and then let him hunt them on the kitchen floor. pretty cool to watch, plus templeton got his suppliments that way. 
*


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Yeah, before I knew any better all three of my boys ate meat all of the time. They loved it. And they actually all lived to nearly 3yrs old with no health issues, maybe they were lucky.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Just remember that humans being bigger have a Much higher tolerance, but it should be fine as a small rare treat. Nice getting from a local butcher, then you can get ground meat without ammonia 

For insects cockroaches from what I've heard have more nutrition then crickets and meal worms and are easier to raise. I would love for my boys to hunt crickets but I have a Strong phobia of crickets, they are the only insect I fear. I hate insects that jump And Fly. I once saw one hanging Up side down from the ceiling.

Some rats just have a high tolerance of it or are just resistant to tumors and cancer.


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## Charliesmom (Nov 13, 2012)

*Yeah I don't believe in supporting concentrated feed lot operations. I am an omnivore by nature, I eat meat, but I want that meat to come from good sources. so I make a point to go to the ranch I am selecting my steer from, I look at conditions, I look at whats being fed *cows aren't built to eat corn, it makes them sick and provides homes for bad bacteria to thrive* I don't push or judge anyone for their dietary choices. I just make my own well informed decisions about what I eat. 

Oh I wanted to let you know, the sardine thing...was a major hit! he absolutely went bonkers over it! i would get a bite, then give him some off my fork, and he climbed all over me to get it. his coat is super shiny, and his tail and skin looks like I bathed him in lotion. *btw, that all natural shampoo i got with the olive oil...fantastic, removed the buck smell and didnt dry him out. it has just a hint of menthol in it too, which seemed to help his breathing for a short time* 
*


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## binkyhoo (Sep 28, 2008)

Crickets! They are the happiest of bugs! I would never buy any. They do make noise. Happy chirping anoying I want to go to sleep now shut up noise! My bro bought them for his tarantula. But that was years ago. I like the wild life much more now.


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

That's why you don't feed your rats meat fat. You feed them meat. They are omnivores and eat meat and just about anything in the wild. 

I personally wouldn't feed my rats ground meat (it mixes everything up and is really fatty) or cooked meat. Cooking meat destroys a lot of the enzymes needed to digest the meat. Its even healthier for humans to eat raw meat, but since many people have been cooking meat for so long we probably wouldn't be able to tolerate switching back to raw meat. Some people can eat beef raw though (like myself). 
Every time I have steak, I save some for my rats. They love it. If its too cooked for me, then it's too cooked for them.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

That cricket singing sound is the sound of War! imagine sleeping at night hearing all of them chirping after having to remove over 40 from your bedroom that day. I once got ambushed at night, was sleeping and this cricket jumped right in my face. 

Glad to know Sardines are huge hit. I gave them to Storm to help increase his Iodine and he went Bonkers over them as well, he ate every single piece, and even licked the bowl, the floor, and me trying to find more. Soda couldn't care less though. I agree with the food lots, that's why I'm hoping to one day raise my own live stock. Plus it's an excuse to have goats and ducks


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

As I also don't have a gallbladder, I can second the opinion that you don't need one to digest fats. However, if the creature without a gallbladder overindulges in fatty foods it are likely to get diarrhea or have loose stools.

I suppose you can guide yourself accordingly.


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## Drowsy (Oct 23, 2012)

I've heard you really shouldn't give him a lot of fatty/greasy meats. Since rats don't have gal bladders they can't metabolize the meat fats which puts them nearly guaranteed for tumors or fatty lumps later in life if they get too much of the fat.

But like, white meat chicken, fish, etc, is really good for them. c: Fish has iodine in it which is GREAT for them. Salmon, sardines and tuna.
I just wouldn't give him much taquito filling. xD


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