# Rat become aggressive because it eats meat!?



## Wylie_Gizmo (May 17, 2011)

So i was looking up what types or meats and bones and such that rats can have. and i read a few posts saying "DONT give your rat any type of meat, it wll become aggressive" "it will hurt your other rats" "it will become aggressive and bite you all the time" "it will make your rats kill each other"... they sound completely insane.. my friend has grown up with rats and said it was completely fine...

I was curious on other peoples opinion on it. cause i have been giving my rats dif meats on and off and they arent aggressive or mean...

Also can rats have rib bone? (if i watch em while they nibble on it)


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## Critterized (Jul 5, 2011)

Hi 

In my opinion it's just a rat myth  

My fur babies get chicken at lest 3 times a week and they get it on the bone. They love this lol is like watching a football game, one grabs the chicken leg/wing etc and takes off with it but on the fly up comes another and tackles the other and takes the chicken lol and so on. 

Every other night they get either some dog food roll or some wet kitten food. Both of them contain meat in them 
They also get red meat, salmon or tuna when we have it. 

And haven't had any issues with it causing them to bite or hurt one another, if anything I have found that it is a great way to encourage them to play  

In saying this if you do have a buck who is aggressive already I wouldn't go offering something to them lik meat as rats love it and it may cause him to become possessive of it which may result in even more aggression if the other rats try to get some or you try to remove it. But if this is not a problem for you then meat shouldnt be an issues either 

As for rib bone, I have never given mine it but the love chicken and meat bones that i have given and they love them so much so that there is not much left of the bone/s when they are taken out hehe

Hope this helps


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## A.ngelF.eathers (Jul 6, 2011)

I think whatever your reading could be a big crock. I think whoever wrote those things probably going back to the old myth of once something tastes blood, they have to have it. Which also isn't true.
It's completely fine to give your rats meat. Most of them really love baked chicken and turkey. As long as it's not too greasy, it's fine. As Critterized said, though, it could become a possessive issue. Just make sure you don't let the treat become something they feel like they have to fight over. 

As for rib bone, I don't see why it would be bad. They can chew on chicken bones, and those splinter whereas it takes a lot to splinter a rib. I think it would be fine.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

This type of advice comes from the people who say your rats aren't licking you for affection, but they are "tasting" you and next they will bite to get your blood LOLOLOL

Utter BS...they can have rib bones and even chicken bones (since they gnaw them instead of crunching and splintering them like a dog would), just watch the protein intake of your rats since too much is hard on their organs. Low fat, low sugar and low protein...including human flesh


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## gypsyacorn (May 3, 2011)

my rats eat meat alll the time. I give they chicken, liver, and what ever else I cook that's healthy. They act no different. total myth. My acorn has only licked me once when I first got her. She was in my hand and wouldn't move. ANd she started licking my palm like a dog would. I think she was more scared then anything. I wish I'd get kisses now but no. They run around way too much to pay any attention to mee lol. I'm only good for food.


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## Wylie_Gizmo (May 17, 2011)

Thank you all. i figured it was BS. but i figured id ask since im no rat pro. bit of a newbie. but mine love meat and they only get sweeter day by day. Thanks


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## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

I believed that when I first got mine and got scared when he stole a bite of meat, I thought he'd go rabid. He didn't, he's the sweetest thing ever, people are full of crap.


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## Snippet (Dec 30, 2010)

I better tell my girls that they should try and eat me then. After all, they got a whole chicken carcass last night :


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## Kiko (Sep 18, 2009)

Lmao, I love silly myths.

Every once in a while I throw entire chicken carcasses if my BF ate one and let my horde go to town. No rabid mindless flesh crazed rats yet LOL


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## artemisfair (Jun 3, 2010)

I don't think it will make the rats be aggressive, but isn't it too much protein?


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## Snippet (Dec 30, 2010)

artemisfair said:


> I don't think it will make the rats be aggressive, but isn't it too much protein?


In a word, no. Rats need some protein in their diet, and assuming you're feeding them a balanced diet a little extra protein on occasion is not going to harm them unless they're already suffering fairly advanced kidney disease.


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