[twilight]

Currently my rats are on a mix that I buy out of the bin at the petstore. It has come to my attention that is about the worst way to feed a rat. :roll: However, I am unable to order online due to shipping costs. I also can't spend a fortune because my mom is the one buying it. I already decided I will be using Mazuri Blocks and free fed it. Is there another kind of food I can get at the petstore to go with the blocks that is good?

 

[Forensic]

Could you just do the 'fresh veggies' route? It would be more healthy than most foods in the petstore. Else I suppose you could go for a high quality dog food?

 

[Lise]

I would just do the blocks... and you can give veggies from dinner (cooked is fine) or fresh, and fruit from in the house. And occassionally add in some other stuff like a bit of pasta, tiny piece of meat, a whole walnut, etc etc etc.

 

[twilight]

ok, I will make sure to give them more veggies and fruit. I'm just worried they arnt gonna get enough just from the blocks because they are so used to eating a seed mix. :?

 

[Forensic]

They may not eat quite as much at first because they'll see if you'll give them something better.

Don't give them seed mix/etc, and they'll eat the blocks.

Rats shouldn't starve themselves.

 

[Poppyseed]

Yeah, I was worried with that with Bert as well. He was on seed mix in the pet store. So when he came home he didn't think the blocks were food at first. But I fed him that and a Suebees mix of oats, total, uncooked noodles, and low sugar cheerios as well. He eventually started eating the blocks.

The thing with the seed mix, it's mostly fat and low on nutrition. Lab blocks have all the nutrition they need. I'm sure they will be fine, you might even want to continue giveing them the occasional sunflower seed as a treat to slowly wean them off perhaps? Bert seems perfectly fine, he was weirded out at first but he actually put on some weight which is good for him. He was SOOO skinny and tiny when I first got him D:

 

[Poppyseed]

And another thing, Harlan is quite inexpensive and in the long run will be MUCH CHEAPER then the Mazuri blocks. A tiny bag of the Mazuri is $5 and I think Harlan blocks a 35 pd. bag is $35... or $1/pound? Even with shipping cost it's cheaper.

 

[twilight]

Alrighty, I will try and convince my mom its cheaper doing it online