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Home > Pet rats > 10 Best Foods for Pet Rats in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

10 Best Foods for Pet Rats in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

a rat eating food

While most people probably know a thing or two about dog and cat food, rat food is often a big unknown. When you adopt a rat, it is up to you to provide them with an adequate diet. But unless you have a background in rodent nutrition, this can be difficult!

Many products on the market claim to be the best rat food. However, they often contain widely different ingredients, which only makes everything more confusing.

In this article, we cut through the noise by reviewing 10 of the best rat foods on the market. By the end, you should have the perfect food for your rat.

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A Glance at Our Winners in 2024

Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Oxbow Essentials Regal Rat Adult Rat Food Oxbow Essentials Regal Rat Adult Rat Food
  • Low fat
  • Quality ingredients
  • Kibble formula to prevent selective feeding
  • Best Value
    Second place
    Kaytee Supreme Fortified Daily Diet Rat Food Kaytee Supreme Fortified Daily Diet Rat Food
  • Tasty
  • Fortified with nutrients
  • No artificial flavors or colors
  • Premium Choice
    Third place
    Oxbow Garden Select Adult Rat Food Oxbow Garden Select Adult Rat Food
  • High in protein
  • Harvested in the U.S.A.
  • Kibble form prevents selective feeding
  • Mazuri Mouse & Rat Food Mazuri Mouse & Rat Food
  • Pellets
  • High in protein
  • Nutrient-rich ingredients
  • Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Rat Food Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Rat Food
  • Supports dental health
  • Fortified with added nutrients
  • Great macronutrient content
  • The 10 Best Foods for Pet Rats

    1. Oxbow Essentials Regal Rat Adult Rat Food — Best Overall

    1Oxbow Essentials Regal Rat Adult Rat Food

    Rats are notoriously prone to obesity, which can lead to plenty of illnesses and life-threatening conditions. Oxbow Essentials Regal Rat Adult Rat Food is designed to prevent this problem, which is why it’s the best overall food for pet rats. It is suitable for all rats older than 4 months, those that are out of their growing stage and no longer need a high-fat diet. This is perfect for less-active rats, which likely describes most pet rats.

    This food is formulated with brown rice, which is a low-calorie alternative that contains very little fat. It also contains oats and wheat for increased fiber. Soy and fish are included as the sole protein and fat sources.

    You can feed this food to your rat in unlimited quantities, making it perfect for owners on the go. It should be used alongside grass hay to encourage foraging.

    Since this food is in a kibble form, it prevents selective feeding. This can be a problem with seed-based formulas and can cause nutritional problems in rats.

    Pros
    • Low fat
    • Formulated with quality ingredients
    • Kibble formula to prevent selective feeding
    • Soy and fish meal for protein and healthy fats
    • Easy feeding instructions
    Cons
    • Some rats refuse it and prefer seed-based options

    2. Kaytee Supreme Fortified Daily Diet Rat Food — Best Value

    2Kaytee Supreme Fortified Daily Diet Mouse & Rat Food

    If you’re on a budget, Kaytee Supreme Fortified Daily Diet Rat Food is the best food for pet rats for the money. It is a seed-based formula, which means you can see what’s in it. It is also much less expensive than many other foods available. It includes plenty of whole grains for rich protein. It is high in protein and has a similar macronutrient content as the rest of the rat foods on the market.

    The ingredient list includes high-quality options like alfalfa meal, oat groats, wheat, and corn. It is fortified with extra minerals and vitamins A, B12, E, and D3. The crunchy pieces of food are satisfying to most rats. Many customers reported that their rodents loved this food, even those that were a bit pickier.

    This food contains no artificial colors or flavors. It is a complete diet that includes everything that your rat needs to thrive.

    Pros
    • Fortified with nutrients
    • Tasty
    • No artificial flavors or colors
    • Includes whole grains for healthy protein
    Cons
    • Requires cleanup

    3. Oxbow Garden Select Adult Rat Food — Premium Choice

    3Oxbow Garden Select Adult Rat Food

    If you want to give your rat only the best of the best, consider Oxbow Garden Select Adult Rat Food. This formula contains everything that your rat needs to thrive. It is slightly higher in protein than most formulas, though it is considerably lower in fat. It also includes higher-quality ingredients, like whole yellow peas. It is in a kibble form, which prevents selective feeding. The kibble has a rough edge, though, encouraging gnawing behaviors.

    All the ingredients in this food are harvested in the U.S.A. and are non-GMO certified. The ingredients are similar to what a rat might eat in the wild, though the pellets don’t encourage natural foraging behaviors. This formula has better ingredients than many other brands, though.

    Similar to other pellet options, some rats refuse to eat this. They prefer the forage-like seed mixes as opposed to these pellets.

    Pros
    • High in protein
    • Kibble form prevents selective feeding
    • Harvested in the U.S.A.
    Cons
    • Expensive

    4. Mazuri Mouse & Rat Food

    4Mazuri Mouse & Rat Food

    Mazuri Rat Food is a high-quality option as a vegetable-based formula in a pellet form.  It is much higher in protein than most other formulas. While most are around 14%, this one is analyzed at 23%. Fat is a bit higher than other formulas too but only marginally. We believe that this is largely because it includes dehulled soybean meal as the first ingredient, which is relatively high in protein.

    This formula includes a variety of nutrient-rich ingredients, like flaxseed. It also includes dried yucca, which may reduce stool and urine odor. It is fortified with vitamin E to ensure that your rat gets all the nutrients that they need. Omega-3 fatty acids occur naturally in many of the ingredients, promoting healthy skin and coat.

    This formula is in a pellet form, so your rat can’t just pick out the ingredients they like. The pellets encourage gnawing, which helps prevent overgrown teeth. It is also free from artificial colors and flavors.

    Pros
    • Nutrient-rich ingredients
    • Pellets
    • Free from artificial colors and flavors
    • High in protein
    Cons
    • Higher in fat than many other recipes
    • Expensive

    5. Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Rat Food

    5Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat & Hamster Food

    As a pellet diet, Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Rat Food may be a suitable rat food for your long-tailed friend. This diet is specifically formulated to support dental health. The design encourages chewing and gnawing, which can keep your rat’s teeth worn down to the appropriate level. The pellets in this food include everything that your rat needs to thrive. This formula contains most of the ingredients found in other pellets, including corn, oats, and yucca.

    This food is formulated with everything that your pet rat needs. Omega-3s are included for brain and eye health. Probiotics are added to support your rat’s gut biome. DHA is also added, which can prevent cognitive decline as your rat ages.

    Although it is extremely low in fat, this food is relatively high in protein. It is at 20% protein, while fat is down at 4%. This is an excellent macronutrient content for most rats.

    Pros
    • Great macronutrient content
    • Supports dental health
    • Fortified with added nutrients
    Cons
    • Doesn’t provide a variety
    • Crumbles easily

    6. Brown’s Tropical Carnival Gourmet Mouse & Rat Food

    6Brown's Tropical Carnival Gourmet Mouse & Rat Food

    While Brown’s Tropical Carnival Gourmet Mouse & Rat Food is one of the better seed blends out there, it is also quite expensive. Seed blends are a bit troublesome on their own, as they enable the rat to pick out the foods that they want. Often, the rats will choose the higher-fat foods and leave those that are more vitamin-rich. This can lead to problems in the long run. The first few ingredients in this food are grains, including oat groats, wheat, and corn. Sunflower seeds are also included, though they are incredibly high in fat.

    Overall, this food is higher in fat than most of the competition. This does not make it suitable for less-active rats or those that are already struggling with weight problems.

    Since it is a seed mixture, your rats can benefit from more variety. Some are quite picky about their food and only want to eat seed mixtures. If this describes your little critters, this may be a suitable food. Otherwise, we recommend selecting a pellet option.

    Pros
    • Offers variety to bored rats
    • Includes high-quality ingredients
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • High in fat

    Related read: Can Rats Eat Raisins? What You Need to Know


    7. Kaytee Fiesta Gourmet Variety Diet Mouse & Rat Food

    7Kaytee Fiesta Gourmet Variety Diet Mouse & Rat Food

    A seed mixture, Kaytee Fiesta Gourmet Variety Diet Mouse & Rat Food is designed to be a complete diet for your rats. It also encourages mental stimulation because the food encourages foraging behaviors. However, it also allows for selecting feeding, which may cause nutritional problems if your rat refuses to eat anything but a few ingredients. It is fortified to offer complete nutrition, so there are plenty of added vitamins and minerals.

    The ingredients are decently high quality and precisely what you would expect from a rat food. The most common ingredients are corn, though sunflower seeds and peanuts are included too. A few of the ingredients are high in fat, which may be a problem for some rats. As a result, the formula is higher in fat than many other options on the market. Furthermore, your rat may end up eating even more fat if they choose to consume only the fatty ingredients.

    This food does include added nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics.

    Pros
    • High-quality ingredients
    • Offers variety
    Cons
    • High-fat ingredients
    • Selective feeding possible

    8. Vitakraft Vita Smart Complete Nutrition Premium Fortified Blend Rat & Mouse Food

    8Vitakraft Complete Nutrition Natural Foraging Blend Gerbil, Mouse & Rat Food

    Vitakraft Vita Smart Complete Nutrition Premium Fortified Blend Rat & Mouse Food is considered to be a high-protein seed mixture. However, there are higher-protein options on the market, as this formula only reaches 16% protein. Still, this food is relatively low in fat. This is largely because it doesn’t include sunflower seeds and similar ingredients that many other seed mixtures do. While rats often love these foods, they can cause obesity and other problems, especially in seed mixtures.

    This food is designed to promote natural foraging. It also includes probiotics to support digestion and is free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. It is a completely balanced diet.

    While this food may seem exceptionally high quality, it is also costly. Selective eating is also possible. Some rats will pick out only certain foods that they like, which can cause nutritional problems.

    Pros
    • High in protein
    • Natural foraging behaviors
    Cons
    • Selective eating possible
    • Expensive

    9. Supreme Petfoods Science Selective Rat Food

    9Supreme Petfoods Science Selective Rat Food

    Supreme Petfoods Science Selective Rat Food is quite expensive. It is designed to be nutritionally complete and includes many of the ingredients that your rat would eat in the wild, however. While it includes a few higher-quality ingredients, like apples and blackcurrants, the bulk of this food is wheat, which is similar to most other foods available.

    Basically, there aren’t many extra benefits that this food offers, so you might be paying more money for about the same product that other companies offer.

    Pros
    • Higher-quality ingredients available
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • Low value

    10. Tiny Friends Farm Reggie Rat & Mimi Mouse Food

    10Tiny Friends Farm Reggie Rat & Mimi Mouse Food

    While Tiny Friends Farm Reggie Rat & Mimi Mouse Food is nutritionally complete, it is also quite essential compared to some other formulas. It does not include many ingredients, including those that add nutritional value to the food, like flaxseed. It doesn’t include any added sugars, but most formulas do not.

    This food advertises that it includes peas and alfalfa, but those ingredients show up further down on the ingredient list. This is an excellent example of why reading the ingredient list is essential. Just because a formula states that it includes an ingredient, that doesn’t mean it includes substantial amounts of it.

    There are many reports of rats not liking this food. However, rats are picky creatures and may refuse to eat even the highest quality food.

    Pros
    • Nutritionally complete
    Cons
    • Not as tasty as some other options
    • Lacking ingredient list
    • Messy

    divider-rodentBuyer’s Guide: How to Select the Best Food for Pet Rats

    You need to watch out for several things when you’re purchasing rat food for your pet. Just because a food is advertised as high quality doesn’t necessarily mean that it is. Many brands will talk up certain ingredients, even though they don’t have many benefits.

    It is up to you to arm yourself with the information that you need in order to make the best decision for your rat. In this section, we help you do just that by going over the basics of rat nutrition and discussing what your rat needs to thrive.

    Quality

    There are many misconceptions out there regarding what makes rat food high quality. Almost all brands promote their food as high quality, though this isn’t always the case. The most expensive foods aren’t necessarily the best options either. Sometimes, they contain high amounts of expensive ingredients that rats genuinely don’t need.

    You should preferably choose food that comes in pellet form. Usually, this indicates that the food was lab formulated, ensuring that it contains everything that your rat needs. Plus, pellet foods cannot become victims of selective eating. This is where the rat chooses certain things out of the mixture that they like, leaving the rest. This can lead to nutritional problems.

    However, in pellet foods, all the ingredients are included in each pellet. The rat can’t just pick out the foods that they like best.

    Price

    The price of rat food can vary quite a bit. Of course, the size of the bag matters substantially. While bigger bags are more expensive, they may save you money in the long run. If you know that your rat will consume a particular food, we recommend getting a bigger bag. Don’t start out with the bigger bag, though. Rats can be picky, and you don’t want to purchase a 10-pound bag that your rat doesn’t end up eating.

    More expensive rat foods are typically higher quality, but this isn’t always the case. Many foods are quite expensive but don’t have any significant benefits over less expensive foods. We don’t recommend trying to gauge a product’s quality just by the price tag.

    Taste

    Rats can be surprisingly picky. Unlike some other animals, they will not simply eat whatever you put in front of them. This is one reason that selective feeding is such a big issue. If a rat decides that they like a specific ingredient over the other, they are likely to simply pick it out.

    There isn’t a particular taste or ingredient that rats particularly like. Many rats will choose the higher-fat foods, though these are not necessarily the best for them. Some rats will love a certain formula, while others won’t touch it at all. The only way that you can find out what your rat will eat is to try it. You may notice certain ingredients that your rat prefers over time—or it may seem completely random.

    Mouse-in-the-grain_BERNATSKAIA-OKSANA_shutterstock
    Credit: BERNATSKAIA OKSANA, Shutterstock

    Rat Nutrition

    Now that we know a few things to look for when choosing rat food, let’s look at the nitty-gritty of rat nutrition.

    Many things affect a rat’s dietary needs. Their specific species, sex, age, exercise, temperature, type of enclosure, water type, and a whole host of other things all affect the foods that your rat needs to eat. Of course, rats that are pregnant or being used for breeding often have higher needs. Usually, these rats need a specific diet.

    Pregnant rats need about 10% to 30% more energy during the beginning of their pregnancy. As they reach the end of their pregnancy, this may go up to over 140%. Their eating should not be restricted. Pregnant rats may seem like they eat constantly, but their energy needs are extremely high during this period.

    Rats have small stomachs, so it is essential to provide them with food constantly. If you’re using quality food, you should be able to leave food out for your rat at least two times a day without a problem. Some foods are specifically made to be available at all times. A rat’s stomach can empty in only 6 hours without food, and they can develop health problems if they go even a day without eating.

    Rats should consume mostly a lab-formulated diet. This is one of the only ways to ensure that they are getting exactly what they need from their food. Nutritional treats like fresh fruits and veggies can be included occasionally for variety.

    Rats should not eat a diet that is high in sugars—no-sugar-added food is best. Complex carbohydrates should take up the bulk of their diet. These carbs are often high in protein and decently low in fat, which is exactly the diet that most rats need.

    The Fat Problem

    Rats tend to love fatty foods. These include things like sunflower seeds and peanuts, which are often included in seed mixes. Many rats may pick these out of the other foods when they are made available, which can cause nutritional deficiencies.

    Rats instinctually love fat because it helps them get through tough times with little food. In the wild, rats would rarely find these fat-rich foods. When they did, they would not be available for long. Rats evolved to stock up on this valuable fat when they can.

    However, as pets, rats are often fed the same diet for an extended period. If that diet includes high amounts of fat, the rat may gain extra body weight and become obese. It can become a serious problem when the rat chooses the fat over other food items, missing out on key vitamins and minerals required for them to thrive.

    For this reason, we recommend low-fat foods for most rats. Those that are growing and pregnant may need higher-fat foods, though protein is really the main nutrient that these rats need.

    divider-rodentFinal Thoughts

    For most rats, Oxbow Essentials Regal Rat Adult Rat Food is the best option. It is low in fat while remaining high in protein. It includes quality ingredients that other foods often don’t include, like fish meal. Plus, it’s fortified with plenty of vitamins and minerals, making it a complete diet for your rat.

    If you’re looking to save a bit of money, you may wish to purchase Kaytee Supreme Fortified Daily Diet Rat Food. It’s fortified with nutrients and contains everything that your rat needs to thrive.

    Hopefully, these reviews have helped you cut through the confusion and misconceptions that often penetrate rat nutrition. There is no one-size-fits-all option, but we hope that the reviews made it a bit clearer for you.

    SEE ALSO: 10 Best Hamster Foods – Reviews & Top Picks


    Featured image credit: VeronArt16, Shutterstock

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