Are pellets or lab blocks the best food for rats?

Yes. A complete rat pellet or lab block should make up most of what your rats eat every day. The RSPCA and PDSA both recommend a commercial food made specifically for rats as the base of the diet — not rabbit, guinea pig or hamster food, which doesn't give rats the nutrients they need.

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Serving

Daily amount from the pack, weighed

How to prepare

Serve dry, with fresh water always available

Benefits

Complete rat food with balanced nutrients. Unlike seed mixes, rats can't pick out only the tasty bits. It should make up most of the daily diet.

The details

Pellets beat seed mixes because every piece is nutritionally the same, so rats can't pick out only the tasty, fatty bits and leave the rest. Rats gain weight easily, so the PDSA advises weighing out the daily amount from the pack guidelines rather than topping up the bowl, and fresh foods should come out of that allowance, not be added on top. The RSPCA suggests feeding twice a day, morning and evening, when rats are naturally most active, with fresh water always available.

How treats fit into a rat's diet

Most of what a rat eats each day should be a complete rat pellet or nugget, weighed out from the pack guidelines. Fresh fruit, vegetables and treats come out of that daily allowance, not on top of it: the RSPCA warns that extra sugar and fat lead to obesity and health problems, and rats gain weight easily. Remove any fresh food that hasn't been eaten within a few hours.