Rats For Dummies.

Where Did Rats Come From?

Rats are native to Asia, and scientists believe that they were brought to Europe by boarding trade ships from their native land.

"They were first domesticated in England, in the mid 1800's, the Queen Victoria's royal rat catcher, Jack Black, was in the business of controlling the vermin infestation at the time. He was paid for killing rats but somewhere along the line he learned that catching rats alive was more lucrative.

We are told through historical accounts that he started to breed the "pretty" rats together to sell as pets to the well to do women of the day. Although we'll probably never know the exact qualifications of "pretty" we can assume with great confidence that these rats at the very least included albinos. There are reports that the first albinos date back to two captured in a cemetary by Mr. jack Black himself. In any event this first step into selective breeding was the cornerstone of rat domestication and variety. "
(from hubpages.com)


How Smart Are Rats?

There is no doubt that rats are one of the few species that are practically just as smart as us. Why do you think that scientists favor them so greatly over other animals for expertiments? It is because gernerally, rats are able to aquire great amounts of knowedge in very short periods of time.

"According to a study published last week by the American Psychological Association, author Juan Toro and his team from Grup de Recerca en Neurociencia Cogniyica (GRNC) in Barcelona, Spain, found rats can distinguish between two rhythmically different languages. This ability, previously only found in humans and Tamarin monkeys, is generally thought to be an important step in the development of language in human infants. It may prove to be a key discovery in the search for the evolutionary origins of human language."
(from JYI.org)

Rats are the Einsteins of the rodent world. They are just as smart, if not smarter, than most dogs. They learn faster than the average three year old, though, that is not to say that they smarter.
They can be taught many amusing tricks, and they can even master mazes and agility courses at astonishing speeds. Some of these tricks are Fetch and Rat Basket-Ball. Agilty courses can be set up from small toys, household objects, or wood/cardboard built jumps, ladders, etc. They are easy to modify and work with, and the difficulty of the course can be changed to suit the rats current intelligence level.


How Long Do Rats Live?

In the wild, rats usually live about a year. However, in domestication they are not so prone to illness, food deprivation, and other factors that shorten lifespan.
The typical domestic rat usually lives anwhere from one and a half to three years. Though there have been rats that lived six years, maybe even longer. It depends on the situation, there are many elements that can shorten their lives, whether they be genetic or a result of care quality.


What Do Rats Eat?

Rats are omnivores, just like us. For top health, they need to recieve a balanced need all of the food groups each and everyday.
Many pet stores will feed their rats a seed mix, this is a very poor diet. They may tell you that this is all a rat needs to be healthy - but there is one reason for this: it's cheap. If pet stores and thier breeders were to feed their pets a proper diet, they would not make any profits. It costs them less to feed their stock - and they can sell it to owners for more than it is really worth.

Some try to feed their rats rabbit pellets, which is a very poor choice as rats cannot digest alfalfa.

The best thing to feed your rats is a quality lab block formulated to suit the nutritional needs of rats. Brands include Harlan Teklad, Oxbow Regal Rat, Extrusion, Mazuri and Kaytee - all of different quality and cost.
Though, some people prefer an all fresh diet, which can be done in a balanced and healthy mannor, proves to be much more work for most owners and it often costs more, depending on your location and shopping skills.

I have been told by many rat owners, breeders, and pet shop workers that rats "can and will be fine on a diet of plain old dog or cat kibble."
The information is usually spread by the grossly misinformed, and many people will tell you it is fine. It is not.
The nutritional requirements of cats and dogs are completely dissimilar to one another, not to mention rats.
A high quality, low fat/protein dog kibble, such as Solid Gold "Holistic Blendz", can serve as one of the many ingrediets in a balaced dry mix for rats, but it is certainly not something to be used as a staple diet.

A dry mix for your rats should not just be seeds and dog food, though. Certainly, it is not that simple. One of the best dry diets formulated for rats is known as Suebees Diet.



Though, even the maker of this diet strongly encourages lab blocks as a staple diet, if available. Subees diet consists of Holistic Blendz supplimented with a quality dry mix. To view the ingredients for this dry mix, click on the photo above.

Forbidden Foods

Some people may say that rats can eat ANYTHING. This is not true at all - in the wild they do what they need to survive - but they have forbidden foods, just like other animals. I mean, you CAN eat sand and cotton for lunch: But why would you want to?

The following is a list of what not to feed your rats. Though, this list is not 100% complete, you may also want to read this, just to be safe.

Cheese
Candy
Raw dries beans
Peanut butter (Can induce choking)
Raw potato/potato skin
Cabbage and brusel-sprouts
Artichokes
Green Bananas
Rhubarb
Oranges
Onion
Raw meat or tofu
Carbonated drinks
Avocado
Dried corn


What Kinds of Cages Are Best For Rats?

I will say now that unless you are setting up a rat nursery, a cage is your best bet for many reasons.

First word; Ventilation.
Rats, like all small mammals, have very delicate respiratory systems. Tanks and bins, even with open mesh lids/windows, can have very poor ventilation. If a tank or bin is the only thing on hand, it will do, but it is best to get your hands on a cage or the supplies to build one. Also, try to give the tank/bin the best ventilation possible.
Second word; Isolation.
The sounds and smells of their environment are kept out by solid walls.
This is a poor way for rats to adjust to their new home, or be happy in their current one.
Third word; Cleaning.
Tanks are much heavier, and if you drop them they break. This does not go for bins, but both will often get a bad oily build up from the rats waste, This is due to bad ventilation. So not only do you have to scrub, you have to scrub the whole thing!

As for size, rats are very playful and will need room to grow. The cage below is suitable for two rats.



You can buy a cage, second hand or first, or make it yourself. Many commercial cages are expensive and/or built inconveniantly.

Some have shelves or floors made of wire mesh or bars that can be quite the problem for little rat feet. An easy solution is to cover these with plastic dinner place-mats cut to side and clipped in place. You could also use linolium, or a thick/strong material such as felt, jean, or fleece.

When buying or building a cage always remember these factors:

Size.
Is this cage big enough for the number of rats you plan to house inside?
A good way to find out is to use the online Cage Calculator.
I always say bigger is better, though if your rats get out to play more than once a day, a cage that is a tad small won't hurt.

Bar Spacing.
This is normally more of an issue for young rats - but it depends on the situation.
Always remember the squeeze factor - if a rat can fit thier head through; they can fit through. I have known and heard of many times people buy a cage and come back to find their rats have vanished.

Cleaning.
Many cages have a great look/shape/size that make them seem like the ultimate purchase for your rats. However, often after a few cleanings you will find different advantages and inconveniances to whichever cage you may have.

Overall Conveniance.
When buying/building a cage, along with above considerations, you will need to think about other elements in accordance to your situation.
Where are you going to be putting the cage?
Different shapes, looks, and mobility of the cage should come into play when thinking about this. Carrying a large cage from one floor of the house to another for a tub scub can often be rather comlicated and it gets very frustrating to do time and time again.
Safety. Who will have acess to this cage?
If you have young children or dogs and cats around, having the cage on the floor will often pose many obstacles. An easy to open cage should probably be locked or kept in a secure room if there are children or many visitors in your home.

Another thing I am going to throw out there is wood.
There are so many disadvantages.
If you decide to buy or build a cage that has wooden pieces or a wooden frame, be sure to consider the following:

If your rats have an outbreak, anything from mites to illness, you need to fully sanitize your cage. To sanitize wood it can't just be wiped down, it must be soaked. A cage with a wood frame that is one piece can be a doozy to soak.
Waste. Rats pee can and will soak into wood that isn't properly finished. A good way to avoid this when using wood is to use linolium and silione to cover the floor and (some of the) walls. If not, you can end up with a very stinky, dirty cage.
And last, chewing. It's what rats do best.

What Beddings are Safe/Unsafe for Rats?

Beddings such as pine and cedar have harmful oils which can cause a load of nast problems from respo issues to tumors and cancer. For more info on the toxicity of these beddings click here.

The following is a list of bedding that is safe.

Carefresh


Aspen


Yesterdays News


Fleece, felt, or towels.
(My personal preference.)


Bob Martin Paper Based Cat Litter

Last and Least;
Newspaper and Paper towel.
It was proven by scientists that rats chose newspaper over a variety of other beddings. Some say they will eat it but this is not true. However, newsprint as bedding is not recomended, as it is not very absorbant. Also, the ink can discolor the paws and fur of lightly colored rats, so no-print is suggested.
Paper towel is safe.


What Health Problems Are Rats Prone To?

Though many breeders are working their best to improve the health of rats, they are, just like all animals, prone to certain medical conditions.

The first being respritory issues. Like most small beings, rats have very delicate respo systems and they can be affected by anything from stale air to chemicals in soap. The folowing is an article from [url]Fat Rat Central[/url] on rat health.

" Respo infections and Myco
Mycoplasma. This disease is so common, it’s hard to find rats that are free from it. The most common symptoms are sneezing and wheezing, but if the infection is far enough along, it can also cause gasping for breath. Mycoplasma, or, mycoplasmosis, is a respiratory infection that is extremely contagious (from rat to rat, not from rat to human), and it is incurable. It can be spread by direct contact, through the air, and from your touching an infected rat and then touching a healthy rat. The symptoms can be increased by cigarette smoke, ammonia from dirty cages, and vitamin A or E deficiency. Mycoplasma causes a blister effect on the surface of the lungs. It can also cause lung abscesses, emphysema, and infection of the uterus. Rats that have the disease usually act quite normal, besides the sneezing, and will eat well and be otherwise healthy, until the disease is quite advanced. When my rats show signs of the disease, I put them on tetracycline, which is an antibiotic you can get from your vet. The rats usually stop sneezing. Many other people, however, don’t use tetracycline. They use Erythromycin, doxycycline, baytril, and tylosin. I want to try tylosin, because I heard that a rat breeder says that in rats under 10 months old, the disease can be eliminated by repeated treatment. This hasn’t been proven, but if it works for her, it’s worth a try. You can get tylosin by mail order through the Omaha Vaccine Company under the brand name Tylan. The number is 1-800-367-4444. Powder in a 100 gram bottle costs about $25. For more in-depth information on treating and scientific facts, please see the links page under “Health Problems.”

Tumors and Abscesses
Every female rat I have ever had has, at some point, grown a tumor. Usually spaying females decreases the chance in getting them. Male rats are less prone to get them. Tumors can be either benign or malignant. Benign tumors are non-cancerous and can be removed in surgery. The most common tumors found in rats are benign mammary tumors (like my girls) and benignpituitary tumors (in the brain). Keep in mind, though, not all lumps are tumors. Some are abscesses. Abscesses, which are under the skin, are infections that are commonly caused by injuries due to another rat. An abscess usually requires treatment with antibiotics, and you should go to the vet. Also go to the vet if there are abscesses or pus around the jaw.

Runny Eyes or Bloody Nose
Many people (including myself at one time) become alarmed when they notice that their rat has a bloody nose. Sometimes, if a rat also sneezes, this “blood” will become spread around the cage, often concentrated in the area where he or she sleeps. Never fear, however, because, as I’m sure many will be relieved to hear, this is not blood. In fact, it is porphyrin, from tears! Because the nose and the eyes are connected, watery eyes will often cause the nose to secrete this purplish substance, as well as the eyes. Check the cage and make sure there isn’t anything (such as dust) that could be irritating the eyes, especially if only one eye appears to be affected. Other causes could be plugged tear ducts, stress, and infections. If it seems to be chronic and is making your rat uncomfortable, you might want to see a vet. Most rats with this problem, however, don’t really seem affected by it.

Tilting Head
Although I have never had a rat with this problem, I seem to get a lot of questions about it. Typically, a rat with a head tilt will have his or her head cocked to one side and may also exhibit a circling or rolling behavior. Generally, this is a characteristic of an inner ear infection, which affects balance. Ear infections are a common part of mycoplasma (see above). Other causes for a head tilt are pituitary tumors and stroke. "


Mega Colon

Megacolon is a condition where the rats bowel organs lack nerve endings resulting in a failure to pass stool properly.

Acquired megacolon can be seen in mechanical obstructions, spinal cord injuries, tumors, inflammatory diseases, and in responses like abscesses.

Genetic aganglionic megacolon in rats is a congenital condition similar to Hirschsprung’s disease (in humans), lethal white foal syndrome (in horses), piebald related megacolon (in mice), and some types of Waardenburg syndrome (in humans).

Clinical Signs of MC include:

•Abdominal distention
•Failure to thrive
•Delayed to no passage of stool
•Bloating
•Constipation
•Diarrhea (usually with a foul odor)
•Diarrhea interspersed with bouts of constipation
•Impacted fecal matter visible in the rectum
•Unusually shaped stools (large, blunt, broken, cylindrical)

For more info on MegaColon please click here.


Can Rats Live Alone?

In the wild, rats live in colonies of up to 1,000, so keeping them alone really isn't right. No matter how much time you plan to/do spend with your rat, you cannot make up for a same-species bond. Rats laugh, argue and converse with eachother in frequencies that we can't even hear. How would you feel if you were taken away from your family and never got to see another human again?

This being said - there are times when a rat can be kept alone.
Under the following circumstances it is alright to keep a rat alone.

Quarentine and other Medical Reasons
A new rat should always be kept in a seperate part of the house from your current rats, with no chances of cross contaminations.
This is to prevent spreading of any illness that may not be visible yet.

Other medical reasons may include permanent or ongoing health complications such as late onset mega colon.

Nuerological Complications
Many rats (particularily rescues, feeders and pet store stock) have gone through things that thier owners do not know about, sometimes things you couldn't even imagine.
Sometimes certain traumatising or stressful events take place in a rats life and effect them for as long as they live.
As an example - I had a rat named Jasper who has extreme nuerological imabalances, the cause of which I will never know. Jasper was friendly to you one minute, kissing and snuggling; and the next thing you know he would chomp down on your hand.
Though, we made a bit of progress in introducing him to one of our other males, it was very clear that he was extremely uncomforatble around other rats.
We eventually got them moved in together - but then Jasper was having stress compications such as sneezing, low appetite and almost seizure-like spells.

Nearing the Rainbow Bridge
If an older rat has had thier cagemate pass away - there is really no sense in trying to introduce him/her to a new one.
Think of it this way, if you were in your 90s and your one and only friend passed away: Would you just want a new one?
I find this to be one of the many reasons that having a bigger colony is often better.


How Do You Form a Bond With You Rat?

Many people who meet my rats and asked why the rats they have or used to have weren't as friendly as mine. I often see questions posted on various forums and Q&A websites asking "Why don't my rats trust me" or "Why don't my rats like being held?" Though most of these people obtained thier rats from pet stores or rescues, so the answer is clear.

Many people don't realise that rats need to be handled at a very young age to form a trust for humans.
Some people also don't understand that it takes more than holding your rats once or twice a day to form a bond.

Basic Socialization
When introduced to a new home, a pair of rats not only has to go through the stress of travel to get there, but there are many other things to make them feel uncomfortable. A new cage, new people, new smells, new everything. Not to mention the fact that even with a same sex companion, the rats will probably miss their brothers/sisters, their old home and people.

Some rats will get used to a new home much faster than others. Some rats will be settled in a week, some take a bit longer. It is best to just give a pair of rats some food, water and love, then give it a day or two for them to settle in before any excessive attention.

Once, your rats seem to be settled (they don’t scatter or hide when you open the cage) then you can begin trust training. This is one of many reasons why tanks and bins are not recommended for new rats, in the wild, predators of rats come mostly from above, the trust training process often works better if the cage opens from the side and at chest-level.

If this is not possible at the time, then try your best to make it quite when you open the cage.

Hand feeding is a great way to build a rats trust. Treats like yogurt on a spoon are good for this as the rats cannot run off with the treat, and you don’t risk getting bit by accident.
The rats will soon associate you with good things and they will begin to trust and like you more.

If you are having trouble getting a pair of rats to some around, try giving less food in the dish and more by hand. This process may take a little bit more time, but it is very rewarding, and most children are usually rather amused by and quite content on feeding bit by bit.

Voice and movement – when around your knew rats, whether or not you are talking to them, you need to use a calm, soft voice. Soft clicks and kissing noises seem to be interesting to them.

Once your rats are used to you (they come to the edge of the cage when you come near or try to get their attention) and you are comfortable picking them up, you can put them in a shoebox and take them to a rat-safe room if they aren’t in one already. Place the shoebox on the floor and open it, let them come out and explore on their own. Offer treats and lead them up onto your lap. I find this to be the best way for a rat to get exercise and also to get to know your rats.

After doing this for some time and forming a solid bond, you may find your rat curled up on your lap as you watch a movie or TV, but you’ll be expected to share some pop corn!

Agression

Socializing agressive rats can be rather difficult but it is also very rewarding.
It takes alot of dedication and effort - along with tons of TLC (Time,Love&Care) to get on the right path. However, once the first bit of progress has been made, it only gets easier.

Below are some links to articles on socializing agressive rats.

Agression in Rats
Rat Agression
Rat and Mouse Club of America

Rat Behaviour
Evas Rat Pages

How to Eliminate Rat Aggression
Ehow.com


What is a Safe Way to Give Rats Playtime Outside The Cage?
(Originally posted by KenRakuu on ratforum.com)
It's a pretty well know fact that pet rats need at the very least one hour of free range, or at the least, out of cage time, a day. A lot of people with rats have issues with Rat proofing a room or, simply don't have one. There are easy solutions to rat proof and to also make safe smaller area's where you can spend some quality free range time with your ratties.

Rat proofing, although simple, can be time consuming, unless done in bits at a time.

Rat proof Room

1. It's a good idea to clean said room out all the way, empty the whole thing as much as you can. Then clean everything down. Nothing like a Rat with a dust bunny jammed in it's nasal cavity.

2. Put items back in room, away from the floor, now that the shelves cabinets and dressers have been cleaned down and nothing is on them, do some organizing. Chewable's go up high, Wires get tucked behind furniture. ext.

3. Old sheets are your friends. Any hole or nook you don't want your fur butts in. Cover with a sheet or end tail of card board.

4. Covering the floor with an old blanket or sheet can help reduce the mess made by curious ratties, i.e. tipped drinks, food crumbs, or stray poo's left by non-litter trained ratties. (It's hard to get them to poo in a box. I know.)

5. Make sure area's like under the bed and cabinets with chemicals are blocked. A cheap way to do this is asking for free cardboard boxes from the local grocery store and unfolding them into long sheets or card board. They will get chewed, but hey, it was free.

6. Exposed wires can be covered with a piece of duct tape. Not only will it delay them from getting through said wire, but it also leaves a bit of sticky residue on their teeth, which they don't enjoy at all; Rats are fast learners, They'll pick up that chewing that wire makes their mouth get icky.

7. Add rats, this is a test run, so see what they get into. Anything unblocked will be a hot spot so keep a very close eye. Cover these spots the same way as number 5.



Free range in un-proofed area's

This is a lot more simple, but can also be a little less fulfilling, becuase of the lack of space.

1. Clear a relatively large area.

2. Put down a sheet

3. Using boxes from the grocery store, or those children's three fold poster boards make a circle and snap together with Bulldog clips.

4. Add rats and yourself.

For anything with cardboard, you'll want to check it before use to make sure no one has made an escape route.

Happy ranging."

Where Should I Purchase My Rats?

Thre is no doubt that the best place to purchase your rat is from a rescue. There are SO MANY rats that need homes - and always remember that teh word "rescue" does not mean that there is something wrong with the rats - it means someone made an irresponsible decission somewhere down the line and now that rat is paying for it.
If you don't want to go to a rescue because you wish to get a young or baby rat, don't forget that thousands of pregnant mommies are dropped off at rescues every year. Many of these rats receive special atention and are very socialized.
Below are links to some lists of rescues.

Google Directory
Rat Rescues


Rat Planet
Rat Rescue USA


PetRatsCanada.com
Rescues

Pet Info Packets
Rescues

The second best place to obtain a rat from would be a reputable breeder. Many of these breeders do not advertise much, and an easy way to find them is by looking in online breeder directories such as The Ratster or The RMCA Breeders Page.
Below is a link to an article on how to tell a good breeder from a bad one.
Paper Heart Rats
Repultable Breeders

Pet Store Rats
You go into a pet store and walk passed the rats, and you decide those are the two you want. They look happy and healthy - the perfect pets. However, there is a good chance that these rats are not very well socialized and are likely more prone to illness, if not already being affected by one. And often, whether they are for sale as pets or food (or both) they probably came from the same place.
Not all pet stores are like this, keep in mind, this is a generalization.
Most pet stores obtain their stock from rat mills or mass back yard breeders who are in it for money rather than to enhance their quality as pets.
Often these rats are kept in bad conditions.
Pine/Cedar beddings, poor diets, low cleanliness, improper handling, etc.

This may make you even more apt to save these rats; trust me I have been there. Like many I did not realise that by purchasing even just one or two rats from a pet shop gives them the money and motive to breed more in such conditions. It is almost like for every one rat you buy, another three are put out.
Sure, every rats deserve a chance, I completely agree with this. But what about the mother who is being bred for the third time in her short life because someone gave the shop/breeder the idea that what they are doing is okay.


DIY CAGES AND TOYS
Commercial toys and cages are expensive and often they do not suit your needs.
Here are some links to Do It Yourself ideas for cages and toys.

DIY Wire Cage

Cement Tray Cage

Tall Cage

Baby Pool Rat Cage

The Dapper Rat website provide many home-made toy ideas here.


Thank you for reading.

first off LOVE the articule, just a few things with the one section..
Peanut butter - yes un healthy makes ratties fat, but in small amounts won't do much harm.. I give my guys peanut butter for pictures, training and as treats..I mean small amount like nothing more then drop of water..
Raw Meat- I give once in a blue moon, usually if the rat looks like it needs more protein, again small amount usually a chicken bone with the marrow still inside.. great source of protein for females who have problems keeping weight on when they have kits to feed. ( Only when they need the protein!! )

and that's it..
again great article..

these are souly my opinion other people may or may not agree.. but thats why we all learn from each other..

The reason peanut butter is more of a 'forbidden food' is because it is very easy for rats to choke on it, because of it's texture. Therefore it's reccommended that if you do want to give them some to water it down a bit.

I wouldn't give my rats raw meat (I don't feed them anything that could pose a health risk to humans) but I have given them the odd bone from cooked chicken wings or drumsticks and they love them

Is it okay for rats to eat bone marrow?

Also, since this sticky is the very basics of rat ownership, it should probably be mentioned that rats are happiest in at least pairs.

Yeah, I know it is missing alot.
I had to shorten it cause you can't post too many words so I am working on squishing in things like trust training, free ranging, health isssues and I will also be sure to make it clear that they should not live alone.

It's missing ALOT, I know, it's just hard to squish it all into one post.
Haha

the history was very interesting and i like the way you touched on just about each topic in rat care. however i do not think the diet section is really not all that simple. there is huge debate over lab blocks vs fresh vs dog kibble vs homemade vs combination of all of them put together. there are differing opinions on what is the absolute best and what is adequate. the only thing that it seems all people can agree on is that commercial rat food seed diets are worthless as a nutritional whole balance in a regular healthy rat. but even then there are times when it can be helpful when used in conjunction with other foods. these times are very circumstance specific, but they can help with weight gain and restoring fats on malnourished or starved rats. it is important to brush on diet when making a basic of basics on rats but the firm claims on each particular type of diet is a bit reaching when there is so much debate about it.

i think the only other thing it is lacking as a basic of basics is that it should be noted that rats are not the healthiest of animals (which you did mention) but that also means that it is vital to have a rat friendly vet chosen before you need to use them as the time it takes to find one can be vital to the health of your rat. they are not as easy to find as to just go to your nearest clinic and can take days if not weeks to find one that is willing to treat your pet and has the knowledge or will to learn to back them up.

other then those 2 points, i found this article to be well written and a good base board into learning more about the care of our little shoulder pups. thank you for taking the time to write it.

Also from the sources that I have read cheese has been on the "Okay to feed in moderation" lists.

I've fed it to my girls before and they were/are perfectly fine.

It won't kill them butit is certainly not the best.

Yeah - it is shotty and missing alot.

yeah I give peanut butter, like if you smear your finger in the rim of the jar and you have like a smudge that way, and then i smudge where ever I want my rat to sit for pictures..that way they have to actually like it up.. I should have mentioned I don't give them a huge goob that they have to hold and eat that way as that is unsafe..sorry about that..

Raw meat is what we do here every now and then, but it's only like small stuff like ground beef and etc.. nothing that I wouldn't eat.. also I give them eggs, I consider that raw meat too.. in a funky weird way.. LOL

but I think as someone mentioned the food section can be in a debate. the foods that are taboo in my home.. are
grapes, corn, lettuce, chicken skin (cooked), kitten chow, and etc foods..

like I never give my rats anything that would be considered soup and etc.. or anything wet.. like wet carrots or any other veggie..

my theory is if they can find it in the wild, they should get it in captivity.. I know weird.. i'm a bit different in that sense..

I totally agree, well, to an extent.
I mean, they also find rotten Big Macs and dead birds in the wild, but I wouldn't feed them those!
Haha
Seriously, though, I know what you mean.
I give mine "soup-like" things, such as soy yogurt or apple sauce, but not often.

LOL nothing like died birds or anything.. yuck.. but like crickets and earthworms, I buy them at walmart and they enjoy them in the summer.. nothing is more tasty for a rat then a frozen cricket or earth warm..

I don't give them burgers. as I hardly eat them, i'm a total soy lover so I try to stay away from too much red meat.. but I do love my steak and pork chops.. yum...LOL

Haha
I am vegetarian, so my ratties usually only get chicken for meat cause my brother loves it.
lol
But yeah they love crickets!

I tried the Vegetarian thing.. but I'm soo addicted to meat its not funny.. I've gone far enough to where I didn't eat red meat at all..so like pork, beef, lamb..and etc.. but still ate my fish and bird meats.. it was sooo HARD!!! of course it didn't help that when I made Salmon my hubby would bring in a nice cooked stack.. it was just mean..

but I drink my Soy and try to do the fish and poultry , and still trying to cut away red meat.. so i'm slowly getting better..

have you tried earth worm crunches? it's their favorite so far. basically you take an earth worm and you dry it out.. like beef jerky or turkey jerky.. makes a good treat.. takes a few days to dry out the earth worms though..

or like pea diving, earthworm diving. its fun to watch.. takes a while for them to figure it out since the worms move.. but they seem to have a blast.. I had a rat that would actually dive to get them.. I use the deeper rubbermaid tubs.. so the water is as deep as from my finger tips to my wrists..(under supervision only) but they love it.. once they get used to getting wet and swimming..

Yeah mine fish for peas all the time.

I cant feed them earthworms cause when I was a kid my aunt had me convinced that worms were the gods of the earth - I know she was just having fun - but it gets me still.
haha
I kinda like bugs - I was thinking of getting a tank and filling it with stickbugs and crickets.
I used to farm crickets when I had anole lizards - but I had to get rid of them cause I started feeling bad for the crickets.