Can Rats Eat Crickets?

Crickets are usually found under the leaf piles, under desks and some other place  within the surrounding home. 

If you have live cricket in abundance within the home, you might be wondering if you can serve crickets for their pet rat as a treat.

In this blog post, you are going to discover if it is safe to serve crickets for the pet rat as a treat. 

You will also learn if it is good to serve live cricket and dried cricket for the pet rats.

Rats can eat crickets. Rats are capable of eating live cricket. Cricket is a good source of protein for the pet rats. You can prepare the crickets for the pet rats by cooking the bugs before you serve them.

Are crickets safe for pet rats?

it can be very disgusting if you are reading that rats are capable of eating cricket especially if you are a new rat owner. 

You may want to know if it is safe to serve cricket for the rats before you go ahead and do so.

Crickets are safe for the pet rat. It is preferable to prepare the cricket after you have collected some before you serve them for the pet rats. 

It should be known that rats are omnivorous and nature. This means they are capable of eating bugs if you serve them for the pet rat.

I need to be honest here, I have never fed cricket to pet rats in the past. But I did some research before I could write anything here.

I discovered that other pet rat owners are also feeding crickets to their pets. 

A member of the ball python forum said he usually serves crickets and mealworms for his pet rat whenever he has some leftovers. 

He stated that the rats usually go crazy anytime he serves them with the cricket. 

A member of the rat forum said he usually feeds a female rat with cricket. She said they usually fight over each other to have more crickets to themselves. 

Another member of the forum said his rattles are in love with cricket. They always show great enthusiasm anytime he serves the crickets.

With these, I think it is safe to serve crickets for the pet rats but it has to be in moderation and once in a while.

Can I feed my rats live crickets?

Rats are capable of eating live crickets. But it depends on the type of rat you have as a pet.

Some pet rats are not going to hesitate whenever they come across live crickets and they are going to snap them in no time.

While some other pet rats are going to be dreadful to go near live cricket. 

In order to know which one is for your rat, you can bring some crickets closer to them and watch out for their reaction.

Can rats eat dried crickets?

Rats can eat dried crickets. The best way to make use of dried cricket is to grind them into powdered form a mix with the feeds you served ratties. 

If pesticides are used on the crickets to make them dry, it is advisable not to serve them for the pet rat as a treat.

How can I introduce crickets to the pet rats?

There are no special techniques you can follow if you want your rats to eat cricket.

You can move the rat cages closer to the place where crickets are found and watch out for the reaction of your rats. 

If the rats are interested in having a cricket as a treat, they are going to leave out and start consuming each of them until they are satisfied.

Can I serve crickets for the rat everyday?

You should never allow your rats to eat cricket on a daily basis. Though cricket is a good source of protein for the pet rat, it should be served once in a while.

However if you have them in abundance at your disposal, you can allow the rats to have cricket as a treat once in a week.

Are crickets good for male rats?

Crickets are not attacking insects, so it is safe to allow your rats to consume the bugs. 

If you think something might happen to them, you can handle them to have little access to the cricket and control the amount they are going to eat.

Can baby rats eat crickets?

Crickets are also good for baby rats but it is not advisable to allow them to start eating bugs right from the early stage.

You need to focus on feed and treats that will provide them with all the essential nutrients they need in order to develop properly.

Other treats you can serve the pet rat

Kale

Kale is one of the healthy vegetables you can serve the pet rats as a treat. You can serve fresh kale as well as the cooked one for the pet rat. Kale provides the rat with antioxidants and vitamins. 

Broccoli

Broccoli is another vegetable you can serve as the pet rat as a treat. you need to slice the broccoli into smaller pieces to make it easier for the rats to consume. Broccoli stands as a good source of vitamin C for the pet rat. 

Bananas

Bananas are one of those fruits rats like to eat. You can serve bananas for the pet rats as a treat. Bananas are a good source of fiber for the pet rats. You cut the bananas into small cubes for the rats to enjoy. 

Grains

Rats are capable of eating what we heat as humans. This means, you can serve them different grains as a treat. 

You can serve grains like corn Millet Rice etc for the rats as a treat. You can also serve corn on the cobs for the rat. It is good to cook the rice before you serve it to the rats as a treat. 

Peanuts

Pet rats are going to accept it if you serve them peanuts. Pet rats can eat both fresh and cooked peanuts. 

The rats prefer the cooked peanuts to the fresh one all the time. You can serve peanuts in the shell for the rat and they are going to help themselves out. 

Lean meats

Lean meat is one of those meats you can serve the pet rats as a treat. Lean meat can be a good source of protein and Omega-3 fatty acid for the pet rats. 

You can fry the lean meat to make it more delicious for the pet rats to consume as a treat. 

Conclusion

Rats can eat crickets. The rats are going to derive protein from eating crickets. Rats can also eat live cricket but it depends on affinity for the bugs. 

Dried crickets can also be served as a treat for the rats. You are now your ass to have access to cricket once in a week at most.

Reference

https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/can-rat-eat-cooked-meal-worms-and-crickets.2458/