The Scuttling Gourmet

22/09/2023

Have you ever considered what a rat’s ancestral diet might have been? When writing The New Scuttling Gourmet, I researched this in detail. While some of my conclusions were educated guesses, one thing is certain – their ancestral diet was fresh, foraged food – mainly plants. Rats have eaten a fresh diet for most of their ancestral history before they became commensal and started to live off our stored food and waste. So why has the diet of the modern pet rat drifted so far from their natural foods?

Read more at https://shunamiterats.co.uk/

17/09/2023

It’s the talk of the rat cage… pet rats everywhere are buzzing with excitement. It’s the best of times to be a rat… Have you noticed them going about their rattie business with animated enthusiasm? Is there a new and contagious sense of anticipation in their congregations at the cage door of late? Rats around the world unite in their efforts to get their humans on board.

The NEW Scuttling Gourmet is out…

Don’t disappoint them – grab your copy on Amazon and make a rat’s day!

13/11/2022

Apparently rats might have a sense of rhythm. I did see another version of this article where the study was criticised; the critics said the rats were reacting to loud noise, not to the beats. What do you think? (Donna)

Rats bop to the beat of music just like humans, according to new research from the University of Tokyo. Until now, beat synchronicity, the ability to recogn...

01/08/2022

A new study suggests that polyphenols in blueberries may re**rd aging in the rat liver, and may have other positive benefits.

We are not surprised; the Scuttling Gourmet team advocate - no, make that insist - that a high-fresh diet delivers benefits to rats that is in keeping with their ancestral diet, and which nature intended for them to eat.

Keep in mind that this study was done with rats who likely eat a pelleted diet aside from the study, and therefore greater benefits and biomarkers might be observed than in rats who already eat fresh fruit and veg daily.

If you already feed your rat a high fresh diet, then there's probably not much more benefit to be gained from racing out to find blueberry extract.

We suggest adding fruit like blueberries, blackberries, dark skin plums, dark grapes, even purple carrots -when you can find them- to your rat's diet regularly is probably all you need to do. Do keep serving sizes smaller than veggie portions though, with fruit you can definitely over-do it and lose the benefits by causing unwanted weight gain.

Overweight rats would be better served with berries (lower calories and sugar), normal and underweight rats can eat any fruit: grapes, plums and even a little dark chocolate, which also contains polyphenols.

However, if it turns out that extract of anything - blueberry or otherwise - turns out to be the elixir of youth for ratties, you will read it here first ! (Donna)

  A study published in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity has shown how blueberry extract moderately improves several age-related biomarkers in the livers of aging male […]

08/06/2022

Another feather in the cap of the amazing rat (Donna)

These rats will wear tiny specialized backpacks outfitted with microphones and GPS.

30/05/2022

Head's up, peeps. Whilst it's a rare disease and the risk is low, Monkeypox does affect our fluffy ones, so please know if you catch it you can transfer it to your rodents.

UK experts urge confirmed cases to avoid handling household pets as precautionary measure

17/04/2022

From all of us to you

11/04/2022

Millet is a cereal grain that belongs to the grass family. It's an ancient grain and has been used for centuries,particularly in Asia and Africa.
You've probably seen millet in budgerigar food as it's the main grain these birds eat.

But rats like millet too, and we like it because it's one of the lower phosphorous grains, and therefore is a suitable staple
in any home-made or Shunamite mix and is one of the more kidney-friendly grains.
But you don't have to just feed it in a mix, millet sprays for birds can be hung from the cage for rats to browse and forage.

Millet's nutritional properties include: a good percentage of thiamine and niacin, (Vitamin B1 and B3), a decent percentage of copper (37%), and a huge 82% of manganese.!
Despite being a lower phosphorous grain (which we at Scuttling Gourmet favour) - the proportion of calcium to phosphorous in millet is 1 to 28. In other words, millet is practically worthless as a source of calcium, so other calcium rich foods or supplementation will be needed when feeding this grain. Like all grains it has only trace Vitamin D, so this too will need boosting from other means.

With 80% carbs, 9% fats and 11% protein, it has reasonably rat-friendly macro nutrient proportions.
If you sprout millet (sprouting is an excellent way to serve grains to rats), for a tiny seed, it sure produces surprisingly large green fronds, reminiscent of corn leaves, which my rats love to grab and run off with and nibble on.

You can serve millet:
in grain mixes for scatter feeding
sprouted
cooked or part of a cooked meal
I also include flaked millet - available in Health Food stores - in porridges as a substitute for most of the oats (high phosphorous). (Donna)

09/04/2022

When choosing foods for our mixes, it's worth comparing nutritional value according to what we want to achieve. Here's a great infographic comparing barley to buckwheat (I'm assuming this is hulled and not pearl barley). Note that neither grain has any Vitamin D, and while Buckwheat is higher in copper and calcium than barley - two more essential nutrients that's too easy to become deficient in a rat's diet - barley is lower in phosphorous, making it more friendly for the kidneys.
Which to choose? For older rats, perhaps increase the ration of barley, but both buckwheat and barely, least compared to oats and wheat, are lower in phosphorous and protein.

There is lots of info on making up a mix (this graphic is not included) in Alison's book, 'The Scuttling Gourmet', and also the PDF 'Rat Diet: Making Up a Mix' available below. (Donna)https://ratwise-store.mykajabi.com/

06/04/2022

What we're eating: Blackberries! With the warmer weather coming to the northern hemisphere, berries will be in season!

Like all berries, blackberries are a great food for rats because they tick some important nutritional boxes. Like all berries, they are low in sugar yet contain high levels of Vitamin C, K, and manganese - K and managese are important for the immune system (rats don't really rely on dietary Vitamin C ).
All berries are great because of their dark colour, which means they contain high levels of flavinoids and antioxidants, which can only come from fresh foods.
There are even claims that blackberries can help fight cancer and Alzheimer's and boost brain health.
We like blackberries because they're a food rats would likely access in the wild, as they seem to grow in many environments.

Our domestic farmed blackberries are larger and sweeter than their wild cousins, so a blackberry per rat per day is ample. (pic: Brownie enjoys a summer blackberry) (Donna)

04/04/2022

It's that time again when we celebrate our precious rattos (Donna)

01/04/2022

Recipe Time! This is a simple porridge I make that cooks really quickly. I make a batch and freeze portions. It's great for rats who are having trouble eating, older rats, and for hiding supplements (or even meds in). Any flaked or rolled porridge
grain can be used, the variations are endless! This does make a lot so keep quantities smaller if you don't have freezer space.
Quick 3 Grain Porridge
One portion of rolled oats (eg, half a cup)
Two portions of rolled barley (eg 1 cup)
One-two portions Millet flakes or, enough millet to thicken
Place rolled oats and barley in saucepan, cover with water, bring to boil, simmer about 1 minute. Add in the millet flakes, cook for 30 seconds. Allow to cool.

Porridge may thicken substantial on cooling, it depends on how much water you used. If it's gluggy and pastey, I thin with water; gluggy and claggy foods might cause choking.
Add supplements of your choice and seeds. I used flax and h**p seeds.
Serve with fresh fruit/veggies, (here I've sliced some blueberries) or mash in banana or avocado for weight gain.
This can also be sweetened with a squeeze of animal
malt paste such as Nutripet; just stir it in, if rat is having trouble eating or you just want to get in extra vitamins/minerals.
Note: You could also try cooking it in soy milk to enrich it. If you are adding supplements (I do) like vitamin/mineral or animal malt paste or linseed oil, make sure the mix is cool first . It doesn't have to be cold, but if you add vitamins or oils to the mix while it is cooking or still hot, the heat will destroy vitamins and denature the oils so they lose their effectiveness. (Donna)

29/03/2022

All rats experience pain from time to time. In this PDF Alison looks at pain and how rats experience it. Important reading so we can take better care of our little ones. (Donna) https://ratwise-store.mykajabi.com/offers/o2mP2JmU/checkout

This digital product is purchased for your personal use. It may be downloaded but should not be reproduced or distributed in any form other than for your own personal requirements.

26/03/2022

Rats have a sense of time management! I can say from own experience with clicker training that they indeed do. I would also add - without better knowledge - but I suspect this was also possibly one experiment whereby the rats may have enjoyed it. My experience with training them is that they love to learn tasks and be rewarded, and this seems to be a reward-based task. That said, please know that by posting studies we are not endorsing experiments on rats. We take the position that since this is being done anyway - usually for human benefit- if there is something we can gain from it in terms of better understanding our rats, until it stops, we may as well benefit from the results but keep advocating for non-animal experimentation. https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/living/2022/03/24/need-some-tips-on-time-management-rats-might-know-a-thing-or-two

Scientists tested the time management abilities of rats by developing a behavioral task during which the rodents learned to press a lever for at least 3.2 seconds.

23/03/2022

What we're eating: Flaxseeds or flaxseed oil. Flaxseed and oil is great for rats because it's a vegetarian source of omega 3 fatty acids, and omega 3's can be hard to get, especially if we are feeding a low protein diet for kidney protection. Flax is thought to benefit heart health, and is a source of lignans - compounds linked to lower rates of cancer. Flax also contains minerals such as magnesium - though this refers to the whole seed, not the oil.

Whole flaxseeds can be incorporated into a dry mix or sprinkled on top of a wet meal like porridge; though be aware that some rats can't be bothered eating such small seeds. I had one rat, Ash, who doesn't eat the flaxseeds, and another, Safi, who would, so your rats may vary in their willingness to eat them.

If you too encounter this issue, then it might better to use cold-pressed flax oil, that way the finicky and obviously well-fed rattie who can't be bothered eating the seeds will still get the benefits. - and they seem to like the oil.

You can sprinkle a few drops into a wet meal and mix it in. Go easy, oil is a type of fat and although rats need fat in their diet, they don't need a lot and it's also easy to put on weight. Heating the oil may denature it, so use straight out of the bottle and onto the food. Good flax oil is cold-pressed and to prevent rancidity, some brands require refrigeration, and it doesn't last more than a few months. I personally prefer oil that is refrigerated as it is more likely to be stable, fresh, and not subjected to air. UK brands would include Rayner's and Fushi (requires refrigeration). (Donna)

21/03/2022

In case you wanted to know! (Donna)

19/03/2022

What we're eating: Chestnuts! What I love about chestnuts for rats is that they're one of the few foods that, apart from nutritional benefits, also provide enrichment. Like other nuts, they come in a shell (though not as hard as some other nuts) and the rats have to work to get this off.
When they're in season , I buy more than I need and scatter them in the free range area and hide them in and under things. The rats then go crazy trying to find them and stash them. I note the hiding places. Some rats are excellent stashers and find all the nuts quickly, so I retrieve the nuts and do it all over again for a couple of rounds. It's a great game and because the nuts are quite often weighty and hard to maneuver, they provide weight bearing exercise and challenge.
With old rats or those who have a disability which makes it difficult picking them up, I slit a 'handle' in the skin, or chop the nut in half. The main thing with this game is to remember to retrieve the nuts from all the hiding places, leaving one nut for each rat. The nuts will store in the refrigerator for a week or two.
You can serve them either roasted or raw. I do both. Roasting reduces tannic acid which gives them that bitter taste (the rats don't seem to care) and renders them sweet. Because of the tannic acid, if you have rats with kidney or liver problems, roasting the nuts before serving will make them safer.
Chestnuts are mostly starch and contain little fat or protein compared to other nuts like walnuts, almonds etc. Their value to rats is a relatively high copper content, which is hard to get in non-animal sources. They also contain high manganese and a moderate amount of B vitamins. It's worth mentioning that their greatest nutritional claim to fame is a high Vit C content, though this is more useful to humans than rats. Note: this refers to sweet chestnuts, not conkers or horse chestnuts
(Donna) (pics: Fred and Safi - chestnuts provide a challenge, fun, and nutrition)

16/03/2022

Do you have the Sensing and Perception full series yet? As a rat lover, you need this!
This series cover the essentials of the rat's sense of hearing, vision, smell, taste, whiskers, temperature, time, proprioception, and pain.
And a FREE extra PDF on smell as enrichment for rats.
It would take you days to research all this info for yourself, but Alison has done the hard work for you and compiled it into easy to read, fascinating rattie facts in nine downloadable PDFs. This is value for money and will enrich your understanding of how your rat sees the world. (Donna)
Get yours here: https://ratwise-store.mykajabi.com/offers/ejJ7cKyM/checkout

This digital product is purchased for your personal use. It may be downloaded but should not be reproduced or distributed in any form other than for your own personal requirements.

14/03/2022

Cages. They're never quite complete, and nor should they be!
Just when you thought your setup was done, you see a great idea
from someone else and just have to try it. And that's a good thing! So what's your favourite tip or discovery for dressing, decorating or enriching the cage?
I'm still discovering. Moving my rats from an open-plan set up to using a cage as an adjunct, I've learned quite a lot. And the first thing that comes to mind is, Hanging Stuff! Particularly space-pods.
I got one and it was so popular that it became quickly over-crowded, and so bought 3 more. So what's something that you've found works particularly well?
It doesn't have to be something new or novel, just something you found works for you.
Pictures: Bickie in space-pod while Matisse chooses the hammock. A fully-packed space pod - Donna Ryan

10/03/2022

Controversial? On the hand, perhaps they should just quit experimenting on rats (Donna)

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/scientists-think-de-extinct-christmas-island-rat-rcna19218

A new paper explores how gene-editing technology could be used to bring a species back, but even its authors have concerns about what that could mean.

08/03/2022

Get creative with this foraging toy! At Ratwise (the membership site and pages), Alison regularly gets crafty with DIY toys and activities that are fun and inexpensive to make and that encourage our rat's natural behaviours and problem-solving abilities.
Healthy rats who are predominantly bowl-fed miss out on using their senses and problem-solving skills which they are very good at and seem to enjoy doing. (The exceptions would be when using a bowl is necessary, such as illness; the need to feed a rat separately arises,or a malnourished or elderly rat requires extra attention to meals and eating properly).
Having opportunties to use their native intelligence is stimulating , confidence-boosting and has been shown to grow extra neural pathways in the brain. Studies show that rats who regularly solve problems become good at problem-solving generally. This makes for a smarter rat!
So have a go at this make and do, and if you enjoy this, head over to the main site (link below) and enjoy free membership for a month. There's loads of make and do videos, video talks on topics of interest, as well as recipes, the Facebook Main group, the Weight Loss group and the Golden Oldies group and the Foraging Challenge. Plus a PDF library full of essential extras! There's special offers from participating vendors, and lots more besides.
So, take your relationship with your rat to the next level and give it a try.
In the meantime, try this out and let us know what your rats think! (Donna )
https://ratwise.co.uk/join-us/

06/03/2022

What we're eating: broccoli! Is broccoli close to the healthiest veg for rat and human alike? If not, it's certainly a contender for a place!
Broccoli is fat-free, which is great as rats require a diet low in fat. Moreover, broccoli contains calcium, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin A. Like many veg it also has good amounts of Vit C, but that's of more use to you than your ratties; they can make their own in their liver, so dietary sources are less important.

It also contains zinc, iron and manganese, also important minerals.
Broccoli's big claim to fame is that it contains a wealth of cancer-fighting properties which is definitely of interest to us as caring rat parents, as well as antioxidants which help prevent cell damage.

Broccoli has also been implicated in better blood-sugar control, brain health and eye health, including against cataracts (at least, in humans).
But these are only the benefits that have been studied; plants are powerful and probably contain more benefits than we know. The ancestral rat would have eaten a diet rich in plants, so the Scuttling Gourmet team believe it beneficial to include fresh veg very regularly - even daily - in the domestic rat diet.

Cooked or raw? Some nutrients will be reduced or destroyed when exposed to heat, Vitamin C for example, yet cooking can also make some nutrients more easily absorbed and the food more palatable.

I give my rats a choice of both cooked and raw - sometimes they prefer the raw, though tend to prefer it lightly-steamed.

Include some broccoli in your rat's diet today! (Donna) (Pic: the adorable Safi enjoys her broccoli)What we're eating: broccoli! Is broccoli close to the healthiest veg for rat and human alike? If not, it's certainly a contender for a place!
Broccoli is fat-free, which is great as rats require a diet low in fat. Moreover, broccoli contains calcium, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin A. Like many veg it also has good amounts of Vit C, but that's of more use to you than your ratties; they can make their own in their liver, so dietary sources are less important.

It also contains zinc, iron and manganese, also important minerals.
Broccoli's big claim to fame is that it contains a wealth of cancer-fighting properties which is definitely of interest to us as caring rat parents, as well as antioxidants which help prevent cell damage.

Broccoli has also been implicated in better blood-sugar control, brain health and eye health, including against cataracts (at least, in humans).
But these are only the benefits that have been studied; plants are powerful and probably contain more benefits than we know. The ancestral rat would have eaten a diet rich in plants, so the Scuttling Gourmet team believe it beneficial to include fresh veg very regularly - even daily - in the domestic rat diet.

Cooked or raw? Some nutrients will be reduced or destroyed when exposed to heat, Vitamin C for example, yet cooking can also make some nutrients more easily absorbed and the food more palatable.

I give my rats a choice of both cooked and raw - sometimes they prefer the raw, though tend to prefer it lightly-steamed.

Include some broccoli in your rat's diet today! (Donna) (Pic: the adorable Safi enjoys her broccoli)

01/03/2022

What we're eating: barley! As far as grains go, barley is an excellent choice for rats. Unhulled barely is a good source of essential B vitamins, and and excellent source of manganese and selenium.
Pearled barley (the most commonly available) has many of the nutrients stripped out, so try and source unhulled barley from vendors of seeds for sprouting (this is where I get mine) or sellers of horse feed (though this tends to be sold in rather large bags). Some health food stores may also stock it or get it in for you.

Use barley as a staple in your grain mixes, or in cooked wet meals.

It's low in phosphorous compared to wheat, oats and some other grains, which means it ideal for rats with kidney disease and older rats. I also use rolled barley and use it to make porridge for rats, or just as a snack. (Donna)

27/02/2022

Incredible feats of climbing, what do your rats get up to? Post your pics and vids below, and check out the PDF on Proprioception - movement and balance https://ratwise-store.mykajabi.com/offers/UHw4Xqyf/checkout (Donna)

24/02/2022

Which means your rats definitely know if their treat is 12 second late....(Donna) https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220222125100.htm

Just like humans, rats are able to estimate a temporal error in their actions. This discovery opens up new avenues for identifying the mechanisms and brain structures which underlie the internal representation of time.

20/02/2022

An interesting video of a crow's altruism toward a rat. What do you think? Is it compassion and empathy, or something else at play? (Donna)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYdcQe-F_QA

17/02/2022

"If you smell, I'll give you more!" apparently rats smell hunger on others and will donate more generously. Bats also feed those in need and reciprocate, though whether it's based on the smell of hunger or on other factors, I'm not sure, the point being is that several species seem to assist those in need. (Donna) https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200324202031.htm?fbclid=IwAR1lGNM_Z2L0vJLguGsFsSqB-gQLC4_dGr-WCxP0K_4zc2i71dhvL7SEuPc

How do animals that help their brethren manage to prioritize those most in need? A new study shows that rats can use odor cues alone to determine how urgently to provide food assistance to other rats in need.

14/02/2022

10/02/2022

It's recipe time! This one is from the 2018 Recipe book available in the store.
https://ratwise-store.mykajabi.com/
I often make a dish like this, though I may vary what I add to it! Enjoy! (Donna Ryan)

Savvy Savoury Rice
Sensible amount of cooked brown rice (cooled).
Sprinkle of pine nuts
Sprinkle of sesame seeds
Chopped cranberries
A fair amount of mixed finely chopped veg (eg red pepper, carrot,
green beans, broccoli, mangetout)
A handful of cooked prawns
Mix together, adding supplements, seaweed etc if desired.
Feed as a meal replacement (instead of dry mix)

08/02/2022

What we're eating: cauliflower! Cauliflower, along with other veggies from the brassica family, is known for its many nutritional benefits. Cauliflower has a group of substances known as glucosinolates. which help fight cancer and inflammation.

Cauliflower is also very high in Vitamin C (more important for humans than rats), but also Vitamin K.

Vitamin K is part of the duo along with Vitamin D that helps keep the skeletal structure healthy (calcium also helps, too).

Vitamin K helps with the blood being able to clot properly (say, after an injury), and may help in turning off inflammation in the body.
Caulilflower also contains sulforinane that may help with eye issues such as cataracts and macular degeneration (in humans, at least).

Like most things in life, you can have too much of a good thing. As cauliflower is part of the cruciferous vegetable family, feeding a lot of cauliflower every day may affect thyroid function, so moderation is advised.

My rats get cauliflower several times per week and it's their favourite non-starchy vegetable. As such, it's also good for rats on a weight loss diet. They particularly like it cooked, either steamed or baked with a touch of olive oil (I eat it baked so they often get some, too). The fat in the oil also helps Vitamin K absorption, though for weight watchers, go easy on the oil.

Including fresh veggies in your rats' diet is a major key to maintaining health and if you find ones they like, all the better!

Experiment with raw and cooked, you may find they have a preference, or like both! (Donna). Pics: Safi grabs a piece of baked cauliflower