Although the rat mix will provide the rat with a good basic diet, rats also enjoy fruit and vegetables. However, it is important that fruit and vegetables should be introduced to a rat's diet gradually as a sudden large amount of fruit or vegetables can cause diarrhoea.

To begin with the rat should only be given a small piece of fruit or vegetable once or twice a week and graducally this can be increased to larger amounts every day. If at any time the rat shows signs of diarrhoea all feeding of fruit and vegetables should stop until the rat has recovered and then gradually re-introduced into the diet.

Certain vegetables, herbs and fruit can be fed to rat. The rat should only be fed an amount it will eat as if the rat is fed too much and leaves vegetables and fruit in the cage it can become mouldy.

Some fruit, vegetables and herbs that are safe to feed a rat are:

• Apple (seedless)
• Banana
• Broccoli
• Brussel Sprouts - small amounts occasionally
• Carrots
• Cauliflower leaves and stalks
• Cucumber
• Grapes
• Kiwi
• Lettuce - small amounts occasionally
• Mango
• Parsley - a good tonic
• Peas
• Romaine Lettuce
• Tomato

Fruit, vegetables and herbs that should not be fed include:

• Kidney Beans (raw)
• Onion
• Potato (raw)
• Potato tops
• Rhubarb (raw)
• Rhubarb leaves
• Tomato leaves