Do Rats Eat Pumpkins?

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Pumpkin is one of the most delicious and versatile fruits, as you can use it for drinks, soups, cakes, and many more food items. If you have a pet rat, you might be having concerns when considering whether or not to share your extra pumpkin with your rat.

Will your rat eat the pumpkin? Is it safe for the rat to eat? What if it eats the seeds? Will it choke? Let’s find out about these and other questions.

Table of Contents

Do rats eat pumpkins?

Rats, in fact, love pumpkins. They love nibbling on the pumpkin fruit, especially if the flesh is exposed. However, pumpkin is high in calories and fat and should only be given to your pet as treats. In the right amount, pumpkin is good for rats because it has reasonable amounts of beneficial nutrients.

a dark brown rat smelling and about to eat a pumpkin

Out in the garden, they will eat the pumpkin fruits whenever they can. They may not burrow and chew through the rind but will maximize eating through cracked pumpkin rinds with exposed fruit. Rats are also grossly destructive by nature and will nibble through as many pumpkin fruits as they can find.

Is pumpkin safe for rats to eat? Pumpkin is safe for a rat to eat only if fed in the right proportion. Pumpkin seeds are also suitable for rats to snack on. However, they may have high calories and fat content, so ensure to give your rat only a small portion of seeds.

Nutritional Value of Pumpkins

Pumpkin is loaded with many macro and micro-nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. In every 1 cup serving of raw pumpkin, there are:

30 calories
0.6 grams of fiber
7.7 grams of carbs
1.6 grams of sugar
1.2 grams of protein
0.1 grams of fat
106 grams of water
8567 IU of Vitamin A
0.1 mg of vitamin B6
10.4 mg of Vitamin C
1.2 mg of Vitamin E
1.3 mcg of Vitamin K
0.1 mg of Thiamin
0.7 mg of niacin
0.1 mg of Riboflavin
18.6 mcg of Folate
9.5 grams of choline.

sliced pumpkin on a board and half pumpkin in a bowl

Health Benefits of Pumpkin to Rats

Is pumpkin good for rats? What are the health benefits?

Pumpkins have a variety of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that are beneficial to rats and have low cholesterol and saturated fats. Let’s have a look at the benefits of the main nutrients in pumpkins to rats.

Vitamin A – This nutrient is generally essential for your rat’s basic processes like maintaining vision, body immunity, and growth and development.
Vitamin C- Vitamin C is always an immune booster. Furthermore, it helps in the absorption of other minerals like iron. It is also essential for proper tissue growth and maintenance and generally helps increase the rat’s lifespan.
Vitamin E – This nutrient is also a great immune booster for your rat. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that may even slow down aging.
Fiber – Pumpkin is also high in fiber, and with the correct amount, fiber helps maintain a rat’s digestive tract healthy and helps prevent constipation and diarrhea.

Although pumpkins are not high in calories, their intake by a rat should be controlled because they are tiny animals that can easily be overfed.

Pumpkins are also high in sugar, and if their intake is not regulated, they may be responsible for rapid weight gain and other illnesses like diabetes.

So, pumpkins are generally good for rats, provided they are fed in the right amounts. Side effects of overfeeding might include bloating or diarrhea, which results from the fruit’s high water content.

Do Rats Like Pumpkins?

Rats are not always picky eaters, and most love nibbling on pumpkins. However, some rats might not take an interest in pumpkins at all.

Since it is safe for them to eat pumpkins, the best way to find out if your rat loves pumpkins is by offering them a piece of pumpkin and watching the pet rat’s reaction. It is most likely that the rat will like it.

However, if it turns out that your pet rat doesn’t like pumpkins, make sure to remove it from the rat’s cage and discard it; otherwise, it will start rotting.

Do Pumpkins Attract Rats?

If you have a cut pumpkin out on your porch, you should not leave it out there for long. As aforementioned, rats love nibbling on pumpkin fruits, especially those with exposed flesh. Besides rats, other rodents like squirrels and chipmunks often salivate when they see cut pumpkins and will be tempted to step on your porch for a taste sample.

You should discard the pumpkin as soon as it starts decaying since, regardless, rats love pumpkins, and if you keep a decaying pumpkin, they will definitely come looking for it.

Can Rats Eat Pumpkin Seeds?

Rats can eat pumpkin seeds, and they are a great addition to your rat’s diet. However, make sure that they are unsalted or untreated with any sweeteners, as these could be toxic to the rat.

Feed the seeds to the rat in moderation because they are high in fat and can easily cause weight gain. It is recommendable to feed one seed at a time instead of offering a whole bowl-full of seeds.

a rat eating pumpkin seeds near a half sliced pumpkin on wooden floor

Will Rats Eat Pumpkins in the Garden?

Rats will always eat pumpkins in the garden. A rat invasion sign includes small burrows in the ground, either adjacent to or beneath the pumpkin fruit. Rats could also be responsible if the pumpkin fruit is partly eaten from the sides of the base.

Other rodents like squirrels and rabbits are ruled out in this case, for they would eat further up from the base. Rats can also dig up sown pumpkin seeds and end up damaging existing plant roots.

To keep your pumpkin fruits safe from rats and help prevent them from rotting quickly, either in the garden or off the garden, apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly on the rind. Acrylic finish or hairspray also works to prevent pests from biting the pumpkin fruit.

If possible, dig a small hole and bury the pumpkin fruit in the soil till maturity. Otherwise, please keep it in a dry and shaded area since exposure to too much sunlight and wet conditions hastens up the decaying process.

How Often Can Rats Eat Pumpkins?

Pumpkins should be fed to rats in moderation, approximately 2 or 3 times a week. The ideal serving size, however, depends on the size of the rat. However, a 1-inch chunk or one raw or roasted seed is recommended for a feeding session.

Healthy Alternatives to Pumpkins for Rats

Rats eat a wide range of vegetables and fruits. If they are not interested in pumpkin, you should offer other vegetables like broccoli, carrots, spinach, peas, cabbage, or fresh corn. Rats can also consume apples, bananas, pineapples, and grapes.

Conclusion

Pumpkins are delicious, non-toxic, and safe for rats. They are most beneficial to the rat if fed in moderation. Pumpkin seeds are also great snacks for rats, although they have high-fat content and should be given in moderation. However, no matter how much they like it, pumpkins should only be given to the rats sparingly to avoid adverse health effects.