Science Selective Rat Food is a specially for rats and mice designed product by Supreme Petfoods and part of their Science Selective line up. It claims to be a complete and balanced diet for pet rats which helps to sustain healthy skin and coat. In this Science Selective Rat Food review, I take a closer look at its ingredients, nutritional value and characteristics.
The company Supreme Petfoods was founded in 1983 in the UK. Since then they developed their products with the help of veterinarians and nutrition experts to ensure their quality. Beneath the quality of the ingredients, reducing the environmental impact is a big goal of Supreme Petfoods. With these goals comes the traceability of ingredients as well as the usage of recycled packaging material and palm oil-free products.
Pros:
- Prevents selective feeding
- Assists shiny fur and coat
- Diminishes smell of poop and urine
- No sugar and artificials
- Added vitamins
Cons:
- Not enough protein for young rats that still grow fast
- The food itself is a bit smelly
Things to consider before buying a pellet-based food
Before buying the Science Selective Rat Food, you should definitely be aware that this is a pellet based food. This kind of food ensures that your rats get everything they need. Even picky eaters won’t have a chance to only pick their favorite pieces. On the other hand, some rat owners state that pet rats can be easily bored with pellets. You can ensure enrichment by feeding a portion of fresh food like vegetables, fruits and eggs what you should to independent of the food you choose. Furthermore, some rat owners choose to mix up pellet-based food with a varied seed mix.
Features & Benefits of Science Selective Rat Food
In this section, I discuss the main characteristics of the Science Selective Rat Food as there are nutritional value, ingredients and sustainability.
Nutritional Value
- Crude Protein 14%
- Crude Fat 4%
- Crude Fiber 4%
- Calcium 0.6%
- Phosphorus 0.4%
The nutritional value might be the first thing you look at when deciding on a rat food. The protein level is lower than in most other brands. While it might be too low for young rats that are still in the growth-phase, a lower protein-level brings some benefits for rats in adult maintenance which starts at about 6 months. Adult rats can get kidney issues from too many proteins and phosphorus. Additionally, high amounts of these often lead to mat fur.
The low amount of fat supports the healthy weight of your pets. The main part of these fatty acids are polyunsaturated and support the overall health condition. Rats need the right amount of omega 3 and 6 just as we humans do. I’ve already said that there is no palm oil processed in this product, but I think it’s worth repeating in this section.
While rats don’t need as much fiber as rabbits or other small pets it’s still beneficial for them.
Ingredients
The list of ingredients is unusually short and you might wonder if these few can contain everything your furry friend needs. I say, yes it can and I was impressed that I knew every contained component. Generally, this is a good sign and tells you that there are many natural ingredients. Nothing is too highly processed and there are no artificial added.
Many rat foods contain fruits and vegetables that are not good for rats, for example, alfalfa or beet pulp. You won’t find those in the Science Selective Rat Food.
Rats can become sugar junkies quite fast. Good that no sugar is added to this food but why do many rats like it that well? Honestly, there are some that can’t even get enough of it. Unusual? Perhaps! I think the contained tried apples and blackcurrants are so sweet, that rats might think this is a treat. Apart from the good taste, these components serve vitamins and antioxidants that support the immune system.
List of ingredients: Wheat, soybean meal, barley, oats, soya oil, dried apples, dried blackcurrants, wheat feed, limestone flour, salt.
List of additives: Vitamin A 20000 IU, Vitamin D° 2000 IU, Iron (E1) 50mg, Iodine (E2) 1.5mg, Copper (E4) 7.5mg, Manganese (E5) 30mg, Zinc (E6) 100mg, Selenium (E8) 0.25mg
Sustainability
All resources that go into Science Selective are from nearby farmers and companies. This significantly reduces CO2 emissions caused by transportation. Once again: there is no palm oil in the Supreme Petfoods products. Rain forests mainly in Asia are destroyed for palm oil plantations, wildlife is killed and loses its home so I really like that it’s without. I don’t have to mention that the package is recyclable too.
Other rat owners like Science Selective too!
I think you noticed that I like Science Selective Rat Food quite a lot, but of course, this is not enough. I can tell you that there are many people who like it also, but I think it is more trustworthy to deliver some proof. So I scoured the internet and found some user reviews I want to share with you. These are screenshots from reddit.com:
Science Selective Rat Food Alternatives
As good as this product is you might want to look for alternatives due to different reasons. There are mainly three products that might be a good fit too:
- Oxbow Essentials Rat Food might be a good choice if you want to buy in your local store. Often the Science Selective is not available in US stores. With 15% it has a slightly higher protein level but this will still be too low for baby rats. We really like this food as well, if you want to learn more read the complete Oxbow Rat Food Review. You can also check it out on Amazon.
- Mazuri Rodent Nutritionally Complete Rat Food has a very high protein level of 23%. This might be too high for pets in adult maintenance but should serve the nutritions young and growing rats need. The downside of this product is that it contains alfalfa and beet pulp which are not digestible in rats. You can check it out on Amazon.
- Kaytee Fiesta Mouse And Rat Food might be a good choice if you want to feed a varied food mix. Even though this one comes with a lot of good characteristics like added probiotics, vitamins, be aware of the contained alfalfa and peanuts. The upside: This product really encourages the foraging behavior of your pets and maybe you can just sort the alfalfa and nuts out. You can check it out on Amazon.
If you want to learn more about different rat foods and their brands, we suggest reading our article “Best rat foods for a healthy diet”.
Conclusion
If you have a picky eater and want to make sure that your pet gets all the nutrients it needs, the Science Selective Rat Food might be the right choice for you. The ingredients are healthy and not chemical, the processing is sustainable and it tastes well. In my view, this is all good food needs to provide. If you want, check the current price on Amazon.
