Yes! Rats can absolutely eat garlic. Just in the right amounts of course. Garlic is relatively strong, and as with most foods, eating too much of it can be dangerous. Any amount of garlic that your rat will willingly eat is almost certainly not harmful. Aim for 1 garlic clove per week as a maximum to be extra safe.
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Why is garlic good for rats?
Garlic, especially in its raw form, is an immune system booster. It has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties that will help keep your rat healthy and reduce the chance of it getting sick. Many rat owners report giving their little pets a dose of garlic when they notice their rat getting “sneezy”, and say that it seems to do wonders, often curing the illness within days. Take this with a pinch of salt though, since this is all anecdotal evidence, without any real science backing it up.
On the other hand, cooked garlic and garlic powder is said to be beneficial in fighting off parasites and is good for rats’ hearts.
But wait, there is more. A study was done in 2002 on raw garlic’s effect on rats’ physical performance. It found some evidence to suggest that long-term consumption of raw garlic does improve rats’ performance in certain physical tests.
What other onions and vegetables can rats eat?
Rats can eat other onions, such as spring onion, red onion, and yellow onion, but only in small amounts. Too much raw onions are especially unhealthy for rats, and can easily cause stomach problems. Onions become less acidic when cooked, so if you feed them to your rats regularly, consider boiling the onions before.
Most other vegetables are also fine for rats to eat, such as broccoli, cabbage (not red cabbage, though!), celery, carrots, parsley, and peas. these are not at all the only vegetables that are suitable for rats, but a good, nutritious selection.
Did you know olives are fruits? I didn’t either, until about 5 minutes ago. Regardless, I’ve written an article on whether rats can eat olives. Feel free to check it out!
What should rats not eat?
There are a whole bunch of foods that rats should not eat. It is important to check if a food is safe before feeding it to your rat for the first time. Remember, they are small animals and it doesn’t take that much to upset their stomachs, or worse, cause serious illness.
Foods that rats should not eat include (but are definitely not limited to):
- Licorice
- Mango
- Orange juice
- Avocado skin
- Raw sweet potato
- Rhubarb
- Seaweed
- Green bananas
- Blue cheese
- Artichokes (raw)
- Cabbage
- Brussels sprouts
- Green bananas
- Poppy seeds
- Cuttlefish
Looking for something else to read? Perhaps our article Will Rats Eat Dead Rats will be of interest to you.
Conclusion
So, can rats eat garlic? Yes, they can. Garlic is completely fine for rats, but should only be fed in small amounts. Rats are smart creatures, so typically they will not overeat on harmful foods if they have an alternative. Feed your rats a varied diet, and include some garlic if you want to. Keep in mind that rats are small creatures, so even relatively small amounts of harmful foods can be too much for them. Try to learn what foods are okay for rats to eat, your pet rat will thank you for it!
Hey, I’m Peter. During the last 25 years, I have owned and raised over 20 pet animals. On this blog, I do my best to share my learnings during this time, to hopefully help others.