Homemade food for pet gerbils, rabbits and rodents

Feed your pet gerbils, rabbits and rodents with nutritious homemade goodness.

It's important to offer pet rodents vitamin-rich fresh fruits and vegetables, and your gerbils and bunnies will welcome this healthy salad.

For budget-boosting ingredients, ask for discarded outer leaves (which are more vitamin rich than inner leaves) at your produce counter, farmers' market or local restaurant salad bar. For variety, alternate seed and nut toppings.

Makes 125 grams (1/2 cup)

• 50 g (1/4 c) spinach or leaf lettuce, chopped fine
• 50 g (1/4 c) carrot, grated
• 5 ml (1 tsp) sunflower or pumpkin seeds, unsalted

  1. Toss vegetables together in a bowl, top with seeds or nuts, and serve in a small treat bowl. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for one day.

  2. Remove and dispose of uneaten fresh foods that remain in the cage after four hours.

You just can't substitute dried pellets or grains from the pet store for fresh foods when it comes to feeding a balanced diet to rodents. This is a nutritious treat recipe for pet mice and rats. You can make it easy by saving plain, leftover grains from the family table.

Makes 400 grams (1 3/4 cups)

• 250 g (1 c) bulgur wheat, uncooked
• 30 ml (1 oz) boiling water 50 g (1/4 c) brown rice, cooked
• 50 g (1/4 c) rolled oats, cooked
• 50 g (1/4 c) parrot seed mix
• 50 g (1/4 c) dark molasses
• 1 rodent vitamin, crushed (optional)
• 50 g (1/4 c) wheat germ

  1. Put bulgur in a bowl, add boiling water, and allow the grain to stand for five minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients to make a thick, crumbly mixture.

  2. Form into small balls and roll in a saucer of wheat germ to coat.

  3. Serve one ball daily as a treat. Discard uneaten treats that are left in the cage after four hours. Store extra treats in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to one month.