feeding rats

Question
I have 2 male rats, Oscar and Grant. i'm not sure how old they are, but i have always wondered how much i should be feeding them.   I give them about 4 or five pellets rat food... then i offer them cat treats, cheese treats that you buy from the store almost every day now, and even give them yogurt, bread bits, cheese bits of real cheese cheddar, cottage cheese, nuts like almonds and cashews, a few days, not every day.  anyways, how much should they be given and is it once a day or 2 times a day , i need to know, i' want them to be healthy, they are just the greatest little buddies ever. jane

Answer
I prefer to free-feed my rats. Fill their bowl with their staple diet (if its block or a grain mix) and allow them to eat as much as they want when they want, refilling when the bowl is empty or very thoroughly picked over. The treats you've got are fine, just watch their weight and be sure they aren't getting too pudgy on them - if they begin to get fat, you'll need to cut back on the treats.

Happy tails! :)