Food and Drink | abchamstercare

Giving your hamster the correct diet

is one of the most important parts of hamster care. Get it right and your hamster will live a long and happy life, get it wrong and it could lead to serious health problems.

As you may or may not know, hamsters store their food, so don't be surprised when you find a little stash!

One of the most important things to remember is that you should never introduce a new food all at once unless it is essential as it can cause a stomach upset. You should give a small amount to begin with and gradually build it up.

Drink

The most important thing you can give your hamster is fresh water. This should ALWAYS be available, and can either be given in a bottle or a shallow bowl. Most hamsters prefer a bottle and it's often more practical, however elderly/young hamsters may benefit from a bowl.

When using a bottle, it should be checked every day as they can stop working.

If you want to give your hamster some extra nutrients, you can buy small animal vitamin drops to put in their water, and small animal probiotic powder can help to give a hamster's delicate digestive system a boost.

Food and Drink

Hamster Mix

The majority of your hamster's diet should comprise of a good quality hamster mix. One of the most popular mixes is Harry Hamster (Hazel Hamster in the US), which is reccommended by the UK National Hamster Council. Many owners like to use a selection of different mixes blended together to give their hamsters a diet with plenty of variety. For example, I feed my hamster Harry Hamster mixed with Burgess Superhamster Harvest and some unsweetened porridge oats. As a general rule, the more natural ingredients in a mix, the better.

Most hamsters need a tablespoon or so of food a day... though some dwarfs may need a little less, and some Syrians a little more. This can be fed in a bowl, or just be scattered around the cage to provide enrichent.

Please don't be tempted by mixes that say they are suitable for more than one species, as they are normally poor quality.

Most 'own brand' pet shop mixes are poor quality and include lots of added sugar/molasses so most knowledgable hamster owners choose not to feed it. I believe that it is suitable temporarily, but an effort should be made to find a better food.

Some hamsters who only eat certain parts of their mix benefit from being fed on pellets/nuggets (Supreme Science Selective is made by the same company as Harry Hamster and are good quality).

If your hamster is a Chinese hamster or a 'Hybrid' Russian Hamster (if you brought your hamster from a petshop, it's best to assume it's a 'Hybrid') then it should be fed a diet low in sugar to lessen the risk of diabetes. This can be achieved by feeding your hamster less/no fruit and picking some of the corn and peas out of their mix. You may also wish to choose a mix without any added sugar.

Fresh Food

Fresh food is an important part of any hamsters diet. The rules for what you can and cannot give aren't simple, so I have comprised a list of safe and unsafe fresh foods (and some standard human foods) for you!

The general rules are, only give a small amount at a time to begin with (about the size of your pinky nail) and never give citrus fruits, garlic, onion or chocolate, sweets, crisps e.t.c

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Treats

Hamsters love treats in moderation and they should be given them a few times a week.

The best treats aren't the sugar loaded yoghurt/chocolate drops or other things brought in pet shops but fresh food!

Here's some treat ideas for you:

Cheerios
Millet (like you get for budgies)
Some sunflower seeds
A small bit of cooked pasta
A dog biscuit (no garlic/onion)
Mealworms (dwarfs in particular are partial to these)
Small animal popcorn
Monkey nuts

Lots of hamsters, especially the young and elderly enjoy a bit of fruit/ vegetable based babyfood (check there's no garlic, tomato or onion)!

Some owners also lke to feed the occasional bit of cooked, unseasoned chicken but this should be done with caution as your hamster may store it instead of eating it- as hamsters have little concept of 'off' food, they may eat it at a much later date and become ill.

Hopefully that gave you a few ideas of what you can give to your hamster! Check out the safe and unsafe foods list if you're not sure about something

The main thing to remember with feeding your hamster is that it's better to be safe than sorry.

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