FEEDING YOUR HAMSTER

You may buy your hamster food from a pet shop which sells pressed pellets.   Hamsters seem to enjoy all types of vegetables but be careful not to give too much of these as hamsters come from a habitat from little water (semi-desert) and a high quantity of vegetables can cause diarrhea. 

In the wild, hamsters eat seeds, grasses, leaves and insects.   In captivity, hamsters should be fed a good diet with lots of varieties like seeds, grains, fruits and vegetables – fruits and vegetables should be fed moderately and not excessively. Good vegetables for hamsters are: a small piece of chicory, endive, carrot, cauliflower, paprika, cucumber and broccoli. Good fruits for hamsters are: a small piece of apple, pear, peach, melon, berries amd banana. Make sure you remove any uneaten fruit as they will start to rot which could make your hamster ill.

Hamsters like a large selection of pelleted hamster diets which are available at all pet shops.  Good food is important as it affects the hamster’s health, life span and reproduction.  Almost all rodents eat their own dropping.  This is quite normal as it provides the hamster the bacteria needed to create Vitamin B12 during digestion.

Always make sure that you provide fresh water for your hamster daily.  It's best to give water in a drinking bottle as the disk of water is quickly overturned or filled with shavings or other dirt. Hamster drinking bottles should be cleaned at least once a week by watering the bottle and having a cotton bud to clean the gab between the bottle and the opening.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS

If you are giving your hamster a good and balanced diet, it is unnecessary to give the hamster vitamins, minerals and salt blocks.  If you wish to offer your pet hamster a treat once in a while, buy a commercial product that is nutritious and safe. Some hamster owners give their hamsters a "mineral lick". The hamster takes in minerals by licking the stone and it seems that pregnant female hamsters use them. By gnawing on the "mineral licks", the hamsters get extra calcium and at the same time keep their teeth sharp.

HAMSTER TREATS

You may find various treats in pet stores and most hamsters love these. Treats should only be fed to the hamster as an occasional supplemnet to the hamster's diet. Some treats bought from pet stores are designed to hang from the top of the cage. These treats provide stimulation as well as food for the hamster. Homemade treats can be fed to your hamster - like bread, scrambled or boiled egg and rice crackers. Another hamster treat are mealworms. These can usually be found at pet stores that sell exotic pets.

HARMFUL FOODS

Avoid giving you hamster sharp, dry, stiff or sticky (such as candy) food as they will get stuck in the hamster’s cheek pouches and injure the delicate tissue of the hamster’s mouth.  These foods should be completely avoided.  Chocolate and ‘junk food’ should not be given to hamsters as it is not nutritious to a hamster’s health.

Click here to watch several hamster videos including hamsters eating.