What to feed your hamster

Finding an appropriate complete dried food mix for your hamster can be tricky, but there are some good ones that can be found online. Look for the following:

• Syrian hamsters will need a diet that contains protein (e.g. dried mealworms), vegetables, fruits, grains and cereals (e.g. wheat, corn).
• Chinese, Dwarf and Roborovski hamsters will all need a diet that is more seed based, with more smaller seeds, protein (e.g. dried mealworms) and limited grains and cereals.

You can also place a selection of seed sprays around their enclosure to give some variety, such as:

• Rosewood Naturals Bird Pick-n-Fly
• Hamster Mixologists

How should you feed your hamster?

Syrian – around 10g (one tablespoon) of dried food per day.

Chinese, Dwarf and Roborovski – around 5-8g (one teaspoon) of dried food per day.

Hamsters are natural born foragers and will spend hours digging through bedding and searching through their cage looking for food. To avoid your hamster becoming obese and bored, scatter their daily allowance around the enclosure rather than feeding in a bowl.

 

Water

Providing your hamster fresh water every day is really important. Many hamsters prefer to drink from a bowl (such as this one*). Bottles are perfectly suitable and can be provided alongside a bowl, but they can be tricky to keep clean and often leak. Make sure your hamster can easily reach the spout by having it close to the base of the cage, or place toys underneath that they can easily climb on to reach it.

 

Healthy treats (to be fed in moderation):

Colourful chew sticks, mineral and salt blocks can be potentially harmful. Instead, stick to healthy, natural food options, alongside their weekly diet.

Avoid feeding in large amounts – around the size of their ear a couple of times a week will be fine:

• Pasta, cooked or raw
• Small pieces of fresh chopped fruits such as strawberries, banana, blueberries, grapes, apple, pear
• Small pieces of fresh chopped vegetables such as broccoli, carrot, cabbage, curly kale, cucumber, peas, spinach, brussels sprouts
• Small amount of boiled egg
• Pulses and cereals
• Fresh mealworms – one or two at a time, unless your dry food already has these included
• Apple wood – or other fruit tree wood – to gnaw on
• Herbs (fresh or dried) – basil, parsley, mint, oregano, lavender, dill
• Freeze dried chicken or salmon cat treats

 

Foods to avoid

• Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and grapefruits
• Apple seeds
• Rhubarb or rhubarb leaves
• Onions
• Garlic
• Almonds