Feeding Your Hamster

Feeding your hamster

by Robert Hudson

Hamsters are sweet and greedy little critters who love food. As omnivores, they can eat many kinds of food, including seeds, nuts, meat, veggies, and fruits.

Still, it is important to know that they have specific nutritional requirements that need to be met for your hammy to stay healthy and flourish.

But if there are so many things on the list of acceptable foods, how do you know what you should be feeding your hamster?

Let’s have a closer look:

Commercial hamster food

A hamster’s daily food intake should consist mostly of high-quality hamster seed mix or hamster food pellets, making up about 90% of the everyday diet.

Choose only commercial foods that have been specifically formulated for hamsters because they have the right dietary balance and offer your pet complete nutrition. Avoid colorful foods as they may contain harmful additives, and don’t buy in bulk because hamster food will become stale and lose some of the nutrients it contains in just a couple of months.

Seed mixes are ideal as they offer variety and encourage a hamster’s natural instinct to forage. However, they often contain a lot of fat, and picky eaters may only choose the tastiest (high fat and sugar!) pieces risking obesity and diabetes.

Hamster pellets are another good option. Although not as fun, they will offer a balanced diet and ensure the intake of all essential nutrients.

If your hamster is not a selective eater, the best option is to alternate between seed mix and pellets to enjoy the benefits of both types.

Fruits and veggies

Although 90% of the daily food intake should be specially formulated hamster food, hamsters can eat many other things as well.

Fruits and veggies can make excellent treats to supplement your hamster’s diet, but only in moderation. Your hammy is a small creature, so their treats should be kept small as well.

You should check a vet-reviewed site like FeedingMyPet before you feed any new fruits or veggies to ensure they are healthy and safe for your hamster.

Still, here are a few great alternatives for nutritious vegetables, leafy greens, and fruits you can feed your hammy:

• Broccoli
• Carrot
• Cucumber
• Kale
• Romaine lettuce
• Zucchini

• Blueberries
• Grapes
• Peaches
• Pears
• Strawberries

Before feeding your hamster any fresh produce, wash them thoroughly to remove any pesticides and other harmful chemicals. Also, check if the skin or seeds are safe or whether they should be removed first.

In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, you can also offer your hammy small servings off:

• Whole grain bread
• Whole wheat pasta (cooked)
• Brown rice (cooked)

Feeding Your Hamster Meat, eggs, and other animal protein

As omnivores, hamsters can also eat protein from animal sources. Hamster food should contain enough protein for their needs, but here are a few high-protein treats your hamster will love:

• Beef (cooked)
• Chicken (cooked)
• Turkey (cooked)
• Fish (cooked)
• Meals worms, crickets, grasshoppers
• Scrambled or hardboiled eggs

Foods hamsters should not be eating

Even if hamsters have a wide variety of foods they can eat, there are some foods that should be avoided. Some are just unhealthy because they contain too much sugar or fat, but others are downright toxic. 

Here are a few examples of things that are strictly off the menu:

• Alcohol
• Apple seeds
• Chocolate
• Fruits pits
• Grape seeds
• Onions, leek, and garlic
• Yeast

Unlimited clean and fresh water 

In addition to safe foods, your hamster should always have access to clean and fresh water. Hamsters can use both a bowl or a bottle for drinking. Bottles are a good way to keep the water clean, but they may leak or get blocked. On the other hand, bowls may get tipped over, or the water may become dirty very quickly. Because both options have their pros and cons, many experts recommend having both.

Bottom line

Feeding your hamster can be one of the most fun parts of owning one. You can offer them many types of food and see them excitedly stuffing it into their cheek pouches and scurrying of to hide their treasure.

Scattering or hiding the food is one way of making mealtimes fun for your hamster and keeping them active. You can also use cardboard tubes to hide the food and keep your pet busy searching for the tastiest morsels.

Even though most hammies will happily gobble any tasty treat, it’s important that treats only make up about 10% of their daily diet. The bulk of their diet should comprise high-quality and nutritionally balanced hamster food, which offers them all the vital nutrients their little bodies need to stay healthy.

As omnivores, hamsters have a pretty extensive list of things they can eat. Still, some foods are toxic, and you should always check before introducing a new food into the menu.

As a pet parent, you’re responsible for providing a nutritious diet that meets the needs of your hammy. Luckily with a good seed mix and a variety of other foods, you can easily keep your beloved pet both nourished and happy.