The Best Food For Your Pet Hamster

Like all pets, the best hamster food is formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of your pet. Dwarf and Golden hamsters eat the same diet. Diet plays a critical role in the lifespan (approximately 2 to 3 years) and health of your pet. While hamsters are largely vegetarians, they will on occasion eat insects and meat.

Hamster EatingThe Best Hamster Feeding Bowls are Ceramic and Weighted so that They Do Not Easily Tip Over

Hamster Dietary Habits

A high quality hamster diet should be available for your pet to eat at all times. Most hamsters will eat much everyday, about 1 tablespoon of food. Hamsters will eat most food night. Note that tracking hamster dietary habits can be tricky since some hamsters like to hoard and hide food. If you feed your hamster a variety or pellets and seeds, don't be surprised is the pet picks out favorites and neglects food that he or she doesn't like. Hamsters prefer seeds, so at minimum provide a mixture of seeds and pellets.

Fresh water should be provided daily as well. All food dishes and water bottles need to be cleaned daily.

Put out fresh food when it becomes dark out, about the time the hamsters wake up.

Types Of Hamster Foods

The two basic types of hamster foods are seed and pellets. The problem with seeds alone is that they are high in fat and if fed as the sole food could lead to obesity. Look for pellets that contain approximately 15% to 25% protein. Do not provide pellets manufactured for other animals, only hamster feed.

In addition to the pellets, provide your hamster:

  • 1 teaspoon of fresh vegetables everyday
  • 1 teaspoon of fruit 2x per week
  • Occasional treats
  • Fresh hay daily (helps with wear on teeth)
    • Choose from alfalfa (source of calcium and protein), timothy, oat, brome hay

Recommended Foods and Diet

Commercial Hamster Pellets:

A good choice that meets hamster dietary requirements is Oxbow Healthy Handfuls. It has the recommended balance of protein.

Hamster Vegetables:

Recommended vegetables include:

  • broccoli
  • collard greens
  • carrots
  • cucumber
  • mustard greens
  • squash
  • spinach

Remove any uneaten vegetables 4 hours after they are placed into the hamster cage. Do not overfeed vegetables to avoid stomach problems.

Recommended fruits:

  • Banana
  • Blueberries
  • Raspberries
  • Grapes

Do not overfeed fruit since the hamster digestive tract does not tolerate fruit well.

Have a Pet Question for our Vet? We'll Answer it for Free!

Would you like to ask our Veterinarian a question? Just ask and we'll get back at you with an answer from our Vet for free!

If you need an immediate response, we suggest trying this online veterinary service that is available now to answer your questions.

[ ? ]

Upload 1-4 Pictures or Graphics (optional)[ ? ]

 

Click here to upload more images (optional)

Author Information (optional)

To receive credit as the author, enter your information below.

(first or full name)

(e.g., City, State, Country)

Submit Your Contribution

  •  submission guidelines.


(You can preview and edit on the next page)

Other questions answered

Click below to see questions from other visitors to this page...

Cause of Hamsters Green Poo Not rated yet
Reader Question: Cause of Hamster Green Poo Why is my hamster's poo green? He is around 10 weeks old, and i fed him cucumber a few days ago. Could …

Click here to write your own.