Hamsters can be cute, adorable, and playful animals. However, to raise your own hamster, you have to think carefully about feeding it properly. Feeding hamsters can be tricky. You should provide a different diet for proper nutrition, without changing your hamster's feed too often.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Buying the Right Food
Step 1. Purchase mixed hamster food from a pet store
Most hamster diets should be made from commercial hamster food. Usually hamster food is made in the form of pellets or a mixture of seeds. This food is made to meet the diverse nutritional needs of hamsters.
- Since hamsters often change their diet, consider buying food that was given to your hamster while it was still at the pet store when it came to buying food. After a few weeks, start replacing the food with a different food source if you wish.
- If you feed your hamster a grain mixture, make sure that it doesn't just eat sunflower seeds. Hamsters may prefer this feed, but sunflower seeds will not meet all of the hamster's nutritional needs.
Step 2. Supplement your hamster with fresh food
Try giving your hamster small portions of fruit, vegetables or protein either every day or every other day. An equal portion size with a few raisins is sufficient. Hamsters are not used to large quantities of water, so larger portions will give your hamster diarrhea. Leftover food can also rot so that it can contaminate the cage.
- Vegetables that are good to feed your hamster are: radishes, carrots, chicory, spinach, parsley, pumpkin, endive, cauliflower, broccoli, chickpeas, and asparagus.
- Good fruits to feed your hamster are: raisins, seedless apples, berries, pears, plums, and peaches. Fruit seeds can be poisonous, so be sure to keep them away from your hamster.
- Once a week, you can add additional protein to your hamster's diet with a few hard-boiled eggs.
- Make sure that the food does not go stale and remove it from the cage when it starts to go bad. Fresh food should be removed from the cage within a few hours of feeding.
Step 3. Give your hamster hard treats
It's important to give your hamster hard treats about once a week. These treats can help take care of your hamster's teeth and can be a source of additional nutrition, or even entertainment.
- At pet stores, you can buy treats that hang from the top of your hamster's cage. This snack will force the hamster to try to get to the food and can get the little one to play.
- Mineral stones or salt are also good ways to provide your hamster with nutrition and care for his teeth.
Step 4. Know what foods to avoid
Do not feed your hamster red beans, onions, potatoes, rhubarb, and tomato leaves. Nutritious foods, chocolate, alcohol, and sweets are also not good for hamsters.
Step 5. Buy a water bottle
Hamsters can usually turn their drinking containers upside down, so that they can contaminate the cage. Purchase a bottle at the pet store that can be hung in the hamster's cage. Refill the water bottle regularly.
Make sure to clean your water bottle at least once a week
Part 2 of 2: Feeding Hamsters
Step 1. Feed your hamster once a day, either in the morning or at night
Experts argue with each other to determine whether feeding hamsters is better in the morning or at night. However, it is very important for the hamster to eat every day. So, choose one time and feed regularly at that time.
Some experts recommend feeding your hamster at night because hamsters are nocturnal, so they will wake up throughout the night. Other experts, however, point out that hamsters like to wake up occasionally during the day and like to eat treats. So, there is no truly best time
Step 2. Buy a small ceramic bowl
Hamsters can damage plastic bowls, creating crevices for bacteria to thrive in. Smaller bowls are preferable to larger ones, as smaller bowls won't take up much space for your hamster to play with.
- Place the bowl across from the hamster's toilet. You will notice that your hamster uses the “toilet” in one corner of the cage. Pay attention to the spot and place the bowl as far away from it as possible.
- Wash the bowl with soapy water when your weekly cage cleaning schedule arrives.
Step 3. Give your hamster at least one tablespoon of pellets daily
Add it with a snack, as described above. Overfeeding your hamster is tempting because you'll notice that the bowl is emptying quickly. However, hamsters are food hoarders, so it's possible that they have food but are hidden.
Step 4. Try feeding your hamster directly from your hand
This is a great way to bond and establish a positive relationship with your pet hamster. When you offer food in one hand, use the other hand to pet or hold the hamster. Build contact slowly.
Step 5. Monitor your hamster's weight
Since hamsters have excess skin, it can be very difficult to tell if they are overweight or not. The Syrian hamster should weigh about 1 ounce per 2 cm body length. Also, if your hamster seems sluggish and lethargic, you may want to reduce the amount of feed it feeds.
Tips
- Don't overfeed your hamster - you could make the hamster obese or develop diseases such as diabetes.
- Clean the hamster cage once a week. That way, the moss won't grow because of the food your hamster has stored (and forgotten about) around the cage.
- Remember to change its food and water every day to make sure your hamster is happy and healthy.
