Hamster Food

A healthy hamster diet should contain the right amount of protein, fibre and other nutrients that hamsters, including dwarf hamsters, need to stay healthy.

The ideal healthy hamster food should consist of smooth, small nuggets, designed for little mouths. Added linseed can be beneficial to support a healthy skin and coat, along with a good source of natural protein, such as peas.

When it comes to food, hamsters like to hoard – and they are extremely well equipped to carry their provisions from one place to another thanks to their ingenious cheek pouches. However, these pouches are very delicate, so don’t give them foods that contain whole oats as these can puncture them. Also avoid sticky foods, as these can cling to their pouches.

Don’t forget fresh drinking water too – this should be provided in a specially designed bottle, placed with the spout at the appropriate height for the type of hamster you have.

It’s essential that you only feed your hamster the amount of food they need each day – around a tablespoon of specially formulated hamster nuggets, depending on the species of hamster you have and how active they are. To help you, there are on-pack feeding guidelines you can follow.

Place the nuggets in a gnaw-proof ceramic bowl, so they can’t knock it over. Scattering some of their daily portion of hamster nuggets around their accommodation is also a great idea as it encourages their natural foraging behaviour.

In addition to nutrition-packed hamster nuggets, you can also provide them with safe, fresh vegetables a couple of times a week in small amounts, as part of a healthy hamster diet – but be aware that too much fresh food will give your hamster a runny tummy!

Safe foods to feed your hamster include broccoli, cauliflower, kale and cucumber. Animal charity PDSA advises that the following fruits, vegetables and herbs are suitable for hamsters:

• Veg: Carrot, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, chicory, spinach, sweet peppers, cucumber, cress and courgette.
• Fresh herbs: Basil, sage, parsley and coriander.
• Fruits: Apple, pear, peach and melon.

NEVER feed citrus fruits, rhubarb or grapes to your hamster.

Make sure you give fruits and vegetables a good wash first and always ensure any uneaten fresh food is cleaned away before it spoils.

The best hamster pellets – such as Burgess Hamster, Gerbil and Mouse nuggets – are small enough for those tiny mouths and include a range of nutritional ingredients to support their health. With the right amount of protein, vitamins and minerals, our specially designed nuggets provide the ideal healthy hamster food, when fed as part of a balanced hamster diet.

The best feeding time for a hamster is in the evening when they start to wake up. Because hamsters are nocturnal, this is their breakfast time!

While hamsters’ pouch-stuffing behaviour is endearing, it does mean that it’s very easy to overfeed them. The food you put out for them may quickly disappear – but beware – the chances are they haven’t eaten it but have simply hidden it away. As hamsters’ cheek pouches extend all the way down to their hips, they can store an amazing amount of food in them, so don’t be fooled by an empty dish.

You can safely transition their diet over a period of 7-10 days by gradually reducing the old food and replacing it with Burgess’ high-quality hamster food.

In the first few days, measure out your hamster’s normal food intake. Take out a small amount and replace with the same amount of the new nuggets. Mix them together so that your hamster eats a combination of the two.

Each day, slightly reduce their old food, and replace it with some of their new food. At the end of the transition period, your hamster should be eating their new nuggets happily with no issues!

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Hamsters’ teeth constantly grow so give them some untreated softwood such as hawthorn, hazelnut, pear, poplar or apple wood to chew as well. This will help keep their teeth healthy and stop them getting overgrown. Before you offer any softwood branches to your hamster, give them a good clean and bake them on a low heat for an hour.

Chewing, gnawing and shredding stuff is a natural hamster behaviour, so provide a variety of things for them to get their teeth into such as cardboard, coconut shells, pumice stone and seagrass.