What to feed a hamster at home. Djungarian hamster: how to care for it at home and what to feed your pet

Compared to its wild counterpart, a domestic hamster is a true gentleman. After all, in the steppe or in the field, no one offers a rodent “to the table” vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables or even vitamins in medicinal form.

And the little animals have to be content with what God sends. And at their place of natural residence, God sends mainly grains of cereals and the fruits of legumes, sunflowers and corn. Because Their diet is complete only in the warm season when you can enjoy fresh berries.

It is known that hamsters are very thrifty, which is why they do not starve even in unfavorable weather conditions: they subsist on reserves carried underground in their cheek pouches.

Pets, in principle, also enjoy eating the same foods, but due to their pampered bodies and reduced stamina, it is better to feed them not purely “natural” grains and seeds, but balanced nutritious food (which is also fortified) sold in pet stores.

What can you feed hamsters?

This same food should be present in the homa's feeder at all times. The mixture contains carefully selected and properly processed products that will not harm your pet.

Despite the fact that food for parrots and songbirds, as well as for rodents - guinea pigs, rats - is basically grain, hamsters cannot eat it: the composition is completely different.

As for the types of dry food, you can sometimes, literally twice a week, give your fluffy some sunflower or pumpkin seeds as a treat. Why so rare? Because these products are part of the main feed.

But what you should never do is treat your hamster with nuts in shells or fruit pits, which supposedly should help the rodent wear down its long teeth. However, here you can achieve the opposite effect: you can break your teeth and injure your mouth or cheek pouches. And besides, the kernels of stone fruits contain hydrocyanic acid - a strong poison.

To abrade the teeth, a special “gnawing” stick is placed in the cage - a boiled and dried twig of some country (environmentally friendly!) tree, be it birch, hazel or apple tree.

Vegetable set

Knowing that hamsters “sweep up” everything that gets into their paws, you need to carefully ensure that nothing harmful, such as sweets, gets into them - they have no idea about their harm!

And although many people, out of ignorance, believe that these rodents are omnivores, there is one immutable rule: they should not be given “human” food with all its assortment of fats, sugar, salt and even spices. What food can you give hamsters?

Juicy and green food must certainly be included in the hamster’s menu, and the food must be fresh and thoroughly washed.

The most preferable vegetables are:

• carrot,
• beet,
• zucchini,
• pumpkin,
• green leaf salad.

In addition to lettuce, you can add parsley and dill, dandelion leaves and yellow clover to the list of necessary greens. Naturally, they should not be collected on the roadside, but away from the road and the city outskirts.

Green grass for hamster food can be grown in a pot on the windowsill, sowing grains into the ground that the hamster did not eat.

• Watermelons,
• cabbage,
• potatoes.

Fruit treat

Starting from two months of age, the hamster can receive a little apple. He is also allowed currants. “Laxative” pears and apricots (as we remember, without the pit) should be used in small quantities, and given very rarely - as a treat.

Dried fruits are also beneficial for the little animal - apples, raisins, dried apricots. The exception is prunes.

It is forbidden

Almost all fruits of exotic origin are forbidden:

• avocado,
• kiwi,
• persimmon,

And protein is necessary

Any living organism needs constant replenishment of protein. Hamsters, of course, are no exception. For this they need to get a protein supplement every day. It may consist of the following products:

• boiled egg,
• with reduced fat content,
• boiled (without salt and spices) chicken breast,
• lean boiled fish,
• sprouts of oats or mung bean.

The pet should receive all this alternately once or twice a week.

What you should not feed is whole milk, cheese and bread.

These products are poorly digestible and can create problems with the rodent’s stomach and intestines, causing indigestion, prolonged constipation and even the death of the fluffy.

Shall we have a drink, homa? Where's the water?

If it seems to you that your hamster doesn’t need water because he “hardly drinks it,” then this is a deep misconception.

He drinks, of course, but not in the same quantities as his owners, and his drinking bowl may remain half empty. The water in it must be changed daily, and it should not be boiled or distilled, i.e. devoid of all “living” nutrients, but ordinary drinking water. You can filter it.

Menu for Djungarians

When talking about the diet of hamsters, we must take into account what species they belong to. What do Djungarians eat at home? These hamsters are indeed omnivores, but this does not mean that this “everything” can be given to them. Their home menu should ideally not differ much from what Mother Nature presents to him in the wild. The ideal option is ready-made dry mixes, but since they differ both in composition and quality, you need to carefully monitor whether your pet likes this or that set. Dzungarik is able to ignore what he doesn’t like.

You can prepare a similar mixture at home if you mix the following products in equal quantities:

• legumes, in particular beans, peas, beans, lentils,
• buckwheat,
• oats or rolled oats,
• wheat,
• barley.

A good addition would be sunflower or pumpkin seeds.. Every day the Djungarians should get something from nuts:

• peanut,
• walnut,
• cashew,
• sesame seeds,
• hazelnut.

As for parsley, it is worth remembering: having a laxative effect, it is contraindicated for pregnant hamsters.

Certainly, The diet of Djungarians should also include fresh fruits and berries, but in limited quantities, since this type of rodent is prone to diabetes.

Dried fruits, including banana chips, should be given little by little.

In general, zoologists believe that vegetables, the list of which is quite wide, are much healthier. In addition to the already mentioned root vegetables and pumpkins, these are:

• eggplant,
• - broccoli, Beijing, cauliflower,
• fresh corn,
• cucumber (preferably grown in a garden bed - without pesticides),
• tomato (with the same caveat!),
• green beans.

Experts have differing opinions regarding the use of radishes and radishes.. You can experiment, but is it worth the risk: after all, even without them, your pet will not remain hungry!

And hamsters’ favorite treats are bamboo shoots, sprouted grains of wheat, oats, and alfalfa. And it is quite appropriate to invite rodents to gnaw on cherry, maple, birch or apple twigs - any other deciduous or fruit tree. This is not only beneficial for the hamster’s teeth, but also for his entire body.

What can't a dzhungarik eat?

Citrus fruits are harmful to babies, as is dessert made from sour berries such as barberry or sea buckthorn. The stomachs of dwarf rodents have a hard time digesting white cabbage, sometimes even leading to the death of babies.

Under no circumstances should you give food from the owners' table: fatty, fried, flour dishes are disastrous for pets.

And the following extensive list has a short name - you can’t!

What should we feed the Syrian?

There are no major differences in the diet of these two types of hamsters. Perhaps the main feature is a great commitment to grain feed.

When compiling a menu for a Syrian hamster, it is necessary to take into account both the age and state of its health, as well as the pet’s taste preferences.

Balanced grain mixtures have already been discussed above. It is recommended to give this food in the mornings and evenings in the amount of one tablespoon.

Grains and legumes, protein supplements, herbs, fresh vegetables and fruits - the set is almost the same.

It is useful for females expecting an addition to the family to receive grain porridge.

And also hamsters, especially Syrians, choose live food as a treat: ants, flies, worms. However, it is better to buy this “game” at a pet store than to catch it in person.

What is good for the baby?

Baby hamsters, like human babies, need to be fed little but often. In the first three months of life, the hamster's diet should be special.

A bowl of dry food should always be in a small rodent’s cage, and what to eat and what to leave is at his discretion. But the owner will soon be able to determine his tastes and preferences.

You can offer your baby only one type of wet food per day, otherwise the delicate stomach will react with upset.

A leaf of fresh garden lettuce, sprouted peas, wheat, and beans can act as green food. In addition to the fact that they are vitamin “dishes”, they are also tasty, nutritious and beneficial for growing hamster organisms.

But you shouldn’t treat your kids with such delicacies as watermelon or strawberries.

Feeding rules

For all types of hamsters, two meals a day are recommended - breakfast and dinner.

Experts believe that fresh food is more appropriate in the morning, and dry food in the evenings, then, traditionally hidden, it will not spoil.

Serving sizes depend on the size of the rodent - it can be one or four tablespoons. However, the volume of a single serving should not be made large. Thrifty hamsters, if you put more food in the feeder than they can eat, can simply hide it somewhere in their bins, and then it will go bad. Don't let the homushka get poisoned!

New types of food are introduced into the menu gradually, with very small pieces - as the animal gets used to it.

For dwarf hamsters, choose food that is “convenient” in size so that it can easily be hidden in the cheek pouches.

If you notice that not all of the food has been eaten, immediately remove the excess.. If spoiled, it will lead to stomach upset in your pet.

Keep an eye on the expiration date of the purchased ready-made food, even if it looks quite decent. Often even one of the components can make the food toxic.

Useful video

The diet of all mammals, which includes hamsters, requires completeness and balance. Each owner knows the age, individual characteristics of his pet, his habits, realistically assesses his physical activity, and, focusing on all these indicators, taking into account the time of year, should be able to select the products the pet needs. If you organize your nutrition correctly, your hamster will live in contentment and health until the hamster's very old age.

Before deciding what to feed your hamster at home, you should contact animal breeders. If you purchased an animal at a pet store, ask the seller what kind of food was given to the baby. Considering that sellers are not able to provide optimal care for rodents, start from the animal’s usual food and supplement it.

If you just bought a pet in a store, take all the contents at once, including a drinking bowl. From food you need to take and, which does not contain salt.

The grain mixture should be specifically intended for hamsters, and not for birds or other rodents. Do not take drops for rodents: there is too much sugar, the animals do not need it. If the store offers several mixtures, do not take the cheap one. More expensive ones contain the vitamins and minerals your pet needs and are better balanced. If you still decide to take economy class food, buy vitamins for it.

In addition to the dry mixture, it is necessary to feed the animals with succulent food.

What hamsters can and cannot do, food list

The table shows the main groups of products that rodents can and cannot eat:

List of food groups for hamster nutrition

Must be given continuously as food

Dry food for hamsters, legumes except red beans, raw and cooked cereals except rice. Rice is given for diarrhea. Vegetables: root vegetables except potatoes, in season cucumbers and peppers, zucchini, pumpkin. Dill, parsley, lettuce, dandelion. Fruits are sweet, seasonal, seedless. Home dried fruits. Frozen vegetables without onions. Pumpkin, sunflower, melon seeds. Nuts other than almonds and apricot kernels should be given not as the main food, but as a supplement, since nuts are fatty. Sprouted oats, wheat. Branches of deciduous trees boiled for 20 minutes, but not from the street.

You need to give one of the positions to choose from 2-3 times a week

Boiled chicken breast without salt and other spices; low-fat lactic acid products (fat content no more than 1%); boiled egg white; very rarely meat or boiled shrimp; insects and gammarus purchased in the store; lean boiled fish without bones.

Can't give

Fried, smoked, salted, pickled, fatty. Sugar, salt, spices, honey. Cream, sour cream and butter. Pasta: both dry and boiled. Citrus fruits, persimmons, onions and garlic, radishes, potatoes, acorns, cabbage, eggplant, tomatoes. Coniferous branches. Insects from the street, bloodworms. Mushrooms, mint and rose hips.

The table gives general principles on how to feed a hamster; based on them, create your pet’s diet.

What can you give hamsters, food quality

If you have no plans to get rid of the animal in the near future, pay attention to the quality of the food. An animal should not eat “from the trash heap”; moldy grains and rotten fruits are not suitable for children. Meals at home should consist only of fresh and high-quality food.

No one in their right mind would give their pet rotten fruit. But slightly spoiled apples with barrels are also dangerous for animals. A person is not afraid of porridge that has been sitting in the refrigerator for two days, but a hamster can get sick from it.

How to feed animals fruits

Fresh vegetables and fruits can be placed in a cage in large pieces or cut into pieces.

Since you can only feed your hamster fresh food, be sure to remove any leftover succulent food no later than after 8 hours.

Is it possible for hamsters give the same food in winter and summer

The diet of animals is quite varied. It includes: grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables, protein products. They have a seasonal cycle. In the middle zone, cucumbers and plums grow in summer. At this time they contain a lot of vitamins. There will be no benefit from plums for the New Year. It was either grown somewhere far away, or treated with chemicals that protect it from spoilage. This product should not be given to an animal. As for, it is better to exclude them from the diet altogether. They contain a lot of water, and nitrates added during cultivation are perfectly soluble in it.

It is better to prepare fruits in season. To do this, dry apricots and pears, and then add them to your pet. Instead of greenhouse cucumbers, feed the animals carrots and turnips, which retain vitamins well; apples can be given as fruit.

Is it possible to give a hamster exotic fruits?

Hamsters are fed fruit regularly at home. They should be sweet, without sourness. As for imported exotics, animals do not need them. Fruits such as kiwi, papaya, pineapples, mangoes will not bring any benefit to steppe animals. Not to mention something more exotic. The only fruit that has come into common use is - it can be fed without fear.

What can you feed a hamster that is left without a mother?

It is a great misfortune if the babies lost their mother at birth or she escaped from the cage.

You'll have to arm yourself with patience and take care of the little hamsters yourself. Of the mixtures, milk is best suited for feeding kittens. You can buy it at a pet store. Give your babies the diluted formula every two hours. After eating, massage their tummy. Give the animals bottles of warm water to prevent them from catching a cold.

As they grow, their diet becomes richer. Add baby purees without salt and sugar to your animals:

• vegetable;
• fruit;
• meat.

Cook porridge with water for them. A month-old animal can be fed with adult food. If necessary, grind it on a grater.

Controversial issues or what not to feed a hamster

There are products that cause controversy among animal owners. Is it possible to give milk to animals, how much cheese can you give, and what harm can crackers and bread do?

To answer these questions, we will have to return to the diet of animals in the wild:

• Adult animals do not feed on milk, and the composition of cow's milk is not suitable for young animals. Babies fed bread soaked in milk survive only due to their potential health, and not due to proper feeding.
• You should not feed your pet hamster cheese. It is quite fatty and contains a lot of salt: this will harm the rodent.
• completely inedible for rodents, although they will chew them. There are too many harmful components in the form of fat and sugar in crackers and cookies. If you decide to feed something similar, choose unsweetened dryers. It won't be very useful, but in a minimal amount it won't cause any harm.

What can you feed hamsters?

The closer a hamster's diet is to natural nutrition, the better for the animal. The less the product is processed, the more nutrients are preserved in it.

These rodents are children of the steppe. It's easy to guess what hamsters eat. The basis of their diet is of varying degrees of maturity: seeds, . Juicy roots and root vegetables obtained from vegetable stores are also on the menu of these resourceful animals.

Protein food is also necessary for animals. In the wild these are: insects, wounded birds and small animals.

So, the diet of animals consists of:

• grain mixtures purchased at a pet store;
• juicy vegetables and fruits;
• greenery;
• and nuts;
• low-fat lactic acid products, eggs or chicken breast 2-3 times a week.

The list of products can be supplemented if you have experience in raising such animals. You can make your own grain mixtures or supplement them with grass seeds or cereals.

The cage should contain water and a mineral stone for grinding down the incisors.

Nutrition and care: dangers of improper feeding

It happens that inexperienced pet owners feed their animal seemingly correctly, but get poor results: the animal gains excess weight and digestive problems arise. What could be the reasons:

• the animal is given a lot of treats;
• The animal does not have enough “simulators” at home;
• hamsters' diet consists mainly of ready-made meals: cereals and boiled vegetables

It is unacceptable to feed hamsters this way, even if they like it.

In nature, animals run up to several kilometers a day. They need exercise. In addition to the wheel, for running the cage must have: paths, labyrinths, passages and ladders.

The hamster eats twice a day: morning and evening. The evening portion should be larger, since evening is the peak activity of these nocturnal animals. There is no need to impose restrictions on dry food so as not to create additional stress for the animal. Let the dry mixture remain in the feeder at all times. Change it so that it does not have time to deteriorate. But treats – dose them, especially if they are sweet, if you don’t want to fatten the animal and make it sick.

What do dwarf hamsters eat?

Practically no different from, with one exception. Children are susceptible to diabetes. For this reason, hamsters should not be given sweet fruits as their main diet. It is better to limit yourself to rare cases and give such fruits in small quantities.

What to feed hamsters at home on special occasions

Special cases are times of illness or feeding small hamsters. For babies, boiled porridge with water or baby food in jars without sugar, milk and gluten are suitable.
In case of illness, the owner of the animal must contact a veterinarian, but one-time disorders can be tried to be corrected:

• If the animal has diarrhea, you can give the hamster rice water or slightly undercooked rice.
• If there is constipation, you should give him 2 drops of Vaseline oil every 3 hours. Here oil is not so much food as medicine.

An older hamster eats worse. It is more difficult for him to cope with large pieces of food and tough foods. You can grate vegetables and fruits and steam cereals. However, solid food must be added; the animal cannot survive without it. Chamomile decoction, brewed twice a day, is also good to give to “pensioners.”

Caring for rodents is not difficult, but you need to know what hamsters eat. To do this, study the question of what hamsters are fed and what they should not be fed; the health of the animal and its mood depend on this.

How and what to feed hamsters: diet at home

5 (100%) 9 votes

When buying a hamster for a home, owners often do not know what to feed the animal. Therefore, having fed him with the usual foods for themselves, they do not realize that they can harm their pet. It is worth remembering that a hamster is not a person and that death is good for you. In order for your hamster to live a long and happy life, you should take the issue of his diet very seriously.

Food for a hamster must contain all useful vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. To do this, you need to feed the hamster with different foods. For example, in summer it is better to give the animal as many vegetables as possible. In winter, it is worth choosing suitable vitamins or food that contains all the useful substances. Don't forget that your hamster should have not only food in his cage, but also water. , although not a difficult task, it is a responsible one. Therefore, carefully read what foods you can feed your hamster and what you cannot.

Foods that hamsters can eat (Djungarian, Syrian and other types)

The main food for all types of hamsters is, of course, dry food and cereals. You should buy food in specialized stores and only those marked for hamsters. All other food mixtures for parrots, rabbits and other animals cannot be included in the hamster’s diet. The daily feed intake for growing or young animals should be 14 grams.

In addition to food, hamsters can be fed the following foods:

Protein food:

• low-fat dairy products 0-1% fat (cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt without fillers);
• meat (non-salted boiled chicken);
• seafood (shrimp and lean fish);
• boiled eggs (chicken or quail);
• dried gammarus or live butterflies, grasshoppers, earthworms purchased at a pet store.

For feeding small hamsters:

What not to feed hamsters

milk, butter, sour cream, cream, almonds, honey, mint, white and red cabbage, pits of apricots, cherries or cherries, potatoes and their peels, onions, garlic, mushrooms, watermelon, melon, fried, fatty, sausages, sausages , sorrel, kozinaki, citrus fruits, salt, spices, sugar, pineapple, kiwi, mango, pomegranate, avocado, ice cream, chocolate, confectionery, pasta, bread, crackers.

Everyone knows that a beloved pet does not cause much trouble and eats little.

But it is not enough to provide the hamster with comfort by placing it in a spacious room. Another important component of a full life for this funny animal is proper nutrition.

The material contains all the necessary information about what hamsters eat at home and what diet is most suitable for them.

Nutritional Features

The food must meet all the needs of the hamster. This is quite possible if you take the issue of nutrition seriously and plan your diet correctly.

Important!The main cause of death in domestic hamsters is diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and non-compliance with certain feeding habits.

It is important to provide your hamster with these important components of his short life:

• a complete diet;
• correct diet;
• maintaining food hygiene.

Complete diet

Hamsters belong to the order of rodents, so for a full life, the diet must contain food of plant and animal origin.

Hamsters need to constantly grind down their incisors, so you need to provide the animals with a variety of branches of deciduous trees - for example, apple, cherry, black currant, rose hip, linden, birch, willow, oak. Pre-prepared branches must be scalded with boiling water, thus disinfecting them from dirt, insect larvae and road dust.

In winter, it is important to provide the hamster with a constant supply of hay - it acts as a substitute for fresh greens.
Sometimes hamsters prefer to eat small insects (grasshoppers, locusts, ants and worms), which are rich in calcium and iron. It is advisable to buy this kind of insects only at a pet store.

Diet

Veterinarians advise feeding your hamster twice a day: morning and evening.

The bulk of the dry food is served in the evening, since the hamster is a crepuscular animal and usually wakes up in the late afternoon.

It is advisable to feed hamsters at the same time. This regime will not lead the hamster to severe hunger and subsequent overeating.

Did you know? A hamster's cheek pouches can hold an amount of food equal to the hamster's weight.

Depending on the age and size, the hamster needs different amounts of food. Relative to its size, the hamster eats a fairly large amount of food. So, the daily food intake should be 80–100% of the hamster’s body weight. The animal's appetite may depend on the breed, personal preferences, and air temperature.

A hamster is a thrifty animal, and its feeder should always contain a sufficient amount of food and various treats.

The hamster's diet should be varied, this will saturate the body with useful substances. So, the optimal diet should consist of:

• from all kinds of cereals: it can be oats, wheat, millet, corn, peas, beans;
• croup: buckwheat, rice, oats, etc.;
• nuts: walnuts, peanuts, cashews, pine nuts;
• seeds: pumpkin, sunflower, watermelon;
• fresh vegetables: pumpkin, carrot;
• berries: currants, cherries (pitted), raspberries, etc.;
• some fruits: apricot, apples, pear, grapes;
• dried fruits: dried apricots, raisins, prunes;
• greenery: clover leaves, plantain leaves, ordinary meadow grass, beet or carrot tops, parsley (in small quantities), dill, lettuce.

Mandatory condition: all these products must be fresh, not spoiled.

Ready food

Special ready-made mixtures developed by veterinarians help to ensure maximum nutritional needs. Such mixtures contain a balanced content of essential microelements and nutrients, taking into account the needs of the hamster.
Finished feed is divided into:

• basic, as daily nutrition;
• feed additives, as additional support for the body at different periods of life;
• food treats, as an incentive supplement to the diet.

When purchasing feed mixtures, pay attention to their composition. Some manufacturers may add foods prohibited for hamsters to this food. Also keep an eye on expiration dates.

You cannot buy feed mixtures intended for other animals, despite the fact that the base in them is almost the same. When mixing, various (vitamin and non-vitamin) additives may be added that are not suitable for the hamster’s body.

Important! Ready-made feed mixtures may contain ethoxyquin, a preservative to increase shelf life, which can cause poisoning and illness in hamsters.

The most reliable and safe way to make sure that your hamster is eating the “right food” is to prepare the mixture yourself, which is quite easy to do at home. To do this, mix cereals that are healthy for the hamster, add nuts and dried fruits. For example: 20 g oats, 10 g wheat, 5 g sprouted wheat, 3 g pumpkin seeds, 2 g sunflower seeds, 10 g dried fruits, 10 g walnuts, 5 g hazelnuts.

As a result, there is not too much finished feed, which will prevent it from deteriorating and becoming stale.

During the season of fresh vegetables, before feeding the hamster, you can add a few small pieces of carrots and zucchini to this mixture. In addition, a sprig of greenery would be useful.

Porridge

It is useful to add ready-made porridges to the menu: buckwheat, oatmeal, wheat. They are prepared (or steamed) only in water, with the addition of a small amount of vegetable oil.

Such porridges are very useful and necessary for cubs and young hamsters with not yet strong incisors.

Cereals and legumes

Of all the grains, oats, barley and buckwheat are considered the most healthy.

Thus, oats and barley are rich in vitamins, micro- and macroelements, and buckwheat is healthy due to the protein and minerals it contains.

There is no need to give your hamster rice - all the useful components in the rice are removed during processing, and what remains after processing mainly contains only starch. It will not bring any benefit to the hamster.

The best legumes are young peas, lentils, chickpeas, and green beans. They are rich in potassium, phosphorus, carotene, iron and contain vitamin C.

Hamsters love sunflower seeds and often eat only them. Therefore, try to give them in small quantities so that the hamster has a need to eat other food.

Did you know?Hamsters' reserves of seeds and grains under natural conditions can reach 90 kg.

In the total diet, grains and legumes should make up at least 30%.

Nuts

It is advisable to give nuts in limited quantities. This is a high-calorie product, and to prevent your pet from gaining excess weight, you should not abuse them. In nutrition, they should act as a delicacy.

Nuts such as walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, and cashews should be present in the diet on an ongoing basis as a storehouse of protein and beneficial elements for the hamster’s body. It is necessary to give nuts already peeled so that the hamster does not injure its cheek pouches.

Milk

Hamsters love milk. It contains the necessary liquid and highly digestible protein. It contains many vitamins and minerals necessary for the hamster’s body. Milk contains sugar in small quantities, so it should be given no more than twice a month to be beneficial. You can soak a small piece of stale bread in milk and serve it to your hamster as a reward treat.

Kefir is allowed from fermented milk products, but not more than 1% fat content.

Meat

Once a week you can add a small amount of meat to your diet. A hamster will benefit from boiled chicken breast, boiled beef heart and liver. These products will affect the good appearance of the coat. From meat to hamsters you can't give pork, it will lead to serious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

The main condition when feeding meat is to feed a small amount that the hamster can consume at a time, without any leftovers.

Pasta and bakery

Oddly enough, hamsters love to eat cooked pasta. They should be served in limited quantities, only boiled, without adding salt, much less any spices.

Periodically (very rarely) stale bread is added to the main diet.

The thing is that hamsters eat bread with pleasure, but it is prepared on the basis of yeast, which also leads to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Vegetables and fruits

Vegetables and fruits should be present in the diet on an ongoing basis. These are cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes and many others growing in the garden.

Vegetables can be raw or cooked. The only prohibition is no cold or frozen vegetables and fruits.

Also, you should not give your hamster spoiled or stale food, otherwise the animal may get sick.

Important! When stocking up on fresh vegetables, the hamster may eat them already spoiled, so it is necessary to monitor your pet’s cage and throw away such “stocks” in a timely manner.

Vitamin complexes

Another important component of a hamster’s complete diet is vitamins. He consumes most of the vitamins with food, but additional support for the hamster’s body will not be superfluous to diseases.

In winter, if there is a lack of green vegetables in the diet, it is useful to give the hamster sprouted grains (oats, wheat). This will replenish the animal’s body with vitamins.
The most common way is to buy special vitamin complexes in veterinary pharmacies. When buying vitamins of this kind, you should pay attention to their release form. Tablets and powders are considered a convenient form.

Vitamins in the form of granules or rice balls are used as prophylaxis and do not have medicinal properties.

In addition to vitamin complexes, hamsters need to be fed with minerals. Meat and bone meal is added to the feed as a mineral supplement, but not more than twice a week. When serving, meat and bone meal is mixed with porridge at the rate of 1–3% (young or adult) of the amount of porridge.

Additives to the basic diet include table salt. It is useful in small quantities - at a dosage of 0.02 g for young and 0.05 g for adult hamsters per day.

Water balance

Domestic hamsters cannot replenish their water balance from food, so a sufficient amount of fresh water must always be present in the cage. This is due to the fact that the hamster eats mostly dry food.
The water must be changed every day, thus preventing it from stagnating in the cage. Bad water will harm your hamster's health.

Some veterinarians, as a preventive measure for colds, sometimes recommend pouring chamomile decoction (1 teaspoon per 0.5 cup of water) into the hamster's drinking bowl instead of water. This decoction is suitable for no more than 12 hours.

The hamster's water bowl should be washed every day without using special detergents or using regular baking soda.

Prohibited Products

But not everything is so simple with the diet of hamsters. There are a number of products prohibited for consumption.

Here is a list of things that are not recommended to feed hamsters at home:

• bread;
• cabbage;
• almond;
• sausages;
• sweets;
• exotic fruits;
• citrus.

It is also dangerous to give greens such as dandelions. The milky sap contained in the stems and leaves causes irritation on the inner surface of the hamster's pouches.

It is forbidden to feed food seasoned with salt and spices. Prohibited products also include food that has undergone heat treatment (meaning fried food).

Important! To grind down teeth, you should not give your hamster branches of coniferous trees and cones because of the resins they contain.

Remember: what hamsters eat at home directly affects the quality and length of their life. By carefully following the basic rules of a healthy diet, you will certainly ensure your pet a long and healthy life.

Choosing the right diet for your pet is the key to its health and good mood. In this article, we’ll look at what to feed your Syrian hamster at home and make a list of healthy and unhealthy foods. The list will help inexperienced owners quickly navigate and create the ideal menu for the baby.

Let's also look at what can be given to a Syrian hamster, and what it should absolutely not be fed.

The diet of the Syrian hamster in the wild consists of 3 main components:

• succulent food (greens, vegetables, fruits, berries);
• protein foods (small insects, worms).

At home, providing your pet with a balanced diet is not difficult.

Seeds and nuts

Since the animal’s homeland is forest-steppe and meadows, the basis of its diet should be grains. The easiest way is to provide your pet with the necessary seeds in full by purchasing them at pet stores. They include:

• wheat;
• corn;
• oats;
• red millet;
• alfalfa;
• sunflower;
• split peas;
• peanut;
• buckwheat;
• sesame.

All these components can and should be included in the Syrian hamster’s diet.

The only thing you need to pay attention to is that the percentage of fat-containing seeds (sunflower, peanuts) is minimal.

This food is best used as a treat to prevent your pet from gaining excess weight.

You can prepare the mixture for your baby yourself to be absolutely sure that all the ingredients are suitable for your pet. In addition to the above components, it is good to include seeds:

• pumpkins;
• watermelon;
• melons

These components will diversify the baby’s diet and saturate the body with useful substances.

Greenery and tree branches

It should also form a significant part of the rodent’s daily menu. Here is a list of useful plants:

• knotweed;
• clover;
• wheatgrass;
• whine;
• plantain;
• burdock;
• nettle (only processed with boiling water);
• lettuce;
• parsley;
• dill;
• sprouts of wheat, oats, millet and other permitted seeds.

There are plants that can be included in the Syrian hamster's diet, but this must be done with caution. This:

• tarragon;
• sagebrush;
• dandelion.

Grass for feeding your pet should be collected away from busy roads (the best option is your own garden plot), rinsed well with running water and then dried.

In order for the rodent to be able to grind down its constantly growing teeth, it is recommended to offer it deciduous trees:

• apple trees;
• pears;
• cherries;
• birch;
• maple;
• beech;
• oak;
• poplars;
• ash

Branches should be cut in an environmentally friendly place. Before putting them in the cage, you should wash the branches and remove all twigs.

Vegetables

The Syrian hamster's daily diet should include some juicy, vitamin-rich hamsters. The most useful vegetables for small rodents are:

• carrot;
• cucumber;
• pumpkin (pulp only);
• sweet pepper;
• radish;
• turnip;

Hamsters especially love and, but kids are always happy to eat other vegetables. You need to choose fruit for complementary feeding very carefully. The pet’s small body cannot easily tolerate any “chemical” substances, so the vegetable must be grown without the use of pesticides and nitrates.

Even a small dose of chemicals will cause poisoning if it enters the animal’s digestive tract.

Vegetables must be fresh, without rotten areas. All root vegetables should be washed well before serving them to your pet. It is better to peel the vegetables and cut them into small cubes so that it is convenient for your baby to eat.

Fruits

• (if the apple is sweet and sour, you can give it more often);
• bananas;
• (try giving a small piece first to observe the intestinal reaction);
• peaches;
• apricots.

Before treating your baby to fruit, remove the seeds and seeds from them, cut them into small pieces and give them to the rodent one at a time.

Berries

Berries are on the list of what Syrian hamsters eat in their natural environment. In a small amount it will be useful for them to enjoy:

• strawberries;
• raspberries;
• (seedless).

Berries should be selected that are ripe, but not overripe, and washed well.

Protein products

Let's look at what you can feed your Syrian hamster to provide the rodent with protein. Here are the most useful and accessible sources of this dietary component necessary for animals:

• (chicken or quail);
• boiled chicken breast or lean fish;
• fresh green peas;
• chickpeas (must be soaked in water before feeding);
• insects or worms intended to feed rodents and sold in pet stores.

In order for these foods to be beneficial, they should be given in limited quantities.

It is better to give your pet “protein days” twice or thrice a week. Products need to be alternated.

What to feed the animal

After the question of what a Syrian hamster can eat is resolved, you need to figure out what kind of liquid should be given to the animal. Contrary to popular belief, succulent food is not enough to provide the animal’s body with moisture.