Food! Glorious Food!

Rather there storing it in their cheeks, hoarding it, or munching on it, hamsters love food! Want to feed your hamster something besides regular hammy food and store bought hammy treats? Me too! Here is a list of everything you can feed your hamster! (In alphabetical order, by category.)

Fruits: Hamsters love fruits, both fresh and dried. Fruits make great treats for your furry friend!
Apples
Bananas
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cantaloupes
Cherries
Cranberries
Grapes
Mango
Melon
Peaches
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries

Vegetables: It is a good idea (though not completely necessary) to feed your ham some fresh veggies once a day, though once in a while as a treat is fine too.
Asparagus
Bean Sprouts
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Chickweed
Chicory
Clovers
Corn
Cucumbers
Dandelions
Grass
Green Beans
Kale
Parsnips
Peas
Red Peppers
Romaine Lettuces
Spinach
Squash
Sweet Bell Peppers
Sweet Potato
Turnips
Watercress
Water Chestnuts
Zucchini

Grains: Grains can be fed daily, or as a treat.
Bran
Buckwheat
Flax
Oats
Wheat Germ

Seeds: Most store bought hamster foods have seeds mixed into them, but it doesn't hurt to add some of these or make your own mix.
Bird Seeds
Flax Seeds
Millet Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Squash Seeds
Sunflower Seeds

Protein: It is ok to serve small amounts of protein daily (Though it is not necessary), or randomly as a treat.
Beef (Cooked)
Chicken (Cooked)
Cottage Cheese
Crickets
Eggs (Cooked with NO shell)
Meal Worms
Tofu
Turkey (Cooked)
Yogurt (Plain)

Hays: Hays can be given as a treat, or used as bedding materials.
Alfalfa Hay
Timothy Hay

Human Foods: Human foods should be fed as treats and only in small amounts.
Bread
Cheerios
Crackers (Plain, Unsalted)
Oatmeal (Plain, Uncooked)
Peanut Butter
Peanuts
Skin Milk
Walnuts

NEVER EVER NEVER feed them:
Almonds
Canned Fruits
Canned Vegetables
Chocolate
Cinnamon
Citrus Fruits
Coffee
Garlic
Onions
Raw Beans
Rotten Fruits
Rotten Vegetables
Salt
Spicy Things
Sugary/Sweet Things
Toffee

Remember! The above listed foods are NOT a replacement for regular hamster food! Your hamster needs a proper diet to be healthy and the best way to offer a proper diet is fresh hamster food daily, chewing materials, and any of the above listed. All hamsters are different and they all have different tastes. If you offer your pet something that it turns it's nose up to, don't become discouraged! Try again in a day or so with something a little different! :))

CAUTION!!!!
Hamsters are notorious hoarders! If you provide your hammy with something that will eventually spoil (such as fresh fruits and veggies) make sure to check their habitat after a day or so to make sure they haven't hidden it and let it go bad. If hamsters eat spoiled foods they can become very ill. But as long as you check up on them, everything should be ok!

Good luck figuring out your hammy's favorite food! :))

-Tracy

Hamster Haul!

In an earlier post I talked about all the things that are necessary for your hamster to be happy and healthy. But there is so much more out there for your hammy that isn't exactly necessary, but sure is fun and beneficial!

1. Toys: Hamsters love to play with things and will chew on almost anything they can get there cute little paws on! So give them toys! One of the cheapest ham ham toys you can get is a toilet paper roll! They love to run through them and chew them up. Pet stores sell all kinds of small animal toys, also. There are hanging chews, that can be hung from the top or side of the cage, and there are rolling chews, which are chew toys that roll around and are easy to move. Hamster chew toys come in all shapes, sizes, colors, flavors, and materials.

2. Treats: Could you imagine eating the same food every day for the rest of your life, with no deserts or candies? It would suck huh? So why put your hamster through it?! Feed them some treats! You can purchase hamster treats from any pet store! There are yogurt drops, food bars, dried fruits, hays, and salt licks that you can purchase for your furry friend. Want to try something else? Feed them fresh fruits and vegetables!

3: Cage Expansions: If your ham ham lives in a cage with tube doors you can expand their habitat with tubes and other cages or lookouts. Hamsters are naturally curious creatures, and they love to explore, so giving them more room to run is important! Most hamster cages are actually too small for the poor hammies so make sore they have plenty of space to play in! It will also help keep them in shape.

4: Run About Balls: Anyone who has ever watched a hamster in action knows that there little exercise freaks! It seems that all they want to do is run on their wheel all night long. Why not try a Run About Ball? Run About Balls are small clear balls made of plastic that have a small door and air holes. Your hamster can run in them and explore! Just make sure your ham ham can't roll down a staircase or under a bed or something! If your worried your hamster will roll into danger, they also sell race tracks too keep them from going into dangerous areas. Or you can use a baby gate to keep them in one room.

You can also make your own hamster homes and toys out of household items. A good idea is to have more than one house or toy for your hamster. Even if they don't all fit in their cage at once you can switch them out so your hamster doesn't get bored! I hope this helps!

-Tracy