Hamster Feeding Schedule, Guide, Chart: Get a Complete Idea
Hamsters can pick and choose what to eat if you let them do so. And they can stash an incredible amount of food in their cheeks or bedding. So, you need to give them the right amount of food at the right time.
But do you have a proper hamster feeding schedule, guide, or chart? The diet chart of a hamster should contain a balanced mix of protein, carbohydrates, fat, and vitamin. And an adult hamster might eat a maximum of two tablespoons of food every day.
In this article, we will give you a healthy diet chart and a proper feeding schedule for your hamster. Make sure you follow along.
What Should You Feed Your Hamster?
![What Should You Feed Your Hamster](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/What-Should-You-Feed-Your-Hamster.jpg)
As you might already know, hamsters are omnivorous. It means they can digest both plant- and animal-based foods. They mostly eat various plants and seeds in the wild to extract their necessary nutrients. They can also eat small critters if available.
But in captivity, they might not have the option to choose their foods. As a pet owner, you need to make a balanced diet for them so that they get all the nutrients properly. Hamsters need a lot of fiber in their diet. So, you can also give them commercial hamster pellets.
Here is a detailed overview of what you should feed your hamster.
Pellet Diet
This is one of the most important items in a hamster’s diet. Commercial hamster pellets are highly balanced, so they will meet your furry friends’ nutritional needs. Pellets ensure your hamster doesn’t have the option to pick or avoid something.
But the taste of pellet foods can be bland. So, your hamster might occasionally refuse to eat pellet diets. In such cases, you must mix them with seed meals, fresh fruits, vegetables, or some tasty meat.
Hay
Hamsters need to give their teeth a regular trim. Hamsters’ teeth grow continuously throughout their lifetime, and they need to bite something all the time to keep their teeth in shape.
Giving high-quality hay can help hamsters keep their teeth trimmed. You may provide timothy hay or alfalfa hay to your hamsters.
Fruits and Vegetable
Hamsters love eating fresh fruits and vegetables. You can give them apples, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, etc., to meet their cravings. Fresh vegetables like cabbage, cucumber, dandelion greens, potato, lettuce, spinach, squash, etc., are hamsters’ favorite.
But you should strictly maintain the number of fresh fruits and vegetables you feed your hamsters. Too much water in fruits and vegetables can cause diarrhea in them. And excess sugar in fruits can harm their teeth.
Seeds and Nuts
You can also give them a wide variety of nuts and seeds. Hamsters love to eat barley, oat, flax, sunflower, pumpkin, almonds, cashew, hazelnuts, pistachios, and many more. But that doesn’t mean you should feed them a lot of seeds and nuts. These items contain a lot of fat, which can be harmful to your hamster.
So, only give a small number of nuts or seeds as a treat one or two times a week. This will bring some variation to their diet and make them happy throughout the week.
Clean Water
We often ignore this when it comes to feeding hamsters. You should provide enough clean water for your hamsters to drink. For every 100g of body weight, hamsters will drink 8.5mL water on average. Check out the details of their nutritional requirements here.
What Should You Not Feed Your Hamster?
![What Should You Not Feed Your Hamster](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/What-Should-You-Not-Feed-Your-Hamster.jpg)
Certain foods should not be on hamsters’ diet. Most of these are fatty and sugary foods that might cause hamsters to bloat. Make sure you don’t feed the following items to your hamsters.
Raw Beans or Potatoes
These items can be hard to digest for hamsters. Their stomach is very sensitive, so you should not give them raw beans or potatoes. Cook potatoes or beans properly before giving them to hamsters. And only allow them a small portion each time.
Fresh Fruit Seeds
Though hamsters love to bite on fresh fruits, you should be careful about seeds. Especially if you are giving them apples or peaches, you should remove the seeds first. These seeds can be toxic for hamsters.
Fatty Foods
Nuts like almonds and cashew can be your hamsters’ favorite. But you should not feed these items too much due to the high-fat content.
Sugary Foods
Hamsters love the sweet goodness of many fruits, chocolates, etc. But eating too much sugar will affect their teeth. So, refrain from feeding them foods with too much sugar.
Balanced Diet Chart for Hamsters
Check the following hamster feeding chart to ensure you are giving the right foods in the right interval.
Nutrients | Carbohydrate | Protein | Fat | Vegetables | Fruits |
Food Sources | Cooked brown rice Whole-wheat bread Whole-wheat pasta (cooked) Oats Barley | Cooked chicken Crickets Live mealworms Hard boiled eggs Insect larvae Grasshoppers | Pumpkin seeds Sunflower seeds Pistachios Flax seeds Cashew nuts | Lettuce Cucumber Dandelion green Spinach Celery Broccoli Carrots | Apple Cantaloupe Banana Blueberry Strawberry Peach Melon Plum |
When to Feed | Every day | 2/3 times a week | 2/3 times a week | Every day | 3/4 times a week |
How Much to Feed | 1 teaspoon | 0.5 teaspoon | 0.5 teaspoons | 2 teaspoons | 1 teaspoon |
This chart gives you a clear idea of what do hamsters eat and what do hamsters avoid eat. You can check out the article here to know more about their nutritional effects on the lifespan
When to Feed Hamsters?
![When to Feed Hamsters](https://caringtinypets.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/When-to-Feed-Hamsters.jpg)
Hamsters are slow eaters, so they might bite on food whenever they feel like it. It can cause overeating if you leave the food bowl in their cage all day long. So, you should make a convenient feeding schedule and try to feed them at the same time every day.
So, how often do you change hamster food? Feeding them in the morning and evening can be good practice. Your hamsters might be hungry after their nighttime nap. So, you can place the feeding bowl inside their cage in the morning. Remove the bowl after they finish eating. Feed them again in the evening when they are most active.
FAQs
You might have more questions regarding the topic. We will try to address them here.
How much should I feed my hamster a day?
It depends on age, species, activity level, and some other factors. In general, an adult hamster will need at least two tablespoons of food. You can increase or decrease the food supply depending on the eating behavior of your pet hamster.
What is the healthiest diet for a hamster?
A healthy diet for a hamster should contain commercial pellets, hay, fresh fruits and vegetables, protein meals, etc. You can give them little treats such as nuts, and sweet fruits, twice or thrice a week. And make sure they have enough fresh water to drink.
How much fat should I give to my hamsters?
The total fat content in a hamster’s diet should not be more than 5%. Excessive fat can cause various issues in your hamster.
Conclusion
Knowing what to feed your hamsters and when to feed them is crucial to their overall well-being. You should always give them a balanced diet consisting of all the necessary nutrients for their growth. And maintaining a consistent schedule is also important so that your hamsters get used to it. We hope all this information helps you create a balanced feeding chart for your hamsters to keep them healthy and happy.