Hamster Food and Forages

Hamsters are generally not overly fond of pellets/nuggets and unfortunately most pet food manufacturers are tending change formulations towards this kind of diet due to increasingly GMO grown seeds & grains, and organic ones becoming too expensive and with reduced shelf-life. Some hamsters may even refuse point-blank to eat these pellets, even if they are excellent quality, but it is important that they do consume the important ingredients contained within. In such cases, please do not let your hamster starve itself, but don’t be tempted to switch to a nasty cheap mix that is filled with sugar, preservatives, colourants, fat, and little nutritional value. Instead, try this:

If your hamster is fussy and you are concerned that he may not be eating the full balance of his mix, simply grind up the pellets finely in a liquidizer/electric coffee grinder/pestle & mortar and mash this “powder” into his/her favourite fresh food (works well in pureed/mushy foods). Most hamsters will happily eat it in this form.

Grinding is also a good way of adding hemp seeds and linseeds/flaxseeds to the ground up mix, which is really good for skin and fur maintenance, but absorbed better if ground up (about twice a week).

Some hamsters may even prefer pellets and other bits if they are dampened. Simply place a few ingredients in a small bowl each evening, pour hot water over, and immediately drain.

You may also want to try mixing two or three good quality foods together to make up for variety, in combination with the above tips. It may require a bit of experimentation to get the right mix for your hamster’s particular liking. There is good value in finding the right mixture to suit each hamster’s taste that he will enjoy more readily, rather than forcing himself to only eat what is available in desperation not to starve.