what to feed syrian hamsters

• EggPlant – The eggplants contain a mild amount of calcium, fat with little Phosphorus and acidic content with sugar. ...
• Spinach – spinach leaves are thought to be a suitable snack or a treat for Hamsters. ...
• Sage – Herbs like sage is healthy and can be eaten in a small amount by a Syrian Hamster occasionally.

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Full Answer

What is the best food for Syrian hamsters?

• Pear – Pears are thought to be healthy and digestible for hamsters. ...
• Although many hamsters don’t like to eat it, it is still healthy and safe for Syrian hamsters. ...
• Apple – Apart from the dry palettes, you can feed Apple to your Syrian hamster in a small quantity as a treat.
• Apricot – Dried Apricot and its stone/seed should be avoided. ...

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What foods are hamsters the most attracted to?

• Apple seeds and skins
• Grape seeds
• Fruit pits
• Almonds
• Peanuts
• Garlic
• Onions
• Eggplant
• Chocolate (or any other sugary sweet)

Are Syrian hamsters the friendliest hamster type?

Today, Syrian hamsters are widely considered to be the friendliest hamster breed. Not only that they’re also considered the best breed of hamster for families with children. They are the most popular of the big hamster breeds. The main reason for this is because they almost never nip and are very easy to handle.

Are Syrian hamsters good pets?

The Syrian hamster, also known as the golden hamster, is among the most popular choices for small pets. It's generally easy to tame, fun to watch, and fairly low-maintenance, making it a good pet for beginners. These hamsters come from arid regions of northern Syria and southern Turkey. Most are golden brown with a lighter belly.

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How often should I feed my Syrian hamster?

To feed your hamster, give it 1 tablespoon of hamster food, which you can buy from a pet store, once a day either in the morning or the evening. Additionally, feed your hamster a small portion of fruit, vegetables, or protein every day or every other day.

How much should a Syrian hamster eat?

Hamsters eat, on average, only about one to two tablespoons full of food per 24 hours. They avidly put everything else into storage. Syrian hamsters—the larger ones, also called Golden Hamsters—may eat a little more; dwarf hamsters eat a little less.

When should I feed my Syrian hamster?

0:383:40How MUCH & how OFTEN should you feed your hamster? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThey need one of the more common schedules I see people use is feeding the hamsters 1 to 2MoreThey need one of the more common schedules I see people use is feeding the hamsters 1 to 2 tablespoons. Every 2 to 3 days. I think this is a great method because it does give your hamster time to eat

What can Syrian hamsters not eat?

Foods You Should Not Feed HamstersApple seeds.Raw beans.Raw potatoes.Almonds.Citrus fruit.Garlic.Onions.Rhubarb leaves or raw rhubarb.More items...•

Do hamsters need a night light?

Hamsters typically eat their meals at night, and they also typically get their exercise at night. Darkness makes them feel energetic and ready to conquer their "days." Because of that, hamsters need to have the lights off at night.

What vegetables can Syrian hamsters eat?

Speaking of fruits and vegetables – hamsters need them too! Fresh (rinsed with water) veggies are good, and examples include carrots, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, romaine lettuce, spinach and other greens. Fresh fruits (rinsed in water) are good too, such as apples, pears, bananas, grapes and most berries.

Can Syrian hamsters eat carrots?

Can Hamsters Eat Carrots? Yes, but in moderation or just as an occasional treat because they are high in sugar.

Can Syrian hamsters eat cucumber?

Cucumber is a good source of nutrients and fiber for humans, but is it good for hamsters too? Good questions! The short answer is yes, cucumbers make a great addition to any hamster's diet.

How Often Should I Feed My Syrian Hamster?

Ideally, you should feed your hamster every day. This applies to all hamster breeds, not just Syrian hamsters. All hamsters require fresh food and water every day.

What Can Syrian Hamsters Eat?

There are many foods that hamsters can eat, and many foods that hamsters shouldn’t eat. In this section, we’ll be covering everything you should feed your hamster, and we’ll be covering the foods you should avoid in the next section.

What Are Syrian Hamsters Allergic To?

There are many foods that you should never feed your hamster, but it’s also possible that your hamster, as an individual, has developed an allergy to something. Here’s a list of things you shouldn’t feed your hamster.

How Long Can Syrian Hamsters Go Without Food?

This applies to all hamsters: hamsters can’t go for longer than three to four days without food and/or water. It depends on when did they have their last meal, what did they eat, how much did they eat, and how active they have been for the past few days.

What is the best diet for a Syrian hamster?

The best diet for Syrian hamsters. The best diet for Syrian or other types of hamsters will be a pelleted diet that is specially made for hamsters. If your hamster doesn’t enjoy pellets, you can look for a hamster seed mix instead. Or, you can often find a hamster diet mix that is a combination of pellets and seeds.

How much food should a Syrian hamster eat?

Experts recommend that your Syrian hamster eat a hamster diet of about 1/8 cup of pelleted hamster food per day. This is for a standard-sized Syrian or teddy bear hamster. Of course, each hamster has a different appetite and different metabolism. So, it’s important to monitor what they eat to be sure you aren’t over or underfeeding them.

What do hamsters eat?

Hamsters can also eat grapes, apples, watermelon, pears, peaches, and strawberries. Make sure that you remove any seeds so that your hamster doesn’t choke. And, you might want to peel the grape and the apple to make it easier for your hamster to eat.

What happens if a hamster doesn't like food?

This way, if your hamster doesn’t like the food, you haven’t wasted it. And, if it upsets their stomach or causes diarrhea, you won’t have given them a large amount. As long as your hamster likes the small test piece and it doesn’t make them sick, you can offer them a larger piece next time.

What vegetables should I feed my baby carrots?

They may also enjoy vegetables like cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach, peas, and even dandelion greens. Remember that carrots and other vegetables do contain small amounts of sugar.

Can you feed hamsters pellets?

The time of day you feed your hamster doesn’t really matter. Hamsters will eat the food when they’re hungry. And, it will hide food around the cage to snack on throughout the day. While you can leave some pelleted hamster diet mix in their bowl, it’s important that you not leave any food that might rot.

Can hamsters eat bread?

While hamsters can eat very small amounts of brown bread, they should not eat white bread. Bread is not good for them and white bread is the least healthy option. This should only be offered to them rarely, if at all. You should not feed them things like cookies, crackers, cakes and other baked goods or snack foods.

What do hamsters eat?

Seeds. Grains. Nuts. You can also feed hamsters a small amount of good quality fresh fruit and vegetables to add variety to their diet which includes the following: Apples. Carrots. Broccoli. Pears. Cabbage.

How much food should I feed my hamster?

You should feed around 10 grams of good quality commercial hamster food twice a day being careful to keep an eye on your pet's weight.

How often should I give my hamster treats?

You can offer your hamster a few special treats which provides a little extra protein. Once or even twice a week the sort of tasty treats you can give your pet includes the following:

What to do if your hamster is putting on too much weight?

What to do if Your Hamster Puts on Too Much Weight. If you think your hamster is putting on too much weight, you need to take a close look at their diet and to see if you are feeding them a few too many "special treats".

How much water do hamsters drink?

Hamsters tend to drink quite a lot of water for such little creatures and will drink around 10 ml per 100g of body weight per day.

What is the best hamster mix?

The mix should contain all the necessary ingredients which typically consist of the following: Seeds. Grains. Nuts.

Can you change hamster diet?

A small amount of sunflower seeds and peanuts – only given as very special treats because they are both high in fat! The one thing you must never do is change your hamster's diet suddenly as this could be quite harmful to them and the result would be them suffering from a very upset digestive system.

What do hamsters eat?

Pet stores offer hamster foods that are a mixture of seeds, nuts, oats, and other ingredients. These types of foods should not be used as the main diet. Your hamster will pick and choose what they want to eat and not get all of the nutrition they need. However, you can feed them a seed mix 3 times a week along with the lab blocks. This is just so that the hamster doesn't get bored. Make sure your hamster is eating the lab blocks before you give him the seed mix.

How do I care for a hamster?

Diet and nutrition is a highly important aspect of your hamster's health. Without proper feeding, your hamster will not have a long, well-balanced life. Not only does a good diet increase your hamster's lifespan and longevity, it also helps your hamster's appearance and energy.

What to feed a Syrian hamster?

Feed your Syrian hamster a diet of nuts, grains, and seeds (this is typically what's in the commercial food blends) supplemented with fruits and vegetables, such as apples, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and pears.

What is the most common health issue with a Syrian hamster?

Syrian hamsters are generally hardy animals. However, there are a few conditions to watch out for. Wet tail —a gastrointestinal infection usually associated with stress and bacteria proliferation—is the most common health issue affecting this hamster.

Why are hamsters nippy?

Syrian hamsters have a reputation for being somewhat nippy pets. However, this trait is usually due to infrequent or improper handling. 1  As long as you don't squeeze or jostle your hamster as you hold it, it should learn to be content with people handling it.

How big should a hamster cage be?

At minimum, the cage should be 1 foot by 2 feet and at least a foot tall. In general, you’ll have your choice of a cage that is wire on the top with a plastic base or a standard glass or plastic aquarium with a tightly fitting mesh top. 2  The wire cages allow for better airflow, though they offer less protection against drafts.

How long should I keep hamster food in my enclosure?

Always keep a bowl of food in the enclosure, and discard uneaten food after 24 hours. Hamsters typically like to graze, storing food in their cheek pouches and stashing it somewhere for later.

Can hamsters get mites?

Hamsters can also contract fur and ear mites, especially from unsanitary conditions. If your hamster has mites, you might notice itching and loss of fur in patches . If so, contact your vet as soon as possible for treatment. Furthermore, some hamsters can develop overgrown teeth that make eating difficult.

When is the best time to visit a hamster?

Instead, the early morning or evening hours are a good time to interact with your hamster. As pets, Syrian hamsters don't necessarily form a close bond with their owners. But they often will come up to the side of their enclosure if you're there, and many will enjoy lounging in your hands or on your shoulder.

SYRIAN HAMSTER DIET: general information

Cereals such as barley, buckwheat and millet can be used as the base of the feed mixture but try and include as much variety as possible!

GRAIN & SEED MIX

1tbsp per hamster per day is sufficient. In general the food should last until the next feeding

FRESH FOOD

Herbs are often available in supermarkets. You can offer coriander, basil, parsley and more

REMOVE APPLES

In general, I recommend avoiding pet shop treats. They often contain various unhealthy ingredients which may be harmful to hamsters. Some healthy alternatives include the following:

How do Syrian hamsters breed?

Syrian hamsters are polygynous animals, which mean that one male mates with multiple females. Breeding in this species depends on photoperiods or day length: Syrian hamsters breed when photoperiods are long. During each breeding season, females are able to produce young approximately every month. Gestation period is 16 days, yielding 8 - 12 altricial young that are born with closed eyes. The babies are cared by their mother, whereas the father usually doesn't participate in rearing the young. After producing large litters, some females may reduce the litter size by cannibalism. Females in the wild usually do it during food shortages, while those in captivity display cannibalism as a response to anthropogenic disturbance. Young hamsters open their eyes at 12 - 14 days old and are weaned at 19 - 21 days of age. The age of sexual maturity is one month old.

How many Syrian hamsters are there?

The IUCN Red List doesn’t provide the exact number of Syrian hamsters’ population. However, the total population may consist of fewer than 2,500 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) and its numbers are decreasing.

What are some interesting facts about hamsters?

Fun Facts for Kids 1 Syrian hamsters are known to communicate aggression through teeth chattering. 2 The burrows of this animal are quite long, sometimes reaching 9 meters in length in agricultural lands. 3 These rodents can be accustomed and will respond to human voice. 4 Female hamsters are known as attentive and careful mothers. When the offspring are threatened, the female takes the babies in her cheek pouches, carrying them to a safe place. 5 Due to the poorly-developed vision, these rodents rely on their scent glands, which are located on their backs. These glands produce a characteristic odor. Syrian hamsters navigate their environment through leaving a trail of scent, which they do by rubbing their backs against various objects. This scent trail often helps them find their way when lost. 6 In order to survive throughout winter months, Syrian hamsters cache sufficient amount of food in advance. However, in course of time, a part of their cache undergoes fermentation and produces alcohol, so that it's not edible anymore. Nevertheless, these rodents are able to consume and metabolize it due to their considerably large livers. In fact, this unique ability of Syrian hamsters makes them suitable species for alcohol studies.

How do Syrian hamsters communicate?

Fun Facts for Kids. Syrian hamsters are known to communicate aggression through teeth chattering. The burrows of this animal are quite long, sometimes reaching 9 meters in length in agricultural lands. These rodents can be accustomed and will respond to human voice.

What animal is a seed disperser?

These animals are key prey species for many local predators. Moreover, Syrian hamsters act as seed dispersers due to feeding upon various seeds and grains that are occasionally lost while storing. And finally, burrows of these rodents are used by other species, including toads.

When was the hamster captured?

In 1930 , Professor Aharoni captured a female Syrian hamster (otherwise called Golden or Teddy bear hamster) with her twelve pups in Aleppo (Syria). Since then, this species has become a highly popular household pet throughout western states. In fact, all Syrian hamsters that are now kept as pets, originate from this single captured female.

Where do hamsters live?

The natural range of Syrian hamster is a quite small area in the Middle East, restricted to northern Syria and southern Turkey. Populations in the wild are most commonly found in fertile, agricultural and densely populated areas on Aleppinian plateau (Syria). Preferred habitats of this species are steppes, sand dunes, edges of deserts and other warm, dry areas.

What to feed hamsters?

[2] Leftovers can rot, contaminating the cage. Good vegetables to feed your hamster include: turnips, carrots, chicory, spinach, parsley, pumpkin, endive, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, and asparagus.

What does it mean when a hamster is feeding in the morning?

Feeding in the evening, when the hamster is awake and most active, means that she has access to food when it's freshest. Feeding in the morning means she has access to food for a snack when she wakes sporadically during the day.

How to keep hamsters from scratching plastic?

2. Purchase a small ceramic bowl. Hamsters can scratch up plastic bowls, creating crevices which foster the growth of bacteria. A small bowl is preferable to a large one, because it will leave space in the cage for your hamster to play.. Place the bowl at the opposite side of the cage from your hamster’s bathroom area.

How to tell if a hamster is obese?

Monitor your hamster's weight. Because they have so much extra skin, it can be difficult to tell when a hamster is becoming obese. A Syrian should weight approximately one ounce per inch of length. Also, if your hamster appears slow and sluggish, it is possible you should modify its diet.

How to keep hamsters from knocking over water?

Purchase a water bottle. Hamsters are liable to knock over a water dish, creating sanitary problems. At the pet store purchase a bottle that can hang on your hamster’s cage. Refill regularly with bottled water. Be sure to clean the water bottle at least once a week.

Do hamsters need to be washed?

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer. No. Hamsters are fastidious creatures and keep themselves clean, so they usually don't need to be washed. There are also risks associated with bathing a hamster, such as his inhaling water, drowning, or catching a chill.

Can hamsters eat sunflower seeds?

After a few weeks, slowly transition it to a different food source, should you choose to. If you are feeding your hamster a seed mix, make sure that it does not only eat the sun flower seeds. Hamsters prefer these, but they will not satisfy all of your hamster’s nutritional needs. ...