How often should you feed hamsters

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Hamsters love to hoard their food. They pack extra food into special cheek pouches and then store it around their cage for later. They leave the parts that are high in fibre and eat the bits that are high in sugar. This can cause painful problems with their teeth and can also mean they put on weight. Donate to our emergency appeal now to provide vital vet care to pets in need and keep families together during this crisis. Hamsters in the wild spend a lot of time searching for food.

How often should you feed hamsters

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Hamsters in the wild spend a lot of time searching for food.

Last Updated: March 4, Approved. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. This article has been viewed , times. Hamsters can be cute, small, cuddly, and playful.

Pet Keen is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more. Hamsters are small animals, and it can be difficult to gauge exactly how much to feed them, especially if you are a new hamster owner. The amount that you feed your hamster largely depends on their weight and age, but in general, a hamster will eat around 2 tablespoons of food mix per day. Smaller hamsters, such as Dwarf varieties, will only need around 1 tablespoon per day. If you notice that your hamster is not finishing their food or that they are rapidly gaining weight, you are probably feeding them too much. If they finish their food rapidly, you may need to increase their portions slightly. Hamsters can hold a large amount of food inside their cheeks.

How often should you feed hamsters

People are fond of regular meals and we often tend to put our pets on a similar system of two or three meals a day. At a minimum, most pets are fed at least daily. Every hamster likes to keep a store of food in a safe place. Usually close to his or her nest. This helps wild hamsters survive during times when there are food shortages. Those cheek pouches are of course a brilliant way for such a small animal to carry much more food home when he finds it, than he could manage by carrying it in his mouth. Pretty soon the store will be quite big. But you may be wondering whether or not to fill up the bowl again, or whether to wait until the hamster has eaten what is in his store. Dwarf hamsters will need a little less, and Robo or Chinese hamsters may only need a single tablespoon of food once per day due to their tiny size. Make sure you have several bowls so that you can put his daily rations in a clean one and remove the old one for washing.

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You will find that your hamster goes to the bathroom in one corner of his cage. Donate today. Younger, high-energy hamsters will also eat more on average than older hamsters, and the same goes for pregnant and nursing mothers. About a teaspoon a day is generally enough for a Russian ham. More reader stories Hide reader stories. If they finish their food rapidly, you may need to increase their portions slightly. Use the search! Once a week you should also give your hamster a hard treat, like a mineral or salt lick, which provides nutrients and helps keep its teeth in good shape. These forces them to work to get their food and can facilitate play. They seem to know if it's "fresh" that day or old. If your hamster is used to being fed every other day, I think that's ok too.

Last Updated: March 4, Approved. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery.

Hamsters love to hoard their food. It should be in water bottle with a metal spout. These forces them to work to get their food and can facilitate play. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. Ask a vet. Co-authors: Good points made above Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers. Junk food, chocolate, alcohol, and candy are also bad for your hamster. Water-soluble vitamins, like vitamin C, are safe, though arguably unnecessary in healthy hamsters. Healthy fruit, veg and herbs These fruits, vegetables and herbs are all suitable for your hamster. Purchase a water bottle. If i would feed every 3 days or wait until the bowl is empty i would have a riot at my hands. Try to give your hamster a small portion of fruit, vegetable, or protein either every day or every other day.