Feed Dwarf Hamsters

Dwarf hamsters are cute and very tiny animals that measure only about two to four inches in length. They are relatively low maintenance, which makes them great to keep as pets. They are little balls of energy and have a very fast metabolism, so it is important for them to eat a well-balanced diet that keeps them happy, healthy, and active.

Steps

Learning What to Feed Your Dwarf Hamster

1. Feed your dwarf hamster commercial hamster food. Dwarf hamsters have a similar diet to other hamster varieties. A mainstay of your dwarf hamster’s diet should be commercial hamster food, which you can purchase at your local pet store. Commercial hamster food comes in pelleted form and typically consists of seeds, pellets, grains, and bits of cracked corn.
   • Commercial hamster food has a high nutritional value, but should not be the only type of food you feed your dwarf hamster.
   • The pellet formulation allows your dwarf hamster to gnaw on his food, which can be good for his dental hygiene.
   • Choose a commercial food that has about 15 to 20% protein.
   • If you have the time, you can also Make Your Own Hamster Food
2. Give your hamster fresh fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables add extra nutrition as well as variety to your hamster’s diet. Make sure to wash the fruits and vegetables thoroughly with fresh water to remove any pesticides or other chemicals. Examples of produce that you can feed your dwarf hamster are asparagus, broccoli, bananas, and blueberries.
   • Incorporate fruits and vegetables gradually into your dwarf hamster’s diet to reduce his likelihood of developing diarrhea. Start by feeding one small piece of produce a week, then slowly move up to feeding a small piece once a day. If he develops diarrhea, stop feeding him produce and allow the diarrhea to resolve before trying again.
   • Herbs, such as basil and coriander, are also good to feed your dwarf hamster.
3. Include a good protein source in your dwarf hamster’s diet. Protein is an important nutrient for your dwarf hamster. Fortunately, there are several great protein sources from which you can choose. For example, raw and unsalted seeds, such as sunflower, flax, and sesame, are high in protein. Lentils are another good protein source.
   • If you are not too squeamish, you can also feed him insects (grasshoppers, earthworms, crickets), which are high in protein. Consider purchasing these from your local pet store, since the ones you capture outside may have microorganisms that could make your dwarf hamster sick.
   • Small amounts of dairy (plain yogurt, cottage) and meat (turkey, chicken) are also good protein sources.
4. Add fiber to your dwarf hamster’s diet. Natural sources of fiber, such as timothy hay and alfalfa hay, are good sources of fiber. Your dwarf hamster may not be a fan of hay, but you can give him a small amount to see if he will like it.
5. Feed your dwarf hamster hard treats once a week. Hard treats help your dwarf hamster keep his incisors filed down, which is good for his overall dental hygiene. You can let him gnaw on small dog biscuits, commercial hamster treats, or a small branch taken from a fruit-bearing tree.
   • Your dwarf hamster can have soft treats, too. Examples of soft treats include whole wheat bread and scrambled eggs.
6. Provide your dwarf hamster with fresh water. Water is just as important to your dwarf hamster’s diet as food. Buy a hamster-sized water bottle with a stem and ball bearing from your local pet store. The ball regulates how much water comes out each time the hamster takes a drink.
   • Do not give your hamster a water bowl or dish. While it might seem like a good thing to do, a water bowl or dish will actually result in a watery mess in your hamster’s cage. Watery messes can lead to mold growth that could make your hamster sick.
   • Fill the water bottle completely to create a vacuum inside the bottle. This will prevent water from leaking out when you refill it.
   • Position the bottle inside the cage so that it is out of direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can cause algae to form inside the bottle. This will not make your dwarf hamster sick, but it will mean that you will need to clean his water bottle more often.
   • The water bottle can be secured to the inside of the cage with two small clips that you can find at your local pet store, in case the clips didn’t already come with the bottle.
7. Learn which foods you should not feed your dwarf hamster. Although there are a lot of human foods that you can feed your hamster, there are other foods that can make him sick and should be kept out of his diet. For example, there are certain fruits and vegetables that you should not feed your dwarf hamster, including tomato leaves, raw potatoes, and onions. Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons) should also be avoided because they are too acidic for him.
   • A watermelon’s water content is too high for him.
   • Almonds contain cyanic acid, which can make your dwarf hamster very sick.
   • Fruit seeds can be harmful to your dwarf hamster. If you would like to feed your dwarf hamster fruits that have seeds (apples, peaches, plums), make sure to remove the seeds first.
   • Chocolate contains a substance called theobromine that can negatively affect your dwarf hamster’s circulatory system.

Feeding Your Dwarf Hamster

1. Select the proper food bowl for your dwarf hamster. The ideal food bowl for your dwarf hamster is small and ceramic. If you purchase a large bowl, you will be more likely to overfeed him. Also, large bowls take up a lot of cage space. Ceramic bowls are chew-resistant, which is a benefit over plastic bowls. Scratches due to chewing can lead to bacterial growth, so a ceramic bowl will decrease the likelihood of bacteria growing in or on the bowl.
   • Ceramic bowls are also very sturdy, which makes them difficult to overturn, unlike plastic food bowls.
   • Place the food bowl as far away as possible from your hamster’s designated ‘bathroom.’ Hamsters choose one spot in the cage to do all of their business. Once you have figured out where that spot is, make sure to put the food bowl on the opposite side of the cage.
   • Clean the food bowl once a week when you clean your dwarf hamster’s cage.
2. Feed your dwarf hamster at the same time each day. There is some debate as to whether hamsters should be fed in the morning of evening. A benefit to feeding them in the evening is that they will already be awake, since they are nocturnal animals. On the other hand, feeding them in the morning means that food will be there when they wake up sporadically throughout the day.
   • Whichever time of day you choose to feed your dwarf hamster, remain consistent with feeding him at the same time.
   • Remember that dwarf hamsters have a very high metabolism, so they will need access to food at all times.
3. Observe your dwarf hamster's eating habits. Your dwarf hamster's diet should contain a variety of foods so that he receives all of the nutrients he needs in the correct amounts. However, your dwarf hamster may not like everything that you feed him. If you notice that he's consistently not eating a certain food, switch it out for something else.
   • For example, if you notice that he doesn't like one kind of fruit (e.g., apple), replace with it another fruit (e.g., banana). Keeping a variety of foods will allow you to easily switch out one food for another.
   • Discontinue feeding him food that makes him sick (e.g., diarrhea caused by eating watermelon).
4. Do not overfeed your dwarf hamster. He will only need about one tablespoon of hamster food each day, plus the occasional treat and fresh food. While a tablespoon of food might look like a lot compared to these tiny creatures, dwarf hamsters actually have very fast metabolisms and can eat the same amount as their larger cousins.
   • Do not be tempted to fill his empty food bowl. Hamsters have cheek pouches in which they will stuff their food to save for later. They also have a tendency to store their food under their cage bedding. The fact that your dwarf hamster’s food bowl is empty does not necessarily mean that he has eaten all of his food.
5. Remove any uneaten food. This is especially important for fruits and vegetables, since they can quickly become spoiled and moldy. Feed only the amount of fruit that your dwarf hamster can eat in a day. This may take some trial and error before you determine what that amount is.

Tips

• If your dwarf hamster is having trouble with the water bottle, the vacuum may be too strong. If this is the case, pour some of the water out to lessen the strength of the vacuum. Do not let too much water out, though–this could cause water leakage.

Warnings

• If your dwarf hamster’s incisors are not kept filed down by gnawing, they may become too long. Incisors that are too long can make it difficult for your dwarf hamster to eat, and could even puncture the roof of his mouth.

Related Articles

• Care for Chinese Dwarf Hamsters
• Make Your Own Hamster Food
• Care for Dwarf Hamsters
• Care for a Russian Dwarf Hamster
• Clean a Hamster's Teeth

Sources and Citations

See also

• Feed Hamsters

What links here

• Care for a Russian Dwarf Hamster
• Clean Out a Hamster Cage