For families that have little space in the house but would still like an animal to take care of and love, adopting a hamster may be the best solution. However, just like cats and dogs, rodents require care and attention, especially when it comes to their diet.
It is important to differentiate between things that a hamster can eat, but that may not be particularly beneficial to his health, and things that he must eat to remain healthy and in shape for as long as possible. It is our responsibility to take these things into consideration and make sure our little friend has a complete and balanced diet.
Hamsters are omnivorous rodents, but they prefer a seed and plant based diet; they particularly enjoy grains. So, if you want to make your little pet happy, make sure he finds many different types of grains in his bowl.
Which are their favorites? Soy, emmer, spelt, millet and sunflower seeds. All of these must be fresh, well mixed and equally proportioned. If you would like to be a little daring, add some oats and flax seeds as well. They have some truly beneficial properties. Hamsters also really enjoy walnuts, almonds and pine nuts, which contain omega 3, antioxidants and antitumor substances. However, beware, nuts should be given only occasionally! Perhaps as a reward.
Along with dry foods, hamsters should also be given fresh foods – preferably in the evening – such as carrots, apples, celery, zucchini, lettuce and pears. However, these should never be given right out of the fridge. Cold vegetables may hurt the rodent.
Foods to avoid on the other hand are those rich in sugars, which are damaging to a hamster’s metabolism: you should never offer your hamster sweets, chocolate, beans and citrus fruit, even though they would likely eat them anyway. That’s right. These little furry friends are far from fussy and will eat anything!
Hamsters are creatures of habit. Therefore, it is best not to make sudden changes to their diets and above all, not to confuse them by moving their bowl around the cage. Just like humans, these small animals love living in an environment that is cozy and familiar. So, try to get them a cage that is comfortable and colorful, such as Ferplast’s Milos Small Tea Time cage.
It is a “tea time” themed cage made of durable metal mesh coated with non-toxic paint. It has a large plastic base that effectively holds the bedding and is easy and fast to clean: to detach the base from the top, just open the lateral clips. Plus, all the accessories are included!
