Chinese Dwarf Hamster Diet

Chinese dwarf hamsters enjoy a variety of foods.

The Chinese dwarf hamster's nutritional needs are similar to those of other hamsters. Hamsters need a balanced diet that includes carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins and minerals. An ideal diet consists of commercial hamster food, which you can buy at your local pet store and many grocery and discount department stores, combined with fresh foods from your kitchen and an occasional treat. Hamsters like to nosh throughout the day and are good judges of how much to eat, so all you need to do is make sure a tablespoon or so of food is always available. Your hamster also needs a ready supply of fresh water at all times.

Seed Mixes

Commercial foods containing an abundant variety of seeds are a popular choice and hamsters typically love them, but this can be disadvantageous. While these mixes as a whole comprise a balanced diet, hamsters can be picky eaters, and some will pick out the seeds they favor (sunflower seeds are commonly a big hit), and eat them exclusively. This not only results in an unbalanced diet when the hamster fails to eat the less-preferred components of the mix, but can also lead to obesity because seeds are high in fat and calories.

Pellet and Block Formulations

Another type of commercially available hamster food is made up of pellets or "blocks" of food, in which the ingredients of the hamster's diet have been ground together and compressed into bite-sized, relatively uniform pellets or blocks. With this type of food, picking out favorites such as whole seeds isn't an option for the hamster, so you can be assured that your pet is getting all the nutrients he or she needs. The downside is that hamsters aren't as fond of this type of food as they are seed mixes. You can give your hamster the best of both worlds if you prefer, by alternating between seed mixes and pellets--just make sure your hamster eats his pellets before you offer seeds (not unlike eating your veggies before partaking of dessert).

Fresh Tidbits from the Kitchen

Although eating "people" food is considered bad for some types of pets, the opposite is true for hamsters. Offering your hamster a few hamster-sized bites of fresh foods enhances your pet's diet. Good choices include fresh vegetables, such as carrots, iceberg lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower or peas, and fresh fruits like bits of berries, grapes, apples, bananas, melons or oranges. For a protein boost, try hard-boiled egg, chicken, beef, or dog biscuits, but stay away from pork.

Treats

Treats keep hamsters happy as well as well-fed. You can find a variety of treats made especially for hamsters at your local pet store, such as dried fruit and yogurt drops. Family foods your hamster will also appreciate include raisins and peanuts in the shell.

Food Storage and Safety

Never feed your hamster foods from the kitchen that you wouldn't consider fresh enough to eat yourself. And keep an eye out to make sure your hamster isn't stashing away his or her fresh-food treasures for a rainy day--remove any foods that aren't eaten in short order. Store commercially prepared mixes in clean, dry, sealable storage bags. Throw away any food supply that smells or appears to be moldy or stale. Your Chinese dwarf will thank you for it.

References

• "The Hamster: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet"; Betsy Sikora Siino; 2001
• Hamsterific.com: Nutrition