How Much Does A Hamster Need To Eat?
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One of the natural wonders of the world is watching a hamster stuff his or her cheeks. They can carry the equivalent of their own bodyweight in their cheeks. Their food bowls are always empty. Depending on what species you have, they only weigh a few ounces. Where does all that food go? And are you feeding your hamster enough?
Storage
Hamsters put most of the food they come across not into their bellies, but into storage. In the wild, they can have several stashes to get them through lean times. Since they never know what tomorrow will bring, they are determined hoarders. There's no point explaining to them that they don't have to worry about food living with you. They won't believe you. They treat each morsel of food they come across as if it's the last.
This hoarding habit has actually saved the lives of humans, because wild hamster stashes get so incredibly big. One wild Syrian hamster had a stash that weighted 90 kg! The natives familiar with the habits of these champion pack rodents follow the hamster to his or her stash and break into it in order to survive hard times. The stashes are full of seeds, grains, pulses and root vegetables.
When you clean your hamster's cage or living quarters, you are bound to find small piles of food and treats. These stashes cannot be left indefinitely as they can attract bugs and mold. What I did when cleaning the cage was leave only one stash. But the next time I cleaned the cage, the previously saved stash was now ditched and another one was saved. If I couldn't keep track of the ages of the stashes, then I didn't take a chance and just cleaned everything out.
So, How Much Do They Eat?
Hamsters eat, on average, only about one to two tablespoons full of food per 24 hours. Everything else they avidly put into storage. The Syrian hamsters - the larger ones, also called Golden Hamsters - may eat a little more; the dwarf hamster species perhaps a little less.
Hamsters need a wide variety of food to stay happy and healthy. They are actually omnivores and thrive on all kinds of healthy foods. Never feed them sweets, raw kidney beans, onions or rabbit mix, please. And they will always put something away for later. You never know, there might be a blizzard or Act of God or something.
Since hamsters are nocturnal, most people give them their main feed at night, and perhaps a treat or just a couple of pinches of food in the morning. But no matter how little you feed them, hamsters will always hoard some of it. This activity of hoarding keeps them active and de-stressed. Although you might wind up throwing out a lot of the food you give your hamster, you still will have a happy, healthy hammy anyway, whether the food is eaten or stashed. So you still get your money's worth from the food even if a good bit of it isn't actually eaten.
Never underestimate the power of hamster cheeks! Film by roonex
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thanks ! ! !
I'll do it . . .
my hamster had 7 babies i went to clean the cage now i have 6 i try not to clean the cage as much. they r about a week old now.should i be cleaning them this soon or shouldd i wait longer? i put the dad in his own cage.how even should i clean the cage with the babies in there ?thanks
hi how do u know your hamster is pregnant? and if she is pregnat will she die wen giving birth?
i just got mine and hes scared a bitof me.
what can i do to fix that and make him like me more
it didnt give any info i didnt already know
feed your hamster lots of treats, and then he won't be scared anymore. And try not to make loud noises next to him. :) TREAT HIM WITH RESPECT!
i have a hamster he killed his family and bit off his own head!!!
hello cool people are fat
where can you bye dwarf hamsters?????????
You can buy dwarf hamster just about anywhere. Did you check your local pet stores? I bought mine at Pet Cetera and I got the cage at Super Pet.
do hamsters all ways eat food
Can you feed a hamster a carrot?
hamsters are hard to take care of you have to feed them one to two tablespoons every twenty four hours and you haveto clean there cage every week i have to do mine every sunday i got my hamster 4/19/09 at the flea market for $5.00 im bradeinton they had lots of them mine the cuttiest one out of all the babies
hi somewone
i am so cool
from ben
Hi,when u buy any kind of hamster when thier a baby, do u have to wait to hond them? If so, how long do u have to wait in order to hold them?
MArissa:
no just let them get used to them check out this site
my hamster is too small and i really don't know what to do with him and what to feed him ! Btw could we hold him or should we wait until he grows up? Thnx
i dont know what kind of fruts and veges should my bby hamster should eat. and how many times a day should i feed it , and how do i take it a bath ??? plz help and thx :))>
how much dose a hamster needs to eat a day ??
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my hamster gave birth 1 week ago.can i carry the baby or should i wait longer? Pls reply :)
my hamster gave birth 1 week ago.can i carry the baby or should i wait longer? Pls reply :)
my BFFFL (Best Female Friend For Life) has a hamster and she fed it a whoping 9 tablespoons of food!
my sister's hamster is 4 months old and she eats a lot what kinds of things can't i give the hamster?
my hamster passed away yesterday, :( her name was molly i had her ova 2years,.
she was already an adult when we bougt her, she was my best frend. please LOVE AND PLAY with them whilst you can. i am living with regret. am getting a new hammy soon. i need info on how to make them VERY halthy. as i hate seing them die .. :'[
so sad but should i get a dwarf hammy from a breeder or a pet store? also are hammys good with kids?
omg yes u can feed a hamster carrot
i have two chinese dwarf hamsters to keep mine healthy i have a wheel and only fill there food up halfway and give them fresh food everyday. they have a treat everyday they need fat in there diet.
thx. that was helpful
thanks it helped allot !!!
Hi, my name is danielle. I don't know if i feed my hamsters too much? I usually feed them 4 tablespoons but my dad tells me to always put back because it's too much. Is he right? Or is 4 tablespoons enough?
I really want a hamster but my parents will not let me.They said they are to much to handle and they don't want our dog,Dotty,to get it.I have been reaserching about hamsters but i don't know what they will say.They also said i could have a zoopet hamster but it is not the same please help.
P.S.
Danielle it says in the artical to feed hamsters 1 to 2 tablespoons every 24 hours. Also feed them at night and a little in the morning. Thank You!
-boogirl97
Thankyou sooo much!I have a hamster, Peanut that is sooo cute.But he is so fat. Am I feeding him to much or is it
natrual for male hamsters to be really FAT, can they die by the food they eat?
My hamster does that all the time!!!!! They r so fat!!!
Help I have a new baby 3days old the mother ate all but one and she left the other one because it got tangled up in the cotton bedding so I got it free and now have to care for it myself what should I do how much do they need to eat in order to live? I really don't want want it to die
I would try to feed it milk in a bot. If that dosent go to youre loackl pet shop or a vet and they would tell what to do or feed the hamster there selfs.
I really hope that helps becaust the same thing happend to me onley with snakes.
So good luck!!
I was wondering if anyone knows what a young male, 7 mo. old Campbells Dwarf hamster should weigh
my hammy drank mild what do i do?
Good article. 3 out of 4 of my hamsters eat normal, but the forth one has to be on a strict diet everyday, because she will eat too much. She gets fat easily.
I have a baby hamster. But how can I socialize it?
Okai , my hamster is 8 months old :D LUV HIM TO BITS ,, i AM AWAY TO ANSWER EVERYONES QUESTIONS ... :P i am bored... Sorry if i do not get to yours .. My laptop has only 5 mins :D
You can handle Hamsters when they are just born but you have to be more carefull , especially because it's bones has not developed properly and It can put danger to the animal when it it older ..
You will know that your hamster is pregnant by it's growing,diet and behavior and swelling in the tummy. Like humans , hamsters tummies grow large and they eat a large amount about 2-3 teaspoons each day , sometimes more. There behavior becomes more angry but in a good way , so don't go near the tummy area because theycan get aggesive and no picking up the hamster just put in a wheel for the cage and your hamster should be fine.Also your hamster will not die if she gives birth. There is only 8/10 chances that it will happen. But it is very uncommon for this to happen.
I will answer aanyones questions .. Just send an email to this address .. : Courtneydowie@hotmail.co.uk
im getting a hamster in a few days and i will use ur guides
hey im getting my hamster on 17th april my first pet cant wait!! just dont tell my parents :L they dont actually know cos they wont let me have any pets but i no everything about syrian hamsters and im so ready for this wooooo
Hey Sophie , I would really tell your parents .
Sorry but I would , my mum and dad would freak ...
hmm what if my hamsters totally don't want veges .__.
I had a female golden hamster last year. I went on a vacation one day and left her with my aunt.... But then when I came back she told me my hamster died, but she never told me how :(
I also have a question, my friend is giving away 3 week old baby hamsters and im going to get one... but is 3 weeks too young to be sold? I dont want to get one and have it die right away :(
i had a boy hamster and a girl hamster i let them mate and she deliverd 9 babys she moved them places in her cage about several times and at those times some of te babys would fall out of the cage and me and my mother would grab a piece of card board or paper we would scoop them on it and put it in befor the mother hamster could see us we hve them about 1 or 2 weeks know and one of the babys fell out of the cage soo we thought it was going to be easy but wen we but the baby girl back in the cage we watched as know we only have 8
yuo shuold wait tell the baby is 4weeks and if u are plannig to hold the m in 14 days from when they were born
of course hamsters can eat carots just not a lot so dont give it to them all at once im getting a hamster in 2 days cause my local store were all sold out :( but im so happy my aunt gave me her cage cause she used 2 have a hamster and ya lol but she still has the food and it was 8 years CAN I STILL FEED THE 8 YEAR OLD FOOD TO MY HAMSTER? plz answer thanks
no you you shouldnt dont be so tight besides it will be bad for them buy some more tight wod.
i think i want a hamster for christmas but out they cheap? and when can you play with them e.g pick then up and can you bath them and that?
cheers.;)
I want a hamster for christmas as my pet fish just died and i want something thaat caaan movee and you caan bond with;) i found your website rather usefull as i found out some quite goood facts and now i defoo know how to look after a Hamster:D
Hopefully my mum and dad will buy mee onee for christmas!:)
Cheers matee!
Iam getting one
i still don't understand what you're saying so can you say more clearly??
i just boughtmy hamster a day ago and i could see he is always chewing on his bedding is that ok
my hamster is always trying to look for stashes of food in his corners and i know that hamsters are only suppose to have 1 to 2 tablespoons of food and thats what i feed him but he seems to still be hungry why
i think your hamster need water or give him a little more
how to feed baby hamster?
THT IS A FAT HAMMY
i just got mine
I really really really want a hamster!!! but it is really awkward for me, this is because i live in the middle of no where, so when I go away, no one can look after him and my mum wont let me take him to hers when im at my mums, because she is scared of them, so is there any suggestions, because my dad is always out the country for up to 3 weeks!! any suggestions of special food I can give them that will last them 3 weeks?? please helppp me!!!!!
how much does a hamster eat in a year
ok ill try it once mines new
my hamster died this morning
he is 1 year. my sister did not give food for him, 2 days.
my cage is master cage is dirty and I wan to clean but the problem is inside the cage have one mum ad her two babies and the babies just only have four days so can I clean it or want to wait longer ?
thx cool
NEVER BATH A HAMSTER!! NEVER!! THEY WILL GET DIARRHEA!! And yes they LOVE carrots! ON crucial conditions when it has mites or anythin take a cloth and rub a mixture of one pint of room temperature water,one tablespoon witchhazel this can be found in drug stores and one tablespoon of listerine (not flavored)you put this in a washcloth or spray bottle and gently spray it not internally but externally but be careful not to spray it in its eyes,nose,mouth,ears or face....hope you find this helpful!
hii im gettin a hamster tomm......i just wanna no, if i get 2 hamsters, both female, will they necesarrily kill each other? coz i wanna keep 2...but my mom says i have 2 give 1 away coz deyll fight...:( plz reply
theyll probably fight you can do more research on Google or you can get a second cage and keep one in each cage :D
hi!got a hamster just 4 days ago...she's my first pet...i feed her a lot..she likes to play with my hands but sometimes she bite a little bit..is this normal?..and another thing she always tries to escape,biting the cage is she had time...is this normal for her?..would she stop this behavior soon...i really hate looking at her trying to escape...is wire mesh good for his playing tunnel?..please help me..its my first time to have a pet...i really love her..:D
Thanks! great article, very useful
I HAVE TWO SIRIAN HAMSTERS ONE IS A BOY ONE IS A GIRL AND YESTERDAY I WENT TO A PET STORE AND THEY WERE GIVING THEM A BIG BOWL OF ABOUT 20 PIECES OF FOOD EACH DAY SO I GUES ITS GOOD FOR THEM SO NOW I GIVE THEM LOTS OF PIES OF FOOD AND A TREAT EACH DAY.AND I CLEAN EACH CAGE ONCE A WEEK AND MAY I SUGGEST NOT TO PUT TWO HAMSTERS TOGETHER AND IF THERE SYRIAN ONE BOY AND ONE GIRL THE GIRLS ARE VERY TERRATORIAL WHAT THEY DO IS THEY START NIPPING EACHOTHER THEN THEY GO INTO A BALL NIPP EACHOTHER TILL THEY DIE IT TAKES ABOUT 5 MINS.
IT IS VERY NORMAL FOR A HAMSTER TO BITE A CAGE AND ITS ALSO NORMAL FOR HER OR HE TO NIP NOW AND AGAIN.
hi do darwf hamsters bite or no
what cage is best for teddy bear hamsters also, if i have 2 boy hamsters (both same type different families) will they fight if i keep them in the same cage
my hamster seems really fustrated and fiddelly and im so scared to pick it up, will it bite me?? its also biting the bars on its cage like mad, is this normal?
Hay I had 2 give my hammy away and I'm all depressed any helpful hints on a hampster? My dad said maybe I can get another so any hints maybe?thanks!
@Oh my hammy- Im not to sure about the cage thing but, i had two boy hamsters in one cage at the same time and when i first got them they were fine but when they started to get older thats when "it" happened. Well they would always get into fights, And i couldnt get any new cages for one to go in. And i thought they were okay there just playing but i was wrong. because i got a call from my dad saying one of my hamsters ate the other one. I was sooo sad i cried and cried. So if i was you i wouldnt do it. Hope this helps.
@adam-Just take it easy with it dont go fast. Feed it treats by opening your hand very wide and then placing a treat on the palm and putting you hand away from your hamster and it should smell the treat and your smell and it should slowly come to you but take your time. And never try to sneak up on your hamster before touching it. Just show it your hand and then slowly move your hand towards it and then pet it. And dont worry all hamsters bite the cage even my supper calm hamster, They do that to get rid of stress and to keep their teeth no so long. Its totally normal, Hope this helps.
Wow, Some of you guys must be like three years old with the stupid questions...
I just my hammy 2days ago its a dwarf hamster^-* she's such a cutie. I named her (Missy). I had 13 at one time before ...it was crazy.
????????? 4 years ago
nice syt..... NOT