Things You'll Need
- A water bottle
- Several food dishes
- Hamster seed from the pet store
- Access to a variety of vegetables
Instructions
Proper Feeding
Have fresh water available for your hamster at all times. Since they are constantly remodeling their habitats, bowls of water will quickly get filled with bedding or tipped over. Use a water bottle that can be mounted on the side of the cage, but make sure you keep an eye on it. Bedding can be piled up underneath it and end up getting soaked. If this happens, change the bedding and refill the water bottle.
Pick up a container of pre-made diet. Most pet stores sell mixes that will help you to make sure your hamster is getting all the nutrients he needs. A good mix will not have too many nuts in it, as nuts can put some extra weight on your little guy. When you change the bedding in your habitat, put in a scoop of the mix. There is no need to refill the dish every time it is empty; hamsters are hoarders, and will stuff their cheeks with their food and move it somewhere else in the cage. Just because it's not in the dish, that doesn't mean it's gone!
Make sure your hamster also gets a variety of fresh foods. They can be picky eaters, too, and will sort through pet store mixes and pick out their favorite pieces, leaving the rest. Find out what fresh foods they like. Try a variety of vegetables such as celery, corn, broccoli, cauliflower or carrots, as well as fruits such as apples. You can also give them different kinds of bread, but be careful that there's no chocolate or sugary additives in it. Unsalted sunflower seeds are also usually a big hit!
Give your hamsters the occasional treat. One treat you can give that will have the dual purpose of added nutrition and keeping her teeth clean is a dog biscuit. You'll know if she likes it if it has tiny teeth-marks in it!