仓鼠 Tsang Shu

Avoid anything with sugar.
I would just avoid processed human food, even without sugar really.
She’s still young & growing so she needs lots of healthy natural foods.
Are you supplementing her protein at all, most mixes are a bit low especially for young hansters? I know you tried mealworms & some hams don’t like them but there are other things you can add, a little bit of plain tofu is good, a tiny bit of plain cooked chicken or egg, plain scrambled or boiled too. Nuts & seeds will add protein but it’s not complete protein so the tofu, chicken & egg are useful.
 
I think I read somewhere on here that there is a herb you can grow in a pot which is good for hamsters but can't remember what it is I'd like to do this we can't eat fresh vegetables in our house
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maz
Robert said:
Cheerios ? I took up everything and put about seven Cheerios in her dish, Sunflower seeds, and a pinch of Sunburst Hamster food.
Click to expand...
Cheerios are so full of sugar that i rarely buy them due to a diabetic family member. I have given a single cheerio to my Syrians before as a rare treat but seven cheerios for a chinese hamster with a pinch of regular hamster food is definitely not in her best dietry interest.
 
The mesh top does make viewing easier. Just checking if it’s secure and can’t be pushed up? Hamsters have done such things. It’s nice you’re getting to see her on the night cam.

With diet- their main diet should be the hamster mix which has the correct balance of nutrients and the correct level of protein. Hamsters need a lot of protein in their first year so a mix should have at least 18% to 20% protein (it should say on the packet). If it has less than that, you can supplement the protein with human food treats, as Elusive mentioned. If it’s human leftovers like a bit of chicken eg then it needs to be plain (no sauces or gravies). But best to put out about 10 grammes of hamster mix a day. Which is about two teaspoonfuls. They hoard most of that and then snack from their hoards. It may seem like a waste but it’s their natural behaviour to hoard food and they can get quite anxious if their hoard is removed. Dried food stays safe for quite a long time. There’s more information on saving the hoard on the cleaning tips article :)

It’s probably better not to give any sugar at all as Chinese hamsters are prone to diabetes and they can be quite ill with diabetes. There isn’t really treatment for it either. It’s thought that a sugar free diet can help prevent onset.

As a one off it is probably fine but better not to give things like breakfast cereals in future as they all contain sugar unfortunately. It may not seem like much but for a small hamster it can be a lot. I did manage to get some sugar free cornflakes once but there are easier treats to find!

They sometimes like the odd bit of pasta (eg a piece of cooked spaghetti if you happen to have spaghetti one day) as well as other seed treats. I sometimes give coconut as well. You can get a lot of these things from the bakery counter in the supermarket and they last quite a long time. Eg pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes (natural nut sweetened desiccated stuff), walnut halves, unsalted cashew nuts etc.

Monkey nuts (peanuts in shells) are really popular with hamsters and you can get those in supermarkets too. It helps to start them off with the shell by breaking a tiny bit off at first so they can actually break it open :-)

So basically - no salted things or sweetened things. Their metabolism is very fast so a tiny amount of something is a lot for a hamster.

It’s a steep learning curve sometimes!
 
Last edited:
She is active on the wheel and other things from 8:00 in the evening to 6:30 in the morning. She may be awake, in her burrow, watching the telly, but I cannot see her there.
 
  • Love
Reactions: Maz
IMG_1078.jpeg
I am now confused.

No sugar, yet strawberries are given to hamsters on YouTube.
 
It’s species dependent. Syrian hamsters and Roborovski hamsters aren’t diabetes prone and can have fruit or the occasional sweet thing. Russian dwarf hybrids, Campbells and Chinese are all diabetes prone and that is genetic.
 
There’s a list of safe and unsafe treats here

www.thehamsterforum.com

Safe and Unsafe Hamster treats

Safe and unsafe treats for Hamsters Chocolate Not good for hamsters Hamsters shouldn't have chocolate - some people think it's harmful or could poison them, but other research says it doesn't poison them. Either way it is better to not give your hamster chocolate as it's not healthy for...
www.thehamsterforum.com www.thehamsterforum.com
 
YouTube gives bad advice
Pet Stores give bad advice
Cage manufacturers give bad advice
Hamster Food sellers give bad advice
Is there anyone here besides myself on this Hamster Forum who gives bad advice ?
 
It comes down to commercialism essentially :)

Pet charities like the Blue Cross and PDSA in the U.K. give good advice (mostly). A forum like this, with experienced owners, is here to guide people when the internet is awash with misinformation.

Much of our information is researched with reliable sources as well. To avoid confusion with the myths flying around.
 
Also many of us have made mistakes in the past and we’re keen to avoid others doing the same. You started off with a good size cage and good ideas - which is more than I did at that start! My cage was too small, hardly any bedding and a small wheel - I quickly upgraded after the hamster developed a combination of cage rage and depression - after some research ……

Diet is emrealky just a good hamster mix. Fresh human treats can be a bonus and enjoyed but that is mainly healthy treats like veg, nuts and seeds or a chew stick.
 
I agree about commercialism, all those that you mentioned Robert have something to gain whereas forums like this one are essentially about giving the best care, people who have experienced & have learned what’s best for them.
I think one of the main benefits of a forum is that things get discussed, with Youtube & Instagram influencers there is really no way of verifying what you see or knowing how much research & experience lies behind what you see.
With pet shops, cage manufacturers it is largely about money & also what they think might appeal to the public rather than about hamster welfare.
 
She did not eat the Cheerios, so I removed them.

Sunflower seeds are gone, every single seed.

So, now I put out 2 spoons of Sunburst and some Sunflower seeds. I tucked a few Sunflower seeds in the vase hide for her to find. And then Quinoa sprinkled on top of two of her cardboard hides.

Note to Self - Spinach, Cheerios and mealworms were not eaten.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top