Hamster food & treats: everything for your hamster's menu

In nature, a hamster eats seeds, grains, plant parts and the occasional insect. It gathers its food at night, fills its cheek pouches and builds up a store in its nest. A good hamster menu reflects that: a complete seed and pellet mix as the foundation, small extras for variety and taming, and something to gnaw on. In this category you will find it all together.

Most of the range comes from Zooply, our own premium brand. Zooply came about because the products that worked best for our own animals were not always available from other brands. We use it every day with the hamsters in our shop in Bodegraven and in our breeding facility. You will also find treats and gnawing material from JR Farm, Trixie, Zolux, Flamingo and Esve, among others.

In short

• ✓ The foundation is a complete hamster food; according to the label of Zooply Syrian Hamster Food and Dwarf Hamster Food, about 15 grams per hamster per day.
• ✓ Treats, herbs and insects are small extras, never a replacement for the main food.
• ✓ Dwarf hamsters are sensitive to sugar: no fruit or sweet treats.
• ✓ Feed in the evening and let your hamster search for part of its food in the bedding.
• ✓ Always provide fresh drinking water and something safe to gnaw on.

What will you find in the Food & Snacks for Hamsters category?

Hamster food

In Hamster food you will find the daily main food, all from Zooply. Zooply Syrian Hamster Food (550 grams) is tailored to Syrian hamsters, Zooply Dwarf Hamster Food (600 grams) to dwarf hamsters, with small seeds such as millet and foxtail millet. There are also Zooply Rodent Food Excellent and Zooply Rodent Food, complete mixes for hamsters and other small rodents, with mealworms for animal protein.

Treats

In Treats you will find rewards and enrichment treats. From Zooply there are dried Crickets, Grasshoppers and Silkworms, which are sugar-free and therefore also suitable for dwarf hamsters. There are also the Zooply enrichment bunches such as Hare Field and Flower Field, Millet Spray Pieces and the Zooply Nibble Mix. Other brands supply chew sticks, crackers, grain-free treats and hay treats.

Dried herbs

In Dried herbs you will find a large range from Zooply: single herbs and leaves such as nettle, dandelion and birch leaf, flowers such as chamomile, cornflower and marigold, dried vegetables, herb mixes, seeds and kernels, dried insects and dried fruit. A pinch through the food or in the bedding provides scent and foraging work.

Gnawing wood

In Gnawing wood you will find Zooply Apple Branches and Zooply Dandelion Roots, willow twigs, gnawing wood to hang on the bars, wooden dumbbells and an edible hay tunnel. All intended for safe gnawing.

How to put together your hamster's menu

Start with the main food. Choose Zooply Syrian Hamster Food for a Syrian hamster and Zooply Dwarf Hamster Food for a dwarf hamster. Weigh out the portion for the first few weeks and give it in the evening. Only top up once the bowl has been properly emptied. A store in the nest is normal; only a store that keeps growing means you are giving too much.

Then come the extras. A few dried insects a few times a week provide animal protein and are an excellent reward when taming. A pinch of herbs or flowers provides variety. A millet stick or Zooply field makes your hamster work for its food. Do not give everything on one day. Choose one extra per evening, so the main food remains the foundation.

Gnawing wood simply stays in the enclosure. Swap it now and then, so there is always something new to discover.

Syrian hamster or dwarf hamster: what is the difference?

A Syrian hamster is larger, eats bigger pieces and can gnaw on larger chew sticks and branches. It can very occasionally have a small piece of fruit. Dwarf hamsters, such as the Campbell's, the Russian (winter white) dwarf hamster, the Chinese hamster and the Roborovski, are smaller and eat small seeds. The Campbell's and the Russian dwarf hamster in particular are sensitive to sugar. So leave out fruit, dried fruit, sweet drops and mixes with fruit completely for dwarf hamsters. Choose insects, herbs, flowers and grasses without fruit.

For both: keep them alone. Syrian hamsters are solitary, and dwarf hamsters also often fight when kept together. So each hamster has its own food bowl and its own store.

Feeding as enrichment

In nature, a hamster covers a considerable distance every night to gather food. In an enclosure, the food is ready and waiting, which leaves a lot of time to fill. By spreading the food, you give that time a purpose again. Scatter part of the daily portion through the bedding, hide an insect under a piece of cork, stick a millet spray into the bedding or put a pinch of herbs at the entrance to a tunnel. That way, eating becomes a treasure hunt. It keeps your hamster active and helps prevent boredom and bar chewing.

An example week for a Syrian hamster

Every evening your Syrian hamster gets its weighed portion of Zooply Syrian Hamster Food, partly in the food bowl and partly hidden in the bedding. On Mondays and Thursdays you add two or three dried crickets, by hand if your hamster is awake. On Tuesday you scatter a pinch of chamomile or cornflower through the bedding. On Friday you stick a Zooply field or a piece of millet spray into the digging corner. At the weekend you put down a new apple branch and remove an old one. That way your hamster has something new every evening, while the main food stays the same every day.

For a dwarf hamster, the same schedule works with Zooply Dwarf Hamster Food, smaller pieces and no fruit.

Switching to a different food

If you want to switch to Zooply hamster food, do it gradually over 1 to 2 weeks. First mix a small amount of the new food into the old and increase that share every few days. Introduce new treats and herbs one at a time too. That way you can see what your hamster likes and you will notice quickly if something does not agree with it. If you have just bought a young hamster, first give it the same food it was used to for a while.

Food, gnawing and teeth

A hamster's front teeth keep growing throughout its life. Hard seeds and grains in the main food account for much of the wear. Gnawing wood and branches are a supplement to that, and give your hamster something to do. If you see that the teeth are crooked, getting too long or that your hamster has trouble eating, go to a vet with experience of rodents.

Water and storage

A hamster that eats dry food must always have access to fresh water. Check the water bottle or bowl daily and clean it thoroughly at least once a week. Store food, treats and herbs dry, cool and well sealed. Do not give food that is musty or damp. With a hamster, a bag lasts a long time; that is why the Zooply packs for hamsters are deliberately not too large.

Useful combinations

Your hamster's menu is connected to the rest of its enclosure. These categories go with it:

• Feeding bowls: a heavy bowl that does not tip over.
• Water bottles: always fresh water alongside the dry food.
• Bedding: a thick layer of Zooply bedding to hide food in.
• Hamster scaping: cork and branches to hide treats between.

Frequently asked questions about hamster food and treats

How much food does a hamster need per day?

According to the label of Zooply Syrian Hamster Food and Zooply Dwarf Hamster Food, about 15 grams per hamster per day. For Zooply Rodent Food, allow 10 to 15 grams per 100 grams of body weight. Also look at your own hamster: if a lot is left over or the store keeps growing, give a little less.

How many treats can my hamster have?

Not many. A few insects at a time, a few times a week, or a small piece of a chew stick is enough. You mainly use treats for taming and to encourage foraging. If your hamster leaves its main food untouched, stop the treats for a while.

Does a hamster need animal protein?

Hamsters are omnivores and also eat insects in nature. Zooply Rodent Food already contains mealworms. If you give Zooply Syrian Hamster Food or Dwarf Hamster Food, you can give a dried insect a few times a week, such as Zooply Crickets, Grasshoppers or Silkworms.

What is the difference between treats and dried herbs?

Treats are rewards and enrichment products, such as insects, chew sticks and millet spray. Dried herbs are natural plant parts, flowers and vegetables that you mix through the food or hide in small amounts. The Dried herbs category also contains dried fruit; that is only for Syrian hamsters and only very occasionally.

Can I give rabbit food or guinea pig food to my hamster?

No. Rabbit and guinea pig food is formulated for herbivores with a completely different digestive system. A hamster needs a seed and pellet mix that also contains some animal protein. So give hamster food or a complete rodent mix that is suitable for hamsters, such as the Zooply mixes in this category.

My hamster is eating less than usual. What should I do?

First check that the food is fresh and that your hamster is not mainly eating treats. If your hamster is clearly eating less, losing weight, is sluggish or has diarrhoea, contact a vet with experience of rodents. Hamsters are small and can deteriorate quickly.

Buying hamster food and treats at Knaagplaza

At Knaagplaza, the webshop of 't Knaagplein, you will find everything for your hamster's menu in one place. Zooply is our own premium brand and we use it every day with our own hamsters. Choose a good main food, add small extras and let your hamster forage. That way it gets what it needs every night.