Do You Need to Buy Commercial Food for Hamsters? -

Hamsters can eat a variety of food, starting from commercial food, vegetables, fruits, and other types of food.

You must have wondered many times whether commercial food is a good nutritional choice for your hamsters.

Do you need to buy commercial food for hamsters?

You should buy commercial food when you have to because it contains basic nutrients for hamsters, while whenever you are able it is best to prepare homemade food for them.

Commercial food contains fewer nutrients than homemade food, so you should avoid it or make it only part of the hamster’s diet.

In today’s article, you will learn why commercial food is not a good choice for hamsters, what are the pros and cons of commercial food, the benefits of homemade food, and similar questions.

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Do you need to buy commercial food for hamsters?

You don’t have to buy commercial food for your hamsters because homemade food is a better choice. Commercial hamster food consists of processed pellets or other mixes.

Commercial food can be part of the hamster’s diet, but you must also give them homemade food so that they have a sufficient intake of nutrients that are not found in commercial food.

Such food is sold in pet stores and their purpose is to enable the hamster to ingest basic nutrients.

Although commercial food seems like a good choice, we must emphasize that homemade food is a better choice because it has a better nutritional value for hamsters.

Why is commercial food not the best choice for hamsters?

Commercial food is not the best choice for hamsters because it lacks nutritional diversity, the ingredients may be of poor quality, and it may cause health problems.

Here are some reasons commercial food is not the best choice for your pet.

Health risks

Commercial hamster food can have various additives such as artificial additives that can be the basis for health problems in your pet.

Hamsters can get allergies and other irritations from artificial additives in commercial food.

To be sure about the composition of commercial foods it is best to read the labels to know exactly what they contain and to find out if there are any harmful additives.

When choosing commercial food, buy the one that contains the least additives and preservatives.

Low-quality ingredients in commercial food

Some of the commercial hamster foods may have poor-quality ingredients.

If they have poor quality ingredients then they will not be the right food choice for hamsters.

Low-quality ingredients mean:

artificial additives
preservatives

large amounts of sugar

If there are large amounts of low-quality ingredients in commercial food, they can cause problems with the digestive system of hamsters.

Nutritional imbalances and problems with their health can occur.

Lack of nutrients

Commercial food sometimes does not have all the nutrients that hamsters need.

This does not mean that all types of commercial food are the same, some have more and others less nutrients.

Most of the time, there are nutrients in the composition of commercial food, but not enough to meet all the needs of hamsters.

There may be a lack of certain vitamins and minerals or they may be in smaller amounts.

Insufficient diversity in composition

Commercial food often does not have enough variety in its composition.

It often has the same tastes and textures which can cause hamsters to dislike consuming it after a certain time.

If hamsters eat the same commercial food for a long time, deficiencies of certain ingredients may occur in their organism.

Problems with dental stimulation

Hamsters need crunchy and firm food to reduce their ever-growing teeth.

If the commercial food is too soft it will not be right, and it can only create problems with their teeth and dental health.

Overgrown teeth may appear, which will then need to be reduced by a veterinarian.

More expensive than homemade food

If you keep multiple hamsters, the cost of commercial food can be more expensive than homemade food.

Homemade food is a more cost-effective alternative and you can try it for a month to see if your costs really go down.

Even if the price is the same, with homemade food your pet will get more nutrients than with commercial food.

What is the best diet for hamsters?

The best nutrition for hamsters is home nutrition because you can make a choice yourself, what you will give them to eat and thus know which nutrients will enter the body.

Here’s how you can make great choices with your pet’s homemade diet.

1. Fresh fruits and vegetables

You can give your hamsters a variety of vegetables and fruits so that they can get excellent nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

For example, you can use:

carrots
broccoli
an apple

cucumber

Of course, before giving them vegetables and fruits, you should always wash them thoroughly to remove any chemicals used to grow them.

2. Seed mix

A seed mix is an excellent choice because it will supplement the hamster’s diet with even more nutrients they need in the diet.

For example, you make a combination of:

sunflower seeds

linseed
chia seeds
pumpkin seeds

All of these seeds are great for the health of hamsters and will help them to be stronger, healthier, and live longer.

3. Pellets

Pellets can serve as part of your hamster’s diet.

Always buy pellets that don’t have a lot of additives and preservatives so they can be healthier for your pet.

By eating pellets, hamsters will get certain basic nutrients that, together with vegetables and fruits, will be great for your pet.

Pellets alone are not enough, but together with other domestic types of food, they will satisfy the needs of hamsters.

4. Protein food

Proteins are an important part of the nutrition of hamsters because they enable the proper growth and development of their body.

By consuming protein, hamsters will have more strength and energy to run and play all day.

From proteins, you can use those in chicken or turkey meat, boiled eggs, and small amounts of cottage cheese.

Of course, always make sure that the meat is pre-cooked and processed before giving it to your pets.

5. Nuts

Nuts are another food source that you can add to your hamster’s diet.

You can give them:

oats

unsalted almonds
unsalted nuts
cooked rice

All these ingredients contain nutrients that are important for the nutrition and health of hamsters, but they should always be given in small amounts.

Why is homemade food better than commercial food for hamster health?

Homemade food offers hamsters more nutrients than commercial food.

Homemade food can be more varied and more interesting for hamsters because we can always make a new and different diet menu.

That’s why in the following text you will find out what are the advantages of homemade food in relation to commercial food.

Diversity in ingredients

When you feed your hamsters homemade food, you can offer them more variety.

By doing so, you will enable them to always have a different food menu, which will increase their appetite.

In addition to variety, hamsters will be able to ingest various nutrients that they need for their health.

Fewer costs

If you give your hamsters homemade food, you will reduce the cost of feeding them, this is especially true if you keep more hamsters.

The only problem may be the food preparation because it will take more time, but at least you and your hamster will be satisfied with the food it eats.

Meeting nutritional needs

Homemade food will allow the hamsters to have the best choice and intake of nutrients in their organism. This means in the long term that the hamster will be healthier, and stronger and will increase its lifespan.

With homemade food, hamsters will always get enough protein, vitamins, and minerals that they need.

How to choose commercial food for hamsters?

Although commercial food is not the best choice for feeding hamsters due to certain factors, you still have to buy it sometimes.

When you don’t have enough time to prepare homemade food for your hamsters, you are forced to give them commercial food.

So here’s what to look out for when buying commercial pet food.

Food quality

Always be careful when choosing commercial hamster food as it may contain added preservatives harmful to it.

Pay attention to the labels on which it is written and what the composition of commercial food is and choose the one with the best quality.

Watch out for the brand

All commercial food brands are different and priced differently.

Choose the best hamster food brand to make sure you’ve made the best choice for your pet.

Certain brands have been producing hamster and pet food for a long time and have better quality and are a better option than some brands that are not yet well known in the food market.

The price of commercial food

The price of commercial food can be different and may suit you more or less.

Choose the best product in terms of price and quality.

At the same time, you can provide your pet with quality commercial food, which will not endanger your budget.

Conclusion

Commercial food for hamsters is a basic choice of food that meets the basic needs for the intake of nutrients. But in order for the hamster to have enough nutrients and variety, it is necessary to give it homemade food.

You don’t have to buy commercial food if you can make your own homemade food for your hamsters.

Homemade food is a better choice for hamsters, but sometimes due to various factors, you are forced to buy commercial food.

Whenever you buy commercial food, pay attention to its composition and choose the one that has the least additives and preservatives, and more nutrients for your pet.