Hamsters need to eat and drink water daily to stay healthy and live longer.
But sometimes you may have problems with feeding older hamsters, or when you notice that the hamster is eating but losing weight and you wonder how to help it.
In such situations, it is necessary to make porridge with more protein and other healthy ingredients for your pet.
How to make porridge for your hamsters?
Hamster porridge is made by mixing seeds with a certain amount of protein and vegetables to get a great and healthy food for your hamster.
In today’s article, you will learn how to make porridge for hamsters, what ingredients you need, and similar questions related to the topic.
What is hamster porridge?
Hamster porridge is a mixture of seeds and proteins, as well as a certain amount of vegetables.
By feeding your hamsters with porridge you will provide them with an excellent meal that will have the excellent nutrients your pet needs.
Hamster porridge is especially recommended for older hamsters who, due to their age, have problems and cannot always eat dry food.
By eating hamster porridge your pet will be able to gain weight due to the good and nutritious ingredients.
The advantage of hamster porridge is that the hamsters will eat it immediately and will not be able to save and store it for later, which means that they will immediately get enough nutrients into their body.
What do you need to make hamster porridge?
To make porridge for hamsters you need the following ingredients:
- 3/4 of a cup of fresh minced chicken
- 1 cup of spinach or broccoli, bok choy, and other vegetables
- 2 glasses of water
- 5-6 tablespoons of healthy seed mix
You can replace the chicken with another protein food such as edamame.
Tools needed to make hamster porridge:
- hand blender
- a saucepan with a lid
- food freezer
- aluminum foil
When you make the porridge for hamsters, you can freeze it in several portions and take it out as needed when you need to feed the hamsters, that way you will keep the porridge fresh.
Making porridge for hamsters
Here’s how to make the porridge for your hamsters:
- First, you need to boil the water in the saucepan.
- After the water boils, add the seed mixture and stir for 10 minutes until the seeds soften and become mushy, and the water is reduced by half.
- Then add the chicken and mix well together.
- Add the spinach after the chicken is cooked enough.
- Stir together and let the whole mixture boil for another 3-4 minutes.
- Then turn off the stove and let the porridge stand for another 15 minutes on the stove and stir occasionally.
- In the end, remove the pot with the porridge from the stove and let it cool down nicely, which will take you about 1 hour.
- Then put the cooled porridge in a blender and start blending it until you get a porridge that is uniform and well mixed, if necessary you can add a little water to get the required density.
- Separate the finished porridge for hamsters into several parts and put it in aluminum foil and freeze it in the refrigerator.
When you need to feed your hamsters just thaw the porridge to room temperature before giving it to your hamsters.
Can hamsters eat porridge with milk?
Yes, hamsters can eat porridge with a little milk. This is especially a good solution for older hamsters and young hamsters that are developing and growing.
The milk for the young hamsters will allow them to get calcium, which will make them stronger and have stronger bones and teeth.
But be careful, milk can only be added in a small amount because it can cause diarrhea and dehydration which can be fatal to their life.
What to do if you run out of hamster food?
Sometimes it can happen that you run out of basic food for your pet, but this is not a problem because you can give them food from your kitchen that is safe for them.
Of course, this should be an immediate solution, just to replace food intended for hamsters.
Here’s what to feed them if you run out of basic food.
Give them vegetables
Vegetables are an excellent food that has many minerals and vitamins that the hamster needs.
You can give them:
- spinach
- broccoli
- peas
- green peppers
- cucumber
Hamsters will like vegetables and they will want to eat them as long as you buy them from the basic food that is meant for them.
Give them fruit
Fruits can be given to hamsters, but you have to watch the amount because it contains sugars and can cause diabetes.
When you give them fruit, it is best to give them:
Syrian hamsters can handle fruit and sugar more easily, while dwarf hamsters should not eat fruit often as they can easily get diabetes.
Proteins and grains
Proteins and grains are excellent for the health of hamsters, and you can give them to eat.
Here’s what to give them:
- boiled eggs
- pumpkin seeds
- timothy and alfalfa hay
These and other types of protein and grain food are welcome for hamsters, but this solution is temporary until you buy special food intended for hamsters.
What food should not be given to hamsters?
Hamsters should not eat too much sugary, sweet, or salty food because they can get sick and have problems with the digestive system.
Never give them garlic, chocolate, and green parts of tomatoes because they can be toxic and dangerous for their life and health.
Never give them salty wheels as they can be made with glues or plastic and can only harm their health.
Read more: Will Hamsters Starve if They Don’t like the Food? Let’s Discover
Conclusion
When you don’t have enough of the basic food, you can make porridge yourself for the hamsters who will enjoy eating it.
To make porridge you need spinach, chicken meat, water, and healthy seeds, all these ingredients are boiled and then mixed in a blender, then cooled, and frozen.
Hamster porridge can be given to older hamsters who have trouble eating dry food.
Read more: Why Do Hamsters Spit Out Their Food? Find Out Now
