My teddy bear hamster seems to be picky with his food, what should I do?

Question

My hamster always picks out his favorite foods out of his dish but leaves the alfalfa pellets and brown pellets left. I know how important the alfalfa is to his diet, so I got him an alfalfa house/chew but he doesn't touch it.

I want him to have a healthy diet, but also want him to eat and be happy. Should I just leave the pellets in his bowl and not replace his food until he is done, or should I keep changing the food?

I feed him ecotrition food with insta grain and supplement his diet with dark leafy veggies and the occasional hamster drop or fresh fruit.

Answer 1

Good job on knowing that your hamster needs to have a well balanced meal. A seed diet alone is unhealthy because most of the seeds in the package are just fillers and have no nutritional value and the good stuff in there your furry little friend probably doesn't want to eat. In order to get your hamster to eat make sure you don't resort to treats otherwise your hamster may get a weight problem. Try feeding bits of romaine lettuce (iceburg has nothing to it so romaine is better) or some bread or some cooked pasta (not to hot, my hamster likes velveeta shells with no cheese of course) they can usually eat one or two shells. also bananas and apples are great also, vary the fruits and so that your hamster gets a well balanced diet. Don't leave fresh stuff in the cage to long, if you see your hamster eating the veggies and fruits and walks away leave it for a few minutes but after an hour or so remove from the cage otherwise you risk the stuff going stale which could result in a sick hamster. the pellets good luck with those, chances are your hamster will not eat them but you can try to make your self feel better. Pet stores sell vitamin and mineral supplements and stuff like that and they disguise them as treats but be careful with these because they sometimes have high caloric counts and again could result in a chubby hamster. If you still have concerns or you think that your hamster may be ill don't hesitate to take him/her to the vet that specialize in exotics. they could also give you suggestions on what to give your hamster

Answer 2

The best thing to do is just keep replenishing his food. Two of my hamster were very picky, they did not eat the pellets or the small pieces. They loved sunflower seeds though, so i went through and got a lot of sunflower seeds and put it in a bag, so when i give him his food, i put extra sunflower seeds. Don't worry, by not eating the pellets, he's still getting the nutriets he needs. That is why hamster food has all kinds of things mixed in...its for picky hamsters. You seem very responsible, and very caring. There is no need to worry.

Answer 3

Any decent quality hamster food will do, your petshop should sell one. Look at what they're made up from, the cheaper ones are little more than repackaged birdfood. Look for one that is more than just seeds and hasn't too many sunflower seeds in - hamsters love them but too many will make them fat. You should give them a little fruit or veg too every couple of days (not too much, half an inch square is fine). Apples and carrots are favorites but you need to make sure they eat them because if they try to store them they will rot. Never give them iceberg lettuce as it can make them ill.

Answer 4

i also have a syrian hamster (proper name for teddy bear) and he does exactly the same as yours Its always the brown pelletts left. All animals instinctively know what is good for them, and no harm will come to him buy leaving these out.

Make sure he gets fresh food in his bowl everyday, introduce small quantities of fresh vegetables and fruit to his diet, and incluce some treats for him.

I have had Harry for a year now, and he is extemely healthy. Your Hamster will be the same as humans with different likes and dislikes. You sound like you take very good care of him, so relax.

Answer 5

Animals usually know what they need. I mean, they don't eat pellets out in the wild do they? No, they eat leaves and seeds, etc. Offer good things and let him choose. Would you enjoy eating pellets?