Cat Food For Hamsters?

[SaoirseAndYaiza]

Hi there! I was just looking for some advice in terms of giving Cat meat to Hamsters. I understand that it is unsafe to give Hamsters anything which contains garlic or onion, I also have a list of safe and unsafe food, The food that I have bought contains neither but it has gravy on it and im wondering if thats a problem? I've checked the ingredients a few times over and everything seems okay but I just want to be safe before I start feeding it to my hamster. Any help would be appreciated, Thank you!

By the way my Hamster is an approximately 9 week old female Syrian

[KittyKatMe]

Cat food is specifically formulated for cats. While the primary ingredients may be safe, the macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals are tailored to a cat's needs. A high dosage of something beneficial to a cat could be very dangerous to a hamster, so it's best to just play it safe and avoid foods made for other animals. Some cat treats, however, are safe, as they are not made as a full diet and therefore do not contain the same macronutrients.

[Shana]

Are you thinking of using the cat food as a supplement to normal hamster food? Hamsters and cats have very different dietary needs and shouldn't be fed the same food regularly. You wouldn't feed a cat food that's meant for a hamster.

I'd even be hesitant to give a hamster cat food as a treat or supplement. Again, the nutritional content most likely wouldn't be beneficial for a hamster. An occasional piece of dry kibble would probably be ok, but wet food doesn't seem like the greatest idea.

If you're looking for additional protein sources for your hamster because she's young it's probably safer for you to stick with things like egg, plain chicken, and hamster safe baby food.

[SaoirseAndYaiza]

Haha no I have hamster mix I was just seeing if it was a safe alternative to plain chicken breast as this week I did not have any but I actually decided upon giving her a bit of boiled egg instead not to risk it. Thanks so much for replying guys

[Lilbet]

As a very rare treat, I think a few pieces of dry kibble are ok. Lavender eats them, but doesn't go nuts over them like she does for chicken or eggs.

[Shana]

Excellent choice, Saoirse! I hope she enjoyed it

[herbi7]

I have heard an occasional good quality dry cat biscuit is ok but I would steer clear of wet food. It is mostly moisture and wet stuff for hams isn't good, they are very prone to diarrhoea. Cat food is often mostly soya and usually only contains 4 percent 'meat derivatives' whatever that is. When my cat was getting old and a bit poorly he refused point blank to eat cat food I had to feed him myself so I concluded it was most likely full of junk

[Munchalot]

Originally Posted by herbi7

I have heard an occasional good quality dry cat biscuit is ok but I would steer clear of wet food. It is mostly moisture and wet stuff for hams isn't good, they are very prone to diarrhoea. Cat food is often mostly soya and usually only contains 4 percent 'meat derivatives' whatever that is. When my cat was getting old and a bit poorly he refused point blank to eat cat food I had to feed him myself so I concluded it was most likely full of junk

'Derivatives' is just another word for by-products. Anything that comes from an animal but is not fit for human food production falls into this category, such as hooves, claws, heads, eyes, hair and feathers. The term "meat and animal derivatives" is one of the broad umbrella terms the pet industry uses to cloud the ingredient list, making it near impossible to know just what goes into it. By simply putting 'meat' and failing to specify what animal it comes from, they can use material from almost any animal. Your only small clue comes from legal obligations. The phrasing on the packaging forces the producer to shed a little light on one small part of the composition, for example, if on the packaging it says "with chicken", then legally a minimum of 4% of the dry matter weight of the product must come from a chicken. If it says "Chicken flavour" then it doesn't need to contain any actual chicken product. Etc.


In any rate, I wouldn't feed any supermarket cat or dog food, whether wet or dry, to any animal. You have no idea what you are feeding, and a most of it is not good for them. Packed full of by-products and waste materials, chemical additives that could be dangerous over a long period of time (chemicals which, for the most part, are illegal in human food production because of their impact on health), among other things.
Plus a wet food is between 80 - 90% moisture, which is rather high given that hamsters are sensitive to high levels of moisture. I'd also be very dubious of what makes the gravy or jelly that binds cheaper cat foods.

Some cat and dog foods and treats are fine to give, but I would always visit a pet shop and opt for the high quality premium stuff, just so you known that it is more safe and better for the ham. Obviously they are like any item you give to a hamster, and must be fed in moderation.
I prefer to give dog food and treats because its usually lower in protein that cat products. Cats need a lot more animal protein than dogs, and most good cat foods are around twice as much as a ham needs percentage-wise. Too much can harm a hammy's kidneys.


Bit of a essay there, but its only precaution; I'm not saying it's a no-go. Some wet cat foods are fine when given in small amounts and on occasions. I've used some of the Applaws range for feeding pups and growing hams. This is one of the best brands in the cooked and canned area of the pet food market, is very high quality and is only what it says on the tin. I've used the Chicken and Cheese one, as well as the Chicken and Pumpkin, and I mixed it with porridge oats to tone down the protein as it is very high. There is also a kitten one which is Chicken and Egg, and that went down a treat with my guys.

[Vectis Hamstery]

I add kitten kibble as a supplement to my Syrian hamster mix and have done for years. I also feed wet cat food as an extra to young/pregnant hamsters - brands my hammies like are sheba prime cuts chicken, purina a la carte or applaws. I don't feed cooked chicken/turkey as I don't have cooked meat at home apart from at Christmas so use the wet cat food instead.

I wouldn't feed cat/kitten food in place of hamster mix, but use it as a protein-rich extra.