Picky eater

[barley]

I feed Rupert on Harry Hamster, he enjoys most of it but ALWAYS leaves the black sticks and the darker coloured pellets.

I don't give him more food until his bowl is empty, above from the above two items, as to not to encourage fussiness too much but he really does seem to hate them!

Is he going to be missing out on essential nutrients by not eating these? I know you can get all pellet mixes to prevent selective feeding but I think he would really hate those!

He has a varied diet and gets a tiny piece of fruit or veg every evening, as well as plain chicken, boiled egg, cooked pasta/rice or other hammy safe foods from my dinner as and when available - as well as the occasional almond, dog kibble, pinch of oats etc. He has a mineral stone but doesn't use it.

Is it worth getting him a vitamin solution for his water or is it really no big deal that he doesn't eat those two ingredients?!

[kyrilliondaemon]

Those are probably the alfalfa bits that no hamsters eat very much of, I'd not worry about it

[Snowz]

I wouldn't worry about it, Many hamsters leave out bits of the food ( my hamster does)

[velma]

Cleo has Harry Hamster & will pouch the longer sticks if I offer them to her but I'm not sure she actually eats them. The brown pellet things she avoids. I've offered her one before now when I was giving her other bits from her food bowl for her to pouch & as soon as she realised what she'd taken she's put it straight back out I occasionally find them lying round her cage so now assume she's left them there after taking them by mistake!

[Thin Lizzy]

It's funny, but, I always include those bits even though my 2 aren't keen on them. Twinkle has started to eat both, I watched her chomping away lol! But, Archie leaves both!
If I was to give them a bowl of just those 2 pieces, I'm sure Archie would eat them!

[barley]

Ok, good to know I am just over thinking things as per usual, thanks!

I tried to trick him last night and rattled his treat box so he came over all excited and then I gave him a black alfalfa stick. He sniffed it in disgust and looked at me as if to say "what are you doing woman?!". Was very funny

[Thin Lizzy]

Never try and fool a hamster, they're always a step ahead!

[BexieID]

I'm pretty sure Fluffy leaves those as well! The brussell sprouts of the hamster world! He just came out of his house for a piece of chicken!

[happy hamster 101]

As far as I heard ( not 100% sure ) they have no nutritional value and are just fillers.

[BexieID]

The pet shop next to my work don't sell Harry Hamster so just got the stuff they weigh out for you. The lady did say what it was but I can't remember and it doesn't have those pellet things in it!