Mandatory Hanster Food Shopping List

climber008 · 05-18-2016, 07:24 PM

I recently realized that I am basically out of hammy food. I realized a month or so ago from a fellow hamster central member that some of my current foods are higher in sugar. While this is not detrimental to Kornelia, as she is a Syrian hamster, it is definitely not the healthiest.

So I would like to request anyone that can help to suggest GOOD and HEALTHY foods that are available in the U.S. I live in a smaller area, so I don't have many options for stores where I can purchase food for Kornelia.

So if there are any foods from such stores as Petsmart and Petsupermarket that are good for hammies, then please let me know!

Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks so much guys!

Love and Kisses from Kornelia for helping her find some yummy food!!

freyashamsters · 05-19-2016, 05:10 AM

I'm not from the US but I've heard that Higgins Sunburst is a great food with Mazuri Rat & Mouse Blocks for protein

climber008 · 05-19-2016, 05:18 AM

I still appreciate you commenting @freyashamsters!

Could anyone tell me what to look for in a good food? Since it might be harder for the people who aren't living in the US to tell me what kind of foods to get, it might be easier to say why or what makes a good food!

CMB · 05-19-2016, 05:26 AM

Protein level near 19% (animal protein is better than vegetable protein if it is shown on the ingredients analysis)I think.

climber008 · 05-19-2016, 05:40 AM

Okay! Thank you so much CMB! I'll look for something with high animal protein!

Is there anything I should look for to NOT get?

cypher · 05-19-2016, 05:41 AM

Have a look at this thread, although you may not be able to get these mixes it will give you an idea of what to look for, protein should be around 18-19% fat preferably not higher than about 7% & fibre around 8% although a little more is fine.
You may need to use some lab blocks/pellet type food to get a good balance but do be aware the mazuri are far too high in protein & low in fibre to use alone.
Much of the protein in their diet will come from vegetable sources, grains & seeds but they do need some animal protein ideally.

Cross post, what not to get... look for food that has the ingredients clearly listed some can be very vague which generally means not good! Even for a syrian you don't want anything with lots of fruit or added sugar.

CMB · 05-19-2016, 05:45 AM

A Wouldn't get a dwarf mix lol as they have more small seeds that Syrians might not eat. Some food has a lot of the green (grass) pellets in the UK. My hamsters usually won't eat them. There may be similar things in US mixes.

Have a look for Harry/Hazel hamster I heard that's a good one. You can also get lab blocks in the US. I think it's a complete food in a pellet form.

climber008 · 05-19-2016, 05:47 AM

Thanks cypher! This helps a lot, as I don't have many options since I'm in a smaller town in Ga, USA. I'll definitely keep an eye out for all the things you guys mentioned.

What would be a bad amount of sugars? I want the food I choose to be healthier and as natural as possible.

climber008 · 05-19-2016, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMB

A Wouldn't get a dwarf mix lol as they have more small seeds that Syrians might not eat. Some food has a lot of the green (grass) pellets in the UK. My hamsters usually won't eat them. There may be similar things in US mixes.

Have a look for Harry/Hazel hamster I heard that's a good one. You can also get lab blocks in the US. I think it's a complete food in a pellet form.

Okay! Kornelia seems to like pretty much everything, so I'm sometimes wary of things that might not be as good for her.

cypher · 05-19-2016, 05:50 AM

Preferably no added sugars, some have molasses or concentrated fruit juice like apple or grape none of which I personally think are suitable for hamster food, you may struggle to find anything without any sugars though so as little as possible!
If you can get Hazel hamster it's fairly close if not the same as Harry Hamster which is a pretty good food.