Whether Chinese, Golden Syrian, Russian Campbell's Dwarf, Winter White Dwarf or Roborovski Dwarf - hamsters make fantastic pets. These cuddly little rodents can be wonderful companions for animal lovers of all ages. Even though they're small, choosing which food to dish up is just as important as with any other pet, to ensure that you're not neglecting their nutritional needs.
To keep your hamster happy and healthy, from baby to adult, you should aim to feed them a variety of appropriate foods to meet their dietary requirements. In this article, we compare pellets, seed mixes, supplements and treats, to help demystify your hamster's diet. We've ranked 10 of the best options from trusted brands, to satisfy hungry hamsters, all available to buy from Amazon and other UK retailers.
For those after a quick look, here is our Top 5:
For a more in-depth look at the comprehensive top 10 selection, make sure to read on to learn more about the different types of hamster food available and understand how our ranking was determined.
This article’s chosen EC site price listings are reflective of its publishing date.
Image | 1 ![]() Supreme Petfoods | 2 ![]() Burgess | 3 ![]() Rosewood Naturals | 4 ![]() Supreme Science | 5 ![]() Small Pet Select | 6 ![]() Witte Molen | 7 ![]() VetIQ | 8 ![]() Kaytee | 9 ![]() Witte Molen | 10 ![]() Vitakraft |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Harry Hamster Tasty Mix | Hamster, Gerbil & Mouse Complete Food | Carrot and Fennel Sticks | Selective Complete Hamster Food | Timothy Hay Cubes | Puur for Dwarf Hamsters & Mice | Nibblots | Natural Timothy Hay Cubes | Puur Hamster Food | Yoghurt Drops |
Features | Daily Hamster Food to Encourage Healthy Foraging | Value for Money 750 g Bag of Hamster Pellets | Healthier Hamster Treat Stick Free From Added Sugar | Nutritionally Balanced Pellets for a Healthy Coat and Skin | Bite-Sized Hay Cube Snacks Perfect for Hamsters | Pellet and Seed Mix for Dwarf Hamsters | Crunchy Cereal Treat With Berry Centre and Omega 3 | Firmer Hay Cube Snacks for Dental and Digestive Health | Complete Gourmet Seed Mix With Added Mealworms for Larger Hamsters | Sugar-Free Yoghurt Drops for the Occasional Treat |
Price | £5.28 | £4.83 | £2.55 | £3.19 | £16.49 | £12.47 | £2.29 | £5.49 | £12.21 | £3.43 |
Food Type | Pellets, seed mix | Pellets | Food stick | Pellets | Timothy hay cubes (small) | Pellets, seed mix, mealworms, elderberries | Berry-filled treats | Timothy hay cubes (large) | Seed mix, nuts, mealworms, raisins | Yoghurt drop treats |
Ingredients | Wheat, torrified wheat, flaked peas, soya bean meal, whole maize, flaked maize, sunflower seeds, flaked soya beans, alfalfa meal, peanut kernels, soya oil, peanuts in shells, pumpkin seeds, soya bean hulls, wheat feed, extruded locust beans, calcium carbonate | Wheat, barley, wheatfeed, peas (9%), linseed (4%), grass seed, soya oil, pea protein, brewers yeast, minerals | Cereals, seeds (fennel 5%), nuts, eggs and egg products, carrots (10%) | Wholemeal wheat flour, soybean meal, barley, oats, linseed, soya oil, dicalcium phosphate, limestone flour, salt | Timothy hay, alfalfa hay | Grains, derivatives of vegetable origin, seeds (6% sunflower seeds, 3% linseed), vegetables, fruits (2% elderberries, 1% apple), mealworms, oil and fats, minerals | Cereals, oils & fats (2% Omega-3 & 5% Omega-6 fatty acids), derivatives of vegetable origin, fruit (2.5% blueberry and 2.5% cranberry), minerals | Timothy hay, alfalfa hay | Mealworms, sunflower seeds, pepper, puffed rice, grapes, muesli, raisins, nuts, yucca extract | Milk and milk derivatives, oils and fats, derivatives of vegetable origin, cereals |
Recommended For | Daily feeding | Daily feeding | Occasional treat | Daily feeding | 2 - 3 times per week | Daily feeding | Occasional treat | 2 - 3 times a week | Daily feeding | Occasional treat |
Volume | 700 g | 750 g | 120 g | 350 g | 450 g | 400 g | 30 g | 454 g | 400 g | 75 g |
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Hamsters love nibbling at seed mixes, probably because they offer the most variation. The best seed mixes will include a good range of whole foods, so look for those with ingredients such as oats, maize, sunflower seeds, soybeans and grass seeds, as well as dried fruits and veggies.
Be aware that hamsters can be quite selective, and when presented with seed mix are likely to just pick out their favourite snacks from what's on offer and leave the rest!
A great way to ensure picky hamsters get the right balance of nutrition is by feeding them hamster pellets. They look much like tiny biscuits or cereal, and are just the right size for storing in cheek pouches.
While not as exciting as seed mixes, pellets are a specially-formulated food source designed to meet your hamster's dietary needs and should ideally make up the bulk of their diet to keep them trim and healthy. If your hamster doesn't take to pellets alone, you can choose a seed mix and pellet combination for the best of both worlds.
Most nuts are non-toxic and can be a great source of protein and fat. In fact, many hamster foods contain nuts such as peanuts, walnuts and cashews. If you choose to feed almonds, always make sure they are the sweet almond variety, as bitter almonds contain poisonous hydrogen cyanide.
Nuts are energy-dense, and should only be fed in moderation as part of a balanced diet, especially for smaller breeds, like Chinese hamsters. While chubby hamsters may look cute, hamster obesity is bad news and can lead to various health problems over time.
Alongside their daily mix, certain foods can be added to your hamster's bowl for even more nutrients. Timothy hay, for example, is a good source of minerals and fibre. Adequate fibre promotes a healthy digestive tract and weight regulation, so it's worth adding a little hay to their dinner two or three times a week.
Wild hamsters are partial to chowing down on crickets and worms from time to time, but before you rush out to the garden, we do have a convenient alternative for their domesticated cousins. Dried mealworms are packed with protein - when given in moderation, or as part of a seed mix, they make a very nutritious addition to your hamster's regular diet.
Stick treats are made up of different seeds, grains and other hamster-friendly favourites. Often sold on a hook to be attached to the side of the cage, these treats will keep your hamster occupied for hours whilst they gnaw away. Stick treats not only provide entertainment but can be used to help wear down teeth. Hamsters’ teeth grow continuously, so they need to be kept in check to ensure they don’t get too long in the tooth – literally!
Try to avoid sticks that are ‘glued’ together using honey, as the high sugar content isn't ideal for hamsters’ health. Honey also runs the risk of sticking and matting into the fur of long-haired breeds, such as some Syrian hamsters.
If you have other pets to entertain too, you might like to see our best cat toys, our best toys for rabbits and our best interactive dog toys.
Hamsters absolutely adore little sweet treats, but sugary snacks aren't suitable for daily consumption and should only be given on rare occasions. Too much sugar over time can result in diabetes, a condition which dwarf hamsters in particular are prone to.
That being said, a treat now and then is almost guaranteed to get you in their good books and can be used as an incentive to encourage play. Our best advice is to seek healthier alternatives to traditional treats, so look for yoghurt drops or biscuits that are lower in sugar. Some even contain added health-boosting ingredients such as minerals and omega 3.
This ranking has been compiled by the writing team at mybest UK via careful evaluation of the points made in the buying guide and thorough research of each product and comparing multiple verified customer reviews across the EC sites used.
£5.28
Food Type | Pellets, seed mix |
---|---|
Ingredients | Wheat, torrified wheat, flaked peas, soya bean meal, whole maize, flaked maize, sunflower seeds, flaked soya beans, alfalfa meal, peanut kernels, soya oil, peanuts in shells, pumpkin seeds, soya bean hulls, wheat feed, extruded locust beans, calcium carbonate |
Recommended For | Daily feeding |
Volume | 700 g |
£4.83
Food Type | Pellets |
---|---|
Ingredients | Wheat, barley, wheatfeed, peas (9%), linseed (4%), grass seed, soya oil, pea protein, brewers yeast, minerals |
Recommended For | Daily feeding |
Volume | 750 g |
£2.55
Food Type | Food stick |
---|---|
Ingredients | Cereals, seeds (fennel 5%), nuts, eggs and egg products, carrots (10%) |
Recommended For | Occasional treat |
Volume | 120 g |
£3.19
Food Type | Pellets |
---|---|
Ingredients | Wholemeal wheat flour, soybean meal, barley, oats, linseed, soya oil, dicalcium phosphate, limestone flour, salt |
Recommended For | Daily feeding |
Volume | 350 g |
£16.49
Food Type | Timothy hay cubes (small) |
---|---|
Ingredients | Timothy hay, alfalfa hay |
Recommended For | 2 - 3 times per week |
Volume | 450 g |
£12.47
Food Type | Pellets, seed mix, mealworms, elderberries |
---|---|
Ingredients | Grains, derivatives of vegetable origin, seeds (6% sunflower seeds, 3% linseed), vegetables, fruits (2% elderberries, 1% apple), mealworms, oil and fats, minerals |
Recommended For | Daily feeding |
Volume | 400 g |
£2.29
Food Type | Berry-filled treats |
---|---|
Ingredients | Cereals, oils & fats (2% Omega-3 & 5% Omega-6 fatty acids), derivatives of vegetable origin, fruit (2.5% blueberry and 2.5% cranberry), minerals |
Recommended For | Occasional treat |
Volume | 30 g |
£5.49
Food Type | Timothy hay cubes (large) |
---|---|
Ingredients | Timothy hay, alfalfa hay |
Recommended For | 2 - 3 times a week |
Volume | 454 g |
£12.21
Food Type | Seed mix, nuts, mealworms, raisins |
---|---|
Ingredients | Mealworms, sunflower seeds, pepper, puffed rice, grapes, muesli, raisins, nuts, yucca extract |
Recommended For | Daily feeding |
Volume | 400 g |
£3.43
Food Type | Yoghurt drop treats |
---|---|
Ingredients | Milk and milk derivatives, oils and fats, derivatives of vegetable origin, cereals |
Recommended For | Occasional treat |
Volume | 75 g |
Hamsters need 1 - 2 tbsp of dry food per day, depending on their size. Decrease the allowance if you throw food away daily. Hamsters store the best bits in a 'larder' elsewhere in the cage (to enjoy later), so a consistently empty bowl doesn't necessarily mean that you need to feed your pet more!
Fruit and veg can be fed in small amounts to your hamster, e.g. a chunk of (seedless) apple or carrot - make it definitely too big to fit in a cheek pouch, as they will try! Later check their hiding places and remove any uneaten leftovers. Avoid grapes, rhubarb, tomatoes, watermelon and citrus (too acidic).
Written and researched by Wren Mann
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