Can i feed my hamster with my rats mix?

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maria-mar

maria-mar

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2009
Messages
561
Location
Portugal
Hi there :D
I recently got three dwarf russian hamsters, they're suppose to be two Campbells and one Winter White but they may as well be all hybrids as i got them in a pet store.
I also have two rats. I feed them with my own home made mix, made from several rodents mixes put together, and i add seeds like wheat and oats, dry pasta, nuts and dog food.

So my question is: can i feed my hamsters with my rats mix?
I would obviously remove the dog food for them, but i don't see any other reason why i shouldn't, as it seems more rich in nutrients than some hamster standard mixes that i've seen, which are basically made of sunflower seeds.
But i'm not a hamster expert, so i need your advice ^_^
 
I don't know what hamsters eat but if your mix is comprised of "rodent" mixes then I would assume it's ok? A lot of food here formulated for hamsters are quite acceptable for rats as well.
 
That's what i though, but i want to make sure...
I've found that all those mixes were always poor in some sort of seeds, but brought together (and with some aditions) they could work as something balanced. They have everything that a hamster mix has, only a little bit more variety. But i don't know if that's good or bad for them :/
 
I did researched on hamster sites, but found nothing about it... the thing is, on hamster foruns people know little about rats, so they can't answer as well... i thought maybe someone here also kept rats and hamsters, and may have dealed with the same question ^_^
 
I have rats and 1 really ancient hamster (over 3) and I feed the hamster a hamster food that I supplement with my rat lab block. She also gets organic cereals just like my rats. Main concern is to watch how much sugar is in the food, as hamsters do have a tendency to get pudgy just like our rats do. Supplment with veggies and you should be ok.
 
eagle said:
I have rats and 1 really ancient hamster (over 3) and I feed the hamster a hamster food that I supplement with my rat lab block. She also gets organic cereals just like my rats. Main concern is to watch how much sugar is in the food, as hamsters do have a tendency to get pudgy just like our rats do. Supplment with veggies and you should be ok.
Click to expand...

Oh, ok :D
So maybe i should cut on the nuts? They love them but they may have lots of sugar :/
 
Are you able to get Mazuri hamster & gerbil blocks? Another good one they came out with not too long ago is Oxbow "Healthy Handfuls" for hamsters and gerbils.
I would only feed a mix just once in a while as a treat. But I think they are a total waste because from all the things that are in there, they only eat maybe 2 or 3 things.
When I foster them, I feed the Mazuri and Oxbow and have my own treat mix of whole-wheat cheerios, whole-wheat cornflakes, puffed millet, puffet kamut, puffed wheat, puffed rice, puffed corn, rolled oats, unsalted pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. That's also the treat mix I feed my rats. In moderation of course (especially with the treats that are high in fat. I try to stay away from sugar). And small pieces of fresh veggies and fruit once in a while of course.
 
Wonderrodent, i never saw those Mazuri or Oxbow blocks for sale...
But your own mix is very similar to mine ^_^
The mix i feed them includes blocks as well, and they really eat every seed that it contains.

But i don't know why you are refering to the mix as a "treat mix"?...
 
Oh I just saw you live in Portugal! Sorry, I didn't realize that. But anyway, here is a link where you can look up the ingredients just for fun (I understand that it would be way to expensive to have it shipped to Europe...):
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... 38.2769315

Dr. Foster&Smith carry Oxbow (didn't see the Mazuri on there)
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=19812

I did feed "LM Animal Farms" Bonanza Hamster & Gerbil Diet but the fosters I had so far only picked out a few of the ingredients. Just my experience.
It's just that all the ingredients the hamsters need are in the little lab blocks (Mazuri) and little cheerio-looking rings (Oxbow) so they automatically eat a balanced diet.
Great that yours eats everything in the mix, though.

The treat mix I make I don't think isn't really balanced or nutritious like a lab block that's why I feed it as treats in moderation.
 

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