Hamsters are relatively inexpensive pets, but there is a lot you need to consider before solidifying your budget. Not only do hamsters need shelter, stimulating toys, and cleaning supplies, but you’ll also have to feed it nutritious food if you’d like to elongate its life. So how much do you need to add to your budget?
Hamster food typically costs between four and ten dollars a month, or between sixty dollars and one-hundred and twenty dollars a year. The actual price of hamster food will depend on the brand you want to buy and how much your hamster eats.
On average, you can expect to spend four dollars a month, which adds up to about fifty dollars a year. This is what most people spend on their hamster food.
Below, we will talk more about the price of hamster food, give you info on some of our favorite hamster food products, and discuss proper hamster nutrition.
What Is the Price of Hamster Food?
Finding hamster food within your budget is relatively easy. There are high-scale, all-organic brands and then cheaper, generic brands. But what is the range of possibilities?
The price of hamster food is anywhere from four dollars to ten dollars per individual bag. However, the cost varies from brand to brand and all depends on factors like the size of the bag, the retailer, and the quality of the hamster food itself.
Depending on where you buy your hamster food, it averages about four to ten dollars a bag, which can last you around a month for one hamster. However, purchasing hamster food in bulk can lower the overall cost of the food.
You can get bulk pet food orders from websites that are relatively cheaper than big box stores like Petco or Walmart. However, the hamster food at Petco and Walmart is still relatively cheap if you’re not interested in making bulk purchases.
While hamster food is available at most pet stores in the United States, prices may vary from state to state. The price of hamster food in California could be completely different from the cost of this product in New York.
If you want to ensure that you’re getting the fairest possible price, it might be a better idea to purchase your furry friend’s food online.
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What Are the Best Hamster Foods?
There are so many options out there when it comes to hamster food. It can be difficult to determine which brand provides the best products. Fortunately, I’ve compiled a list of the best hamster food product recommendations.
The best hamster foods are:
- Sunseed Vitakraft Vita Prima Dwarf Hamster Formula
- Wild Harvest Nutritional Diet for Hamsters and Gerbils
- Food From The Wild Hamster Food
Sunseed Vitakraft Vita Prima Dwarf Hamster Formula
The Sunseed Vitakraft Vita Prima Dwarf Hamster Formula hamster food is available on Amazon.com. It made this list of favorites because it comes in a huge pack of 2 lbs (0.907 kg), and lasts you longer than a small pack. This hamster food has Omega 3 Dhal, has probiotics, and contains vitamins A, D, E, and calcium.
85% of reviews for this product are five-star, and many of the people in the comments say that their hamster loves most of the food, though some hamsters don’t like the brown pellets so much.
Wild Harvest Nutritional Diet for Hamsters and Gerbils
The Wild Harvest Nutritional Diet for Hamsters and Gerbils hamster food is also available on Amaozn.com. I love this hamster food because of how bright and colorful it is.
The yellow pieces and green pellets will stimulate your hamster’s eyes, as well as their stomach. The Wild Harvest brand also offers a starter kit and a daily harvest kit that helps with your hamster’s nutrition.
Their food blend includes both nutritious and engaging food for your hamster. Additionally, the container it comes in is very convenient and even recyclable if you’d like to instead use it for hay or hamster water after the food is gone.
Check, How To Care for a Dwarf Hamster
Food From The Wild Hamster Food
Another excellent option is this Food From The Wild Hamster Food, which is also available on Amazon.com. I love this brand’s philosophy about hamster food. Their brand aims to bring the originally foraged foods back to pet rodents.
It brings ancient feeding and modern nutrition to the table, with amazing ingredients like rose petals, pumpkin seeds, carrots, and more. This pet food is made with real fruit and is packed with vitamins for your hamster.
The con of this product is that it comes in a pretty small bag, and a lot of it is still just pellets. This would be a great product to mix with your cheaper, bigger bag of food.
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Can You Order Hamster Food From a Subscription Service?
When it comes to purchasing hamster food, ordering online in bulk or visiting your local pet store seems to be the most favored options. However, this is not the only way to obtain hamster food.
You can order hamster food from a subscription service. Ordering your hamster food from a subscription service is convenient because it ensures that you will always be stocked up without having to leave the house.
If you want to do a subscription service for hamster food, many options are available. Subscription services will send you a certain amount of food every few days, weeks, or months depending on your preferences. Some of the hamster food subscription services you can use are:
Chewy also offers discounts on auto-ship orders, which means if you pick a cart list of things you want to be sent every month, they’ll give you a discount for subscribing.
They also often have options for sending toys, bedding, and other tiny rodent needs in the same box, so you won’t need to go shopping at all.
Hamster Mail doesn’t give you an option of what you can or can’t add to the box but works kind of like a human subscription service in that it sends new trinkets and sample products each month.
Feed My Paws also doesn’t have hamster food, but rather hamster treats and birthday cakes. If you want to spoil your little rodent friend, either of these is a great option.
You can also auto-subscribe to different hamster products on Amazon. They typically give you the option between subscribing every week, month, two months, or six months.
If your hamster is eating a lot or a little, you can skip a subscription or order early. Below, we go over some of our Amazon favorites.
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What Should Hamsters Be Eating?
Just like their bigger pet counterpart, hamsters have a specific diet that they should be sticking to if you want them to thrive. A poor diet can contribute to ailments and a shorter life.
Hamsters should be eating a balanced diet of pellets and seeds. Pellets will help your hamster’s nutrient and vitamin needs, and other natural, more organic foods will help keep your hamster happy. All hamsters are different, though, and you should be observant of your hamster’s preferences.
Many hamster owners note that even when they get mixed bags of food, their hamsters will only eat the pieces they want and spit out or leave what they don’t like.
If this is the case, you can always switch between pellets and mixed food weekly to ensure your hamster is getting a balanced diet.
Hamsters Should Be Eating 12 Grams of Food Daily
Your hamster should be eating around one tablespoon of food each day. This means that technically you will be giving your hamster 7 grams (0.24 oz) of food (or seven tablespoons of hamster food) a week.
Some hamsters eat more, and some eat less. You’ll notice that they might store food in their cheeks if you are feeding them too much, or they will start to gain weight.
Try to be attuned and observant to your hamster’s needs. If your hamster seems to go through food quickly and isn’t gaining any weight, you can increase their food levels.
Also, keep in mind that hamsters eat different amounts of food at different stages of their life. They may eat more as they grow and then less again as they get older.
Read How Much Should I Feed My Hamster
Hamsters Should Get a Balanced Diet
A balanced diet for hamsters doesn’t necessarily mean they need to get all the food groups. Hamsters, instead, should get a variety of different types of food to keep their nutrition and stimulation up.
For example, hamsters can and should be getting fresh herbs, fruits, and veggies in moderation. They also love to gnaw on coconut shells, apples, and cardboard.
Your hamster’s kibble should include grasses, seeds, grains, or a combination of the three. These are what hamsters eat in the wild, and it provides the nutrients and even proteins that can support the healthy development of your hamster.
You should avoid foods that are too big, sticky, or sharp for your hamster. Hamsters have pouches within their cheeks where they store food, so giving them food not made for them can damage their pouches.
This is why rodent food is not interchangeable. Guinea pig food, rabbit food, and hamster foods are all different.
Hamsters can also be given natural foods. Just make sure to introduce it to them early and never give them too much at a time.
Here is a list of fruits and vegetables that are suitable for your hamster’s diet:
- Cucumbers
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Sweet Potato
- Pumpkin
- Squash
- Apples
- Banana
- Papaya
- Grapes
- Starfruit
Fruits and vegetables are generally safe for hamsters, so long as they aren’t too salty. You can always double-check by looking it up beforehand. You should avoid giving them fruit and veggie seeds, and avoid things that may be too spicy.
With that being said, you shouldn’t feed your hamster human foods that you wouldn’t expect an omnivore in the wild to eat. Hamsters don’t have access to ham, pop tarts, or ice cream, so you shouldn’t be giving it to them either.
Related Hamsters articles:
- What Does Hamster Diarrhea Look Like?
- How To Play With a Hamster
- What Size Wheel for Syrian Hamster
- Why Is My Hamster Bleeding From Its Bottom?
- How To Train Your Hamster To Cuddle
- Can You Die From a Hamster Bite?
Conclusion
Hamster food can cost as little as four dollars a month or as much as fifteen to twenty dollars a month. The cost of your hamster food depends on the brand, the retailer, the size of the product, and the overall quality of the food itself.
Your hamster should be fed a balanced diet of pellets, seeds, grains, and grasses. Extra treats like natural fruits and vegetables and packaged hamster treats can be given in moderation. You can order hamster food online in bulk or from subscription services, and you can also find it at local pet supply stores.
My name is Everly. I am a Milwaukee-based mom of 2 and have been a proud owner of many hamsters throughout my life. Like many of us, my introduction to hamsters happened when I was very young. My family saw several hamsters come and go through the years, and I enjoyed playing with them, but I never fully appreciated them until I grew up and my own children decided to jump on the hamster bandwagon. At that point, I was determined to learn all I could about caring for these adorable pets. Read more