Food dish: Your hamster does not need a food dish. Gizmo pouches some food from my hand then I sprinkle food in different parts of his cage. He likes to hunt for the food. Not having a dish saves cage space. If you choose to get a dish for food, it needs to be heavy and hardy. I recommend an earthenware dish. Your hamster won't be able to tip it over and he can't bite pieces off. The bowls are non-porous and easy to clean. Water: Hamsters don't drink much water. That is because hamsters get fluids from fruits and veggies. You need to give your hamster fresh water everyday. Water that is chlorinated or carbonated is harmful to your hamster. The best kind of water for your hamster is filtered water or mineral water. I recommend a water bottle that has a ball berring. The ball makes it dripless. Food: Hamsters are very versatile in what foods they can eat. You should feed your hamster once a day. The best time is at night so his food is fresh. Hamsters are omnivores and will accept meat and plant material. When feeding your hamster see how much he eats then feed him that amount the next day. Hamsters eat one to two tablespoons of food a day. Dry food is most important on your hamster's menu. Commercial dry food is best because it has all the important nutrients he needs. Make sure the mix contains fruit and veggies in addition to seeds and nuts. Gizmo always gets Fiesta (picture shown). Sunflower seeds should be removed from the mix and given as snack. Your hamster will love sunflower seed, but they are really a treat, full of fat. You should store your hamster's food in an airtight container in a dark, dry place. Clean out your hamster's dry food daily, but do not remove it all. Feed your hamster a small amount of vegetable and fruit every two or three days. Give only fresh food of high quality. Rinse fruits and vegetables and allow the water to drip off before giving it to the hamster. Remove uneaten portions within a couple hours. You can feed your hamster meat occasionally. Meat fat should not be given, and meat should be free of spices. He should get a dog biscuit once a week. Biscuits will file his teeth and nails. Hay can be given once or twice a week. Food Do's: Do feed your hamster banana, apple, nuts, rice, beansprouts, chicken, baked potato, carrot, and egg (hard boiled or scrambled). Do keep the portions small otherwise too much spoils. Do give food at room temperature. Do introduce new foods into his diet slowly. Food Don't's: Don't feed your hamster citrus fruits (lemon oranges etc), chocolate, sweet or salty food, canned or frozen food, raw beans, or raw potatoes. Don't give your hamster table scraps. Don't suddenly change his diet. Treats: Treats should be given sparingly. Stores offer many different treats. Gizmo likes Yogies. Sunflower seeds are also a fave.

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