If you’re a pet owner who deals with little mammals, you know how challenging it can be to find them the correct food.
Oftentimes, it seems that the smaller animals are overlooked by pet businesses in favor of canines and felines.
Unfortunately, it seems like every time I visit a pet store, they are out of hamster food or chew toys.
A store I used to live near didn’t keep any small mammal necessities in stock, so you had to make a special order.
We had to wait for the merchandise to get in the store, which was annoying, but it meant we got fresh products most of the time.
What then, if the grocery store where you normally shop is out of hamster food? How about alternatives? Can hamsters be fed human food?
Are there any alternatives to feeding guinea pigs?
How Guinea Pigs & Hamsters Eat Differently
Food needs to be made differently for both of these small mammals due to the fact that Hamsters store food in their cheeks, while guinea pigs don’t.
The cheeks of a hamster can swell to three times the size of its head as it stores as much food as it can.
How bizarre! This necessitates careful consideration of what goes into the Hamster’s diet, as anything sticky or prone to spoiling in the mouth would be disastrous.
Fresh veggies like carrots are included in this category. A mix of kale, strawberries, and bananas.
Can Hamsters Eat Guinea Pig Food?
No, Hamsters can’t eat food made for Guinea pigs. Even though they are both small, they have very different needs when it comes to food.
Their diets are very different because they need different amounts of different macronutrients. So, giving the guinea pig food could cause problems such as malnutrition, digestive issues, and a lower quality of life.
Why Should You Give Guinea Pig Food To Your Hamster?
First of all, you should know that hamsters and guinea pigs have very different needs when it comes to food and how much they need.
The hamsters eat both plants and animals, but guinea pigs only eat plants. This is the main reason you shouldn’t give hamsters guinea pigs.
That means that the food they eat won’t be enough to meet their nutritional needs.
These are the kinds of food a hamster can eat:
- They eat seeds, berries, fruits, and vegetables. Also, they eat bugs and other small creatures like crickets and mealworms. So, in order to live, they need both plants and insects.
- Also, they can’t eat carrots because they could get stuck in their cheek pouches and cause them to choke, but guinea pigs can.
- You should give them freshly cooked vegetables and seeds from sunflowers and pumpkins.
- When it’s time to eat, you can give them pork or beef, which they love. They can also eat worms or grubs, which are easier for them to eat.
While the food Guinea Pigs eat are:
- As was already said, they are strict herbivores. They eat foods that are a mix of roots and seeds from plants. You can also add fresh fruits like bananas, apples, and strawberries to your diet.
- Guinea pigs also like to eat hay and oats because they need a lot of fiber in their diet. This is because their metabolism is slow, so they need fiber to have regular bowel movements.
- They also like to eat tomatoes, celery, broccoli, lettuce, and cabbage.
Why Should You Not Give Guinea Pig Food To Your Hamster?
To help you understand this better, let’s look at how hamsters and guinea pigs are alike and different.
To show you how different they are from each other and why they need to eat totally different things.
- A hamster is much smaller than a guinea pig.
- The guinea pig also lives longer than the hamster. If we take good care of a hamster, it will live up to three years, but hamsters can live more than five years.
- The gripping power of a hamster’s paws is much better than that of a guinea pig’s. This lets them climb over curtains and even a staircase. Also, you should know that guinea pigs have stronger back legs and can jump.
- Hamsters are the only animals that can run around in an exercise ball or a wheel. This needs to be done to get rid of extra energy and cut down on obesity and other health problems. But you should know that guinea pigs don’t have spines that can bend like that. Putting your guinea pig in a ball or wheel won’t help them in any way.
How To Feed Guinea Pig Food To Your Hamster Properly?
Even though hamsters and guinea pigs eat some of the same foods, they shouldn’t be fed to each other because that would make their diets very different from each other.
So, if you want to feed your hamster guinea pig food, you should first look up what they can eat and what they can’t eat.
Also, find out how much of that food they need and give them the same amount.
What’s the Difference between Guinea Pig and Hamster Food?
Like hamsters, guinea pigs like to eat a lot of hay, so their pellets usually have a lot of it in them.
This is not something that a hamster needs. Hay is a good source of fiber for hamsters, but they don’t need it.
Hamsters are omnivores, so they eat both plants and animals.
This means that the pellets they eat will need to have more protein and less fiber.
Hamsters need to eat food with at least 15% Crude Protein.
Hamsters will need seeds, grains, and dried fruits and veggies.
You might also want to give your hamsters some fresh fruits and vegetables.
Strawberries, carrots, kale, and bananas are some you might want to try.
Conclusion
Ultimately, there are no benefits to feeding your hamster guinea pig food.
It will lead to your hamster getting sick and you have a much better shot of feeding your hamster some fresh-cooked meat and veggies!
