Hamster Food Consumption Calculator

How Much Food Does A Hamster Eat?

Hamsters eat an average of 11 grams of food per 100 g in body weight per day. This average does vary significantly depending on the species. Recorded averages can be anywhere from 10-12g.

However, because the calculations are per 100g of body weight, the formula works for large hamster breeds like the Syrian and Chinese hamsters as well as dwarf hamsters like the Roborovski and Winter White.

The point of the calculator is to educate hamster owners in order to prevent overeating and obesity that can lead to hamster health issues and a shorter lifespan for your furry friend.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I believe the calculator?

We use the average of several scientific studies that included hamster food consumption and energy requirements data. These studies include Arrington et al. (1979), Banta et al. (1975), and Birt and Conrad (1981).

Our calculator uses an average that is not gender or species specific.

What kind of food should I feed my hamster?

A commercial hamster food should be all your need. Research indicates that hamster diets with 18% crude protein are optimal for the best growth rate when very young. Our best advice is found in our What Do Hamster’s Eat article where we dispel hamster food myths, steer owners away from dangerous foods, and answer many other questions.

We highly recommend reviewing hamster food brands and ingredients with our friends at Nibbles & Eats. Super helpful to quickly weed out the low-quality foods that are sold in many stores and online.

Resources / References

• What do hamsters eat? Do’s and Don’ts
• How much to feed your hamster – Food and Water Guide
• Arrington, L. R., J. K. Platt, and R. L. Shirley. 1966. Protein requirements of growing hamsters. Lab. Anim. Sci. 16:492–496.
• Arrington, L. R., C. B. Ammerman, and D. E. Franke. 1979. Protein requirement of hamsters fed a natural diet. Lab. Anim. Sci. 29:469–471.
• Banta, C. A., R. G. Warner, and J. B. Robertson. 1975. Protein nutrition of the golden hamster. J. Nutr. 105:38–45.
• Birt, D. F., and R. D. Conrad. 1981. Weight gain, reproduction and survival of Syrian hamsters fed five natural-ingredient diets. Lab. Anim. Sci. 31:149–155.