Hamster & Gerbil Food | Good & Bad Commercial Foods | Munchie's Place

[@EvanB609]

Munchie I have to thank you. When I descovered you, my hamster was in a tiny PetSmart cage eating Great Choice food. Through your videos I learned about hamster diet, enrichment and "cages". Thanks to you my hamster has a life in a 650sqin bin cage, with a great diet. Thank you 😊

[@MunchiesPlace]

That's wonder to hear. :) I'm glad you chose to further enrich your little companions life. Glad these videos have helped.

[@crystalpalmowski1417]

You should watch Victoria Raechel I like her and munchie

[@hamsterhelpandotherfunnyvi7043]

Yea

[@ronniepeyton2054]

i dont mean to be so off topic but does someone know of a trick to get back into an instagram account..? I stupidly forgot the account password. I love any help you can offer me!

[@majorkeanu3240]

@Ronnie Peyton instablaster :)

[@MunchiesPlace]

FOOD UPDATE: Higgins sunburst formula has since removed their added sugar in the form of "Cane molasses", so this food contains no added sugars anymore. Past Higgins sunburst bags listed the molasses right after "Pulp (sugar removed)".

[@Recooo66]

Can i put higgins sunburst and mix it in with pure? Also if i bought alive mealworms can i spread them across the enclosure? Or will the meal worms hide?

[@amphibiland7315]

@@Recooo66 before feeding live mealworms to hamsters, you have to crush the heads, so they don't bite the inside of the hamsters cheek pouches if the hamster trys to pouch them

[@mfenn7325]

GeckosValue get freeze dried mealworms! My hamster loves them, they keep well, and they don’t bite because they already passed away

[@blackrose6415]

Mara Norris is it necessary to feed my hamster meal worms?

[@amphibiland7315]

Black Rose no, you don’t have to 😊

[@dahliam5397]

Honestly, extremely helpful review for people who are just starting out in learning hamster care.

[@silvergenx]

Which is me.

[@darbylynch9391]

Totally agree, throwing out my old food rn 😂😂😂

[@alexislewis4629]

I've been using this as a tool and revisiting as a trial and error im on my third bag and 2 months

[@sugerwillowsmores5345]

I use, dried meal worms, mazuri blocks, sunburst, vita garden, and some herbs mixed together and + a few vegetable leafs every other day or so.

[@Grace-se9os]

My hams absolutely hates mealworm

[@cringefest7841]

Grace SAME!!! I had hamsters before and they loved it but my current one absolutely hates them.

[@familyislife36]

@@Grace-se9os have you tried soaking them in warm water first?

[@unknown-xr6bl]

I use already dead mealworms, kaytee blocks, higgins sunburst, and veggies every other day or so like you. (Sometimes fruits aswell) ive been wondering... If I add a tiny bit of oxbow will it be good or just a waste? I have oxbow from a previous gerbil (unfortunatly)

[@maddiepierre527]

The gerbil place that would be a East just chuck it it’ll make you feel good also it’s bad because the hamster won’t eat it and it has no diet benefits to it

[@doglover12345andfr]

It’s funny seeing that hamsters are exactly the opposite of what I’m use to. I own guinea pigs and a rabbit so I usually pick up the Oxbow pellets to add to their diet.

[@maddierose131]

Mippy The Mophead yeah I have hamsters and guinea pigs. The thing is oxbow uses a lot of hay in their products, guinea pigs and rabbits need that stuff but hamsters don’t. That’s why oxbow isn’t good for hamsters, it also lacks variety

[@imdrunkmk427]

I own all 3 and budgies :) but the rabbits rule the house lol

[@celtichound9889]

I had a rabbit when I was little, he used to binky every time I snuck him banana slices.

[@sherrie553]

Thats like comparing dogs to cats its apples vs oranges 😂

[@kaylanix315]

i'm glad to see a video on hamster food i had a lot of trouble in the past figuring out what's good and bad food or how often i should feed my hamster sense they hoard food

[@보짱이팬채널]

Hello I am Korean. And I like to see your video. I repected your hamster knowledge. But if you can write subtitles, please write a subtitles. Thank you

[@gremboxes]

Ok!

[@celtia4239]

I’m so so happy I found your channel. I have a dwarf hamster and he’s been living in a small space that the pet store staff recommended. I’m planning on going to set up a bin cage and have my hamster finally start living. You’re amazing 💜😌

[@banglebabe4327]

I agree! I have a little robo in two ovo cages together and its really not working. Its small and hard af to clean. Can't wait to make a nice big bin for my lil furry guy.

[@thelast1nsstanding545]

:/ Walmart Is soooo bad for pets, the only thing I buy for my pets at Walmart is cat toys (A ten pack of mice for about 5 bucks, my cat LOVES EM) and the silicone fish ornaments (I can’t find them in my normal pet stores) I wish I could talk more about the horrendous fish stuff, but that’s gonna be in a different time.

[@merounelorelei2951]

I dont buy animal food from there. At best, maybe wetfood? My cat's dry food is nutrish and my dog gets cooked food. Because he hates kibble and allergic to a lot of commercial kibbles. Be eats it better and he looks better.

[@agstardust9944]

I’ve only bought dog treats, a dog dress and a dog crate from Walmart. 😂

[@yoohyeonforever7067]

I only buy bedding there (rarely because its more expensive there) and these chew balls my guinea pigs love

[@jadieevans9222]

i think you CAN buy some good things for pets from walmart as long as you know what doesn't necessarily need to be the highest of quality. For instance, I've gotten some plastic hides and wood chews for my hamster. I've been able to get some cheap shreddable toys, cage liners, and even a natural wood perch for my parrot. I've gotten an algae scraper and natural pebbles for my fish tank. You just have to know what to look for and be willing to look through all the other garbage

[@Casidilla]

I just buy bedding there because I don’t go to pet stores often. But, I order most of my hides and chews from amazon. But Walmart has millet for birds, and those can be used for hamsters.

[@bookoome16]

I am watching this video in 2023. I have watched it so many times so I can get a reminder of these foods. Thank you!

[@damnbro_idc]

Had such a hard time finding a good mix, ended up just buying the seeds directly and freshfeeding with occasional mealworms

[@riley6239]

I will recommend the website Getzoo it’s ran by people from Germany and they ship it anywhere it’s amazing herbs food wheels everything I’m not a bot btw

[@ThelaMarieb]

The good options she’s showing, could I buy a couple different of the brands and mix them?

[@pleuriglosse8198]

Thank you so much for continuing to make such amazing and quality videos. You're one of my biggest inspirations, and your rescue has always been amazing and educational. Thanks to you I have a wonderful person to look up to. I love watching your videos, even though I don't own hamsters or mice. I may not own these pets, but you still inspire me to take the best care of my rats as I can. While my state has been ordered to stay at home, it has always cheered me up to see your videos. Thank you so much for rescuing and educating, with this channel and your rescue, you have surely saved so many precious lives and educated people properly and thoughtfully, to possible fix or prevent situations that are bad for pets of all kinds. Everything you have done is amazing, and I hope to donate soon!

[@lukestroud2098]

can you do a food review for mice? I have a mouse and I know some people watching will also have a mouse and since you have mice in your rescue could you maybe make a video about that? Also a video regarding hamster(and maybe mice) treats because I am trying to tame my syrain still but i want to use small treats but i dont know which are good. Thanks love ur vids!

[@user-oh8py4dl7n]

The tiny friends farm lovelies are my personal favorite treats. They are small and smell good to me and my hams love them. Also the rosewood herby filled cushions are a good small treat, Baby puffs work well as long as they are a hamster safe flavor, occasionally multigrain cheerios/regular unflavored cheerios are safe and long as they are given in moderation, and veggies/fruit.

[@granthansen7691]

You can use sunflower seeds and meal worms accasionaly

[@stephanieeales4259]

Luke Stroud, i highly recommend sunflower seeds, both my hamsters love them and i have found them very useful for getting them used to me, you could also try clover, my female syrian LOVES clover

[@evie402]

I'm personally still working on my mouse diet, I don't have the money or resources to make my own food so I do buy commercial. A lot of people will recommend lab blocks I personally don't as a lot of lab locks are extremely high in protein which mice shouldn't have a lot of and they often have corn in the first three ingredients which is always something to avoid. I currently am using Vitakraft Vitasmart complete nutrition parakeet food (safe and recommended for mice) along with Vitakraft Vitasmart complete nutrition mouse, rat and gerbil food as my main mix the parakeet seed mix at around 60% of it and the mouse food at around 40% of the complete mix, this would be fine for mice over 6 months as a complete diet but for mice under six months they need extra protein so for that I add a couple mealworms into the food, little bit of high quality cat kibble is another good way to add protein into a seed mix for young mice, I don't add very much of it as young mice only need around 14 to 16% protein and mice over 6 months need around 12 to 14% protein. Chia seeds or something I also add to the mixed as they are high in fiber and this mix only has around 8-9% fiber with mice of all ages needing around 10% so I try and boost that a little. I add a pinch of rolled oats because my mice find them very delicious. If you are set on a lab block though the only lab block I recommend is the science selective mouse lab lock (please note this is not the same as the mouse and rat lab block they have, this one absolutely needs to just be the mouse lab block) it's a complete diet pretty much but it's quite expensive and hard to get in the US which is why I personally do not use it.

[@evie402]

Fat should be around 5%

[@iprobablydontlikeyou7416]

i used to feed oxbow to my gerbils 🤦🏻‍♀️ now i feed higgins and mazuri rat and mouse lab blocks, because of you and victoria rachael.

[@cupcake5000]

So that food is working for you? I have hamsters and so I have those both of those foods, and I was trying to do more research on food for gerbils as I hope to get some soon. 😊

[@iprobablydontlikeyou7416]

Ariana Davey it's going well, and for little hams you definitely want the rat and mouse stuff in there, but for my gerbils i ended up just taking it out.

[@wtpny]

Could i just buy a bag of both and mix them together in a container for convenience and scoops when I need to?

[@raynaesquivel1551]

how much of each do you feed them? i just got a syrian and am trying to find the right balance for her!

[@duckie4344]

As a family owned pet store employee, this video is very informative and interesting to me. Oxbow is very recommended at our store because it is part of a buyer program. I am shocked to hear that is the last on your list for hamsters. We feed Higgins to the animals we sell. I am going to immediately inform the owner and my coworkers so we are all encouraging our customers to use a better food. Thank you for this helpful video!!

[@BetterBetta]

I’m doing a lot of research on hamsters as I hope to get my first hamster in the new year. This video is extremely helpful, so thank you for making this!

[@hellokaylee2977]

I find this video VERY helpful for any hamster owner who doesn’t know what to feed their hamsters.

[@laurasrodents]

This is such a great video, my gerbil was sick, and the vet told me to feed him HAY and reduce the SEED MIX, so he just eats hay. I would love to show her some things of this video. Thank you for the information Munchie 💕

[@dog8958]

I always give my hamsters Mazuri rat and mouse lab blocks because they have enough protein for them. In terms of seed mix, I always have Higgins sunburst and I mix it with either Higgins vita garden or Pure. I love giving them that variety and them being able to eat a large variety of amazing food!

[@CocolovesCozumel]

Your channel is so awesome I am getting a hamster soon and your channel has taught me so much for example I was going to get a small critter trails cage but then I was researching stuff about hamsters and realized that’s not enough space and so I talked to my parents and now I have a really big bin cage that is way bigger than the required size I also learned how to clean the bin what food to feed her and how much bedding to put in! THANK YOU

[@MunchiesPlace]

I'm so glad!

[@cioccolatalover9295]

Incredibly useful video!!!!! Please do a video like this for every topic (like wheels, sand, treats, bedding, cages...) it would be amazing ❤

[@maadhumarutharaj952]

I just recently made the switch from Higgins vita garden to Higgins sunburst and I am so impressed by the variety of ingredients it has. I'm so happy!!!

[@Darkshade_01]

Let's show munchie how much we love her and please continue subscribing to her KZbin channel

[@cheryl8466]

I can't tell you how much I appreciate this video. I'm So greatful I found this. Long story short (or.. as short as possible), We bought our son a hamster for his Birthday. He's been asking for one for about a year or 2. My husband and I sat on it for a while going back and forth. I started my research about 6 months ago, then picked back up about a week ago. There was a girl working there who had had hamsters for a while. So i was asking her a bunch of questions. They didn't have a large food selection, so I asked her what she recommended. She pointed to the Oxo.. or whatever it's called. I told her that I thought they were supposed to be on a diet of seeds nuts ect. She said that seeds and nuts are fattening for hamsters. So i get the pellet food and a small "treat" bag of food. I am SO happy that I grabbed that small bag because the "treat mix" ended up being way more along the lines of what the little dude needed. I mixed the treats in with the pellets that 1st day. Sure enough, he scooped out ALL of the pellets and went after the stuff he should have been eating and wanted to be eating in the 1st place.

[@thinriches]

Today i adopted a hamster. My confidence in this decision came in no small part from you. even when faced with the decision of food i referred back to this at least, to confirm my intuition-based guess (pure). Then, i came back to comment, watch fully and learned i can use my rat food as blocks. just. great. content appreciate you

[@FerralFerrets]

I was actually feeding my first hamster the Oxbow brand...I did notice she lost some weight and was avoiding eating them all together, so I stopped and switched to Sunburst, my hamsters enjoy and love it, I have never seen Nippy (My first Hamster) So excited to forage and dig for her food, she wasn't before with Oxbow and nibbled at it sometimes but never fully ate it the only time she ate was when I gave her the fresh daily foods and that wasn't enough, so I'm so glad I was introduced to Sunburst, but I do use Oxbow for my Guinea pigs. You're the only Hamster KZbinr I really watch so I was quite informed with your videos. Nippy is about 8 months old? She was a rescue from someone who was gonna feed her to a snake because her daughter didn't want her anymore and wanted to feed her to the family snake...no thank you, she is hard to work with, doesn't like to be held or anything but I've been slowly taming her and working with her. Mochi, my new baby, He's about 5 weeks old, still really small, by the way Nippy and Mochi are both dwarf hamsters. Mochi is doing well, I don't mess with him much I do let him eat from m hand and smell me but I do not pick him up because he is more tiny than the other two, he's a baby! And last but not least, Gunther, he's my Syrian Male Hamster, Long haired, and over a year old, he was too a rescue, he had a terrible cyst on his back and I've taken care of it and he just LOVES attention, He loves to be held and hand fed, loves to free roam, he's just a happy old boy. And like I said, Sunburst is a food I use for my hamsters, I also feed them Mealworms, live mealworms as I breed my own. I also breed Superworms but those are for my Bearded dragon and turtle.

[@emily_vgel3957]

That’s a whole damn story

[@picashlio3361]

I feed Higgins Sunburst mixed with Kaytee lab blocks and some dried mealworms (not many, but some for variety) with some herbs (also for variety). My hamster at her recent vet checkup was happy and very healthy according to her vet. She's also housed in a 40gal breeder with 8in of bedding and a 12in wodent wheel. She has two smaller sand baths, one with plain old aquarium sand and another with a sand gravel mixture which she likes to dig in. A cork log, chew toys, hides are also in her cage of course. I even free roam her at night. She's very happy friendly and playful.

[@MorganBArt07]

My best recommendations for food is the Higgins sunburst with muzery rat and mouse lab blocks and I added died and dried meal worms to it. Understand this is what I could get and there might be better but if you can get these I would sugust it.

[@wtpny]

@Hamster what?

[@peachyhorizons3424]

I use Gerry Gerbil Mix and I often mix other natural food sources in with it. The protein is 17% so that's why I mix things in.

[@nickdubbin2636]

I use a lab lock with my own seed mix, locusts, nuts and vegetables.

[@amypopowich822]

Munchy you are doing a good thing, I've learned so much about my Syrian hamster. Her life is going so much better. From Canada 🇨🇦

[@paperpenn9923]

Ive always wanted to see someones opinion on the PURE food. Ive never used it but it has always interested me with its unique ingredients 😊 Thank you for making this video, your definitely my favorite pet channel because your videos are informative and entertaining and seem much more genuine than some of the other pet youtubers I have seen.

[@jade6513]

I use the Vita Smart and the other good stuff they don't really have or they rarely have so is it an ok food to use

[@abv788]

Thank you so much, my gf just got a hamster and the first food we got was the oxbow, I do a lot of research and bought the sunburst before seeing this video, so glad I did my god

[@delaneyreyes8995]

Wow this is so informative. Last time I had a hamster I was about 7 years old. I loved my hamster so much and he was so friendly. He was in one of those original critter keepers and I fed him whatever they had at Publix. I’m 23 now and I got a hamster for my daughter and I’m so surprised by how much hamster care has changed. I’ve learned so much and we are always looking for ways to learn more about how to give our hamster a happy and healthy life!

[@alpaca1775]

Thank you so much I got a bit overwhelmed researching and I appreciate the visuals of you holding up and talking about each bag you're really informative

[@ΖωήΠασόγλου]

Hi I recently bought a hamster menu for my syrian hamster by the brand Little One. What is your opinion about this hamster food? Is it good?

[@JDavis-yu4nt]

Hi, the protein is only 13.2% which is below the 18+% protein that is recommended but it does have a great diverse composition and like she said if you give your hamster this mix with a lab block food for protein it would be a really great mix, hope this helps.

[@jamesdrifmeyer8139]

Love that you make videos every day

[@owlwhisker0w031]

Very informative i especially didn’t know about this at 5:15 ! I definitely learn new things in your vids

[@sukisukidaisuki128]

The fact that she really bought all of this just for the video

[@RandiPoitras]

I’ve been using the Vitasmart and Power of 5. I tried to do my research but i live in canada so most of the reccommended ones are hard to find. This video made me feel better that i’m feeding my Truffle a good diet 👍👍

[@MunchiesPlace]

Thanks for sharing Pickle Rick :) I knew there would be some challenges for people in Canada as many fans in past comments have stated how hard it is to find the good brands sometimes in their stores.

[@RandiPoitras]

Munchie's Place Also, video idea! Do a Munchie React to this video from BBC, saw it today and absolutely love it 👍❤️😍 kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYjdpoGoZdqfi7s

[@sav2823]

Sharing this in the gerbil sub because it is a hot debate rn over what pellets to feed gerbils. Losing my mind a little lmao

[@spne4104]

Thank you for doing the hard work for us. Now I can just purchase what I need without having to read and compare each food

[@MusicLvr4ever15]

I mix 1 bag white Mill, 1bag sunburst, 1 bag science selective. Some dried mealworms, and mazuri lab blocks always provided. Variety is key to me, along with being good quality food I have no issues.

[@livnicole6422]

My hamster Matilda has a mix of the science supreme and the pure food and also the added lab blocks. she enjoys both and eats both great. I also recommend talking with a vet as well on foods too, I brought both mine in when I got her checked out when I first got her and my vet was pleased with the food. I also give her veggies as well and floor time. Again this is my experience with the food and my hamster. I also recommend doing the order online and pick up option for foods at Petco/petsmart because the price is usually 2-3 dollars off from the original price.

[@lilielf5652]

Used to give my gerbils oxbow pellets along with Gerry Gerbil seed mix but they literally wouldn't touch the oxbow pellets so switched to just seed mix. I don't know if Gerry Gerbil mix is great though, I'm going to look at the ingredients. Thanks for this video, it's very helpful!

[@anastas11ja]

Helloooo i have a 1 month old hamster and her name is Mrvica in my language, she is a syrian🐹🐹🐹

[@laine6407]

Anastasija Kocić V-1 wow, shes very young

[@Olivia-wr5op]

Are you sure she is 1 month old hamsters are normally still with there litter mates and mother until 6 weeks and separated into gender group until 2 months

[@familyislife36]

@@Olivia-wr5op my hamster was 3 weeks old when we got her

[@anastas11ja]

@@Olivia-wr5op yes i adopted a pregnant hamster and she had babys , i found amazing homes for the litle guys but i left one with me💓💓🐹🐹 and thsts Mrvica💓🥰🥰

[@anastas11ja]

@@lurji yea i am from serbia 💖💖

[@ellafriedman4077]

i used to use the wild harvest but I no longer use it luckily!

[@jorwayblacknight3619]

I currently use the Higgins Sunburst with Mazuri Mice and Rat pellets for my roborovski. Though I would like to try the Higgins Garden variety one day.

[@iprobablydontlikeyou7416]

i use that for my gerbils and my syrian :)

[@abbiesanimals2569]

I use Higgins sunburst mixed with Mazuri rat and mouse diet and I add my own dried mealworms ect

[@amphibiland7315]

Same but I use Power of six instead of Mazuri, and I add flax seeds

[@derangedfangirl]

My hamster recently passed away. :( she was only with me for 5 months which makes me really upset. At first I had a bad enclosure but at the end she was very happy :).

[@brianleach4707]

Munchie do you know what the tiny seeds in the sunburst. Willow my syrian loves her sunburst. And her lab blocks. She will leave the little seeds of the sunburst. Tried reducing the amount of food or letting it sit and she just wont eat them. She gets fresh veggies and fruits 2 times a week or more. Do i need to add anything to her diet?

[@miyukiwynter885]

I think the little seeds are millet but I'm not positive

[@emilyhodge1709]

Personally I have fed my hamster the sunburst mixed with meal worms and pure food and my hamster loves it and it keep his weight well and healthy I also do dried flowers I have had him for 4 month and is doing really well on it. Definitely recommend

[@ullasms5642]

How many Times a day (once or twice) should I feed my dwarf hamster, he is 3 month's old? , Could you please suggest me

[@FluffyMarshmallow-x6r]

I am so thankful for this video and your others as well. Thanks to your video I learned ALOT about proper hamster diet and care. I had no clue that the expensive food I got for him at Petsmart was not enough until I saw this video. I immediately ordered Higgins and Mazuri, which he loves BTW... I also upgraded his cage and excersize toys to proper sizes. I had no idea that it was neglecful to keep your hamster in a large petsmart cage. I bought the 525 cage u recommended. Luckily I only had him for 2 weeks before discovering your videos. He has so much more energy and is so much more active since the food change alone that it is very concerning to me that these pet stores are pumping out such poor information. Our hamster 'Gummy Bear' thanks u :)

[@sophiagoode3883]

Would it be bad if i mixed sunburst with vita garden and mazuri blocks all together? is adding meal worms everyday also fattening?

[@amandaladouceur3011]

I am confused what ratio is ideal? Like can you give you hamster a diet of only say the sunburst mix or do they need a bit of the seed mix and pellets?

[@MunchiesPlace]

Ratio is for every 2tbsp of seed mix, you feed 1-3 lab blocks. This lab block ratio is loose however because it all depends on your mixes.

[@littlelightz]

Can i mix foods together

[@kaia0012]

Hey - thank you again for another great informative video! Since i am from Austria, most of these hamster foods dont exist here - BUT i still love watching it, because you give so much infos of what makes food good/bad specifically.. Also I hav to tell a lil story - because you made me laugh so much, as you said: "Yes hamsters eat insects" ~ BECAUSE my hamster shang heavily disagrees 😂 (I do agree tho - EAT YOUR WORMS... cough) We literally had an "argument" yesterday x'D (well, as much as u can argue with a hamster) I've tried to convince him to eat dried insects at first: zophobas, mealworms, gammarus, little shrimps, larvaes etc. His reaction: 100% ignoring it. As i put it under his nose directly, he turned around and showed me his grumpy butt.. YESTERDAY I had the "brilliant" (dumb) idea of getting living worms, in hope his hunting instinkt would kick in...if the worms are fresh und moving... Lets say... i've never EVER seen him make a grumpier face.. he literally pulled his eyebrows together and had those grumpy "forehead wrinkles" as i showed him the worms.. and as i put one worm under his nose, he started angry teeth chattering 😅 And then he hid in a house, showing me his butt - beeing all angry and teeth chattery - until i gave up and got him cheese. (and then everything was good again...) I wish i could add his grumpy face here x'D I am still laughing so much - esp bc the timing of my worm failture and watching this vid is just perfect 👌 Munchy: Yes hamsters eat insects Me: *sigihing heavily* Shang, waking up alarmed, sensing the danger of beeing exposed to those ugly worms again: EXCUSE ME I DO WHAT?! Well, today my order of dried lil fishies arrived and i try them next. Wish me luck that he likes it! 🙈 Thanks again for making this videos and helping those wonderful lil furballs! I hope you have a great day, greeting Kaia!

[@saxynray763]

Thank you for this. I would have ended up feeding my hamster oxbow because I know they make the best rabbit food, so I would have thought their hamster food would be equally as good. Now I have my little hammy on the correct food!

[@KittyKitKatLove]

Oxbow also makes great food for rats as well, though this is quite helpful, I used to have a long haired Syrian hamster, who unfortunately passed away and I have no idea why, but I fed her the Higgins sunburst and I now know another food I can add in when I choose to get another hamster. Your videos, as well as Victoria Racheal's video's, have helped me realize I had my hamster in poor care which I did attempt to fix and help me be prepared for the next small fuzzy creature I decide to take in to my care

[@andrea_1004]

Can you please do a review on kaytee hamster seed mixes? I am currently using the kaytee fiesta hamster diet mixed with oxbow pellets (my hamster came with it I didn’t get the oxbow diet).You are the only person I trust for my hamster care! Keep up the good work!

[@Elisayum]

Well I wouldn't really recommend the oxbow pellets they have a bad history for hamster like some hair loss and I think sickness it's main ingredient is Timothy hay which isn't needed for hamsters cuz its harder to digest but more for rabbits and guinea pigs also kaytee fiesta diet isn't totally bad but for the sake of ur hamster I would op for sunburst Higgins food and mazuri lab blocks for protein and some veggies for more info about ur hamsters diet I would look Victoria raechel on KZbin hope this helped if u have anymore questions u can ask me if needed:)

[@kristinenightingale8899]

I would stop feeding the oxbow immediately. Hamsters do not need to be slowly transitioned off of a food like a cat or dog would, and the oxbow is doing nothing for them nutritionally.

[@Eliza_woods04]

Hey is the brand science selective good for Guinea pigs pellets

[@ashleybarger2024]

I’m proud I did my research and got sunburst than I get the mazuri blocks!😊❤️

[@kylamulvanity7706]

Thanks so much watching your videos has helped me in my hamster research. I’m adopting a baby hamster next week. I was trying to figure out what kind of food to get . I’m going to go with one of the vita mixes. I’m used to rabbits there food definitely is different

[@christinachavez7800]

I’m surprised I didnt see the fiesta blend🤔

[@MunchiesPlace]

I didn't buy it or was given it in a recent rescue, so that's why it's not here. I grabbed all the stored food i had to make this video at the time of filming. I'll do individual reviews of all food eventually.

[@samandthehams4496]

So, could you combine sunburst, vita garden, and mazuri rat and mouse? I want to get a dwarf and I also have a Syrian.

[@princesslookie]

Yes that is an amazing food for them I feed that to my boys

[@plantawhisperer6025]

You are so amazing and educational!! Thank you!

[@strawberryshortcake1890]

I’m using this video to pick out every piece of corn and pellet in my seed mix

[@marissaschmidt-powell8533]

I use pure and I don't know what lab block to get

[@MunchiesPlace]

Most likely you'll need one of the higher crude protein lab blocks like Power of 5, Mazuri or Takland lab block which i didn't discuss as they're the highest quality and expensive to buy. This is what our friends at Hubba Hubba said about using Takland blocks (Hamsters under a year old are fed the 8640 formula and hamsters over a year old are fed the 2018 formula). Envigo Tekland lab blocks (2018): www.amazon.com/Envigo-Formerly-Harlan-Teklad-GROWTH/dp/B00N0EPSLO

[@marissaschmidt-powell8533]

@@MunchiesPlace I also adopted sunny from u so I am looking for good lab blocks

[@marliespapegaey1506]

I just love your amazing explanations! I studied animal caretaking and can't even process the amount of terrible foods for any rodent or rabbit so THANK YOU!

[@kortneybone5858]

ugh wish i would have seen this last weekend! Had higgins sunburst in our cart, but asked the lady at the pet store what food they used and she said a mix of both Oxbow bags! so we put the higgins back and got the oxbow :-( will be getting the higgins sunburst this weekend! 1st time hamster owners! Got our daughter 2 robo hamsters! :-) She's in love!!!

[@KaleidoAbridged]

This was really informative, thank you. I think a lot of foods need to be complemented by giving the hamster protein from other sources. None of these foods seem to 100% provide everything a hamster needs. We can go out and find things for them to give that helps them have a complete diet, like dried insects and stuff like that.

[@maddie2tall4u]

What about All Living Thing Market Medley Hamster & Gerbil Diet? I'm assuming it would be in the OK or Bad category.

[@MunchiesPlace]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaexpWSjf5WspbM I've reviewed it in a separate video.

[@TubbySqueakers]

Hi Munchie! ❤❤ I just adopted a mouse. He came with Tropical Carnival for mice. Is that a good diet mixed with lab blocks? Also I need to know what size wheel he needs

[@devynrice2075]

I started off with the oxbow hamster and gerbil food ( the pellet kind) and then I got menu (the newer one) and then I got the Walmart daily blend and guess what I was recommended ALL of them. This makes me so angry. I’m glad I threw all that out and now I have the sunburst Higgins which I’m very happy with. I can tell that my hamster is a lot happier now. But she doesn’t eat the veggies I give her what do you think I should do?

[@PianoDisneygal10]

To be fair, oxbow brand is excellent for guinea pigs and rabbits. So that might be why it came highly recommended.

[@TAYLOR8mm]

I was feeding the power of 5 to my hammies and the protein was 23% but now my new bag it says 15%??? I'm confused....

[@slicknick2392]

I mix the Sunburst Seed mix and the kaytee lab blocks

[@arianaceja3354]

I’m so glad I had seen this although I changed my hamsters diet recently I wish I would’ve known all of this when I first got her. The pet store recommended me the Oxbow hamster and gerbil pellets and I could tell from the start she wouldn’t like the food. I’m glad I changed her diet and started using the Higgins Sunburst seed mix with a block diet. Anyway... thank you for making this video :)

[@JadedTheatre]

My very 1st House Rabbit, Ophelia, the sweetest rabbit there ever was, was killed by Kaytee food. She went down hill VERY quickly. When I adopted a bonded pair from the House Rabbit society, they were on an Oxbow pellet/Farm Fresh Timothy Hay/Farmer's Market Veggies as a treat. They lived to be very old bunnies.

[@abbyturner5806]

I use esty food mix it has a variety of things mealworms River shrimp millet freeze dried broccoli freeze dried chicken a lot of other freeze-dried stuff and more and I also give him a salad two times a week

[@lexid6943]

I had no idea what to feed my hanster before this video (I did not have a hamster yet, and did not plan to get one until after i knew their dietary requirements) and this really helped and ultimately helped me decide the food I was most comfortable fedsing my syrian (I landed on Higgins sunburst with Mazuri rat and mouse blocks). Overall, this video was really helpful, and also entertaining.

[@lexid6943]

Also, the three dislikes feed their hamster oxbow and "They are perfectly healthy and happy!" 🙄

[@katelyn6404]

My hamster had a sad first week in my home, due to my parents. Here's the story: I had been wanting a pet for a while, and I stumbled upon hamsters. I stayed until sunrise every day for a week researching them! I kept nagging my parents about it, when they took me to the pet store. My father looked at the CritterTrail easy clean habitat and said, "Easy to clean and cheap. Let's get this one, what do you think?". And I said, "That is way to small for any hamster. I don't want that one, I was thinking of making a bin cage." And he said he didn't want a junk hamster cage. I know it sounds childish, but I broke down in tears. I wanted the best for my hamster, because I didn't waste 9 hours researching cages, accessories, and prices for nothing. He told me after dragging me out of the store that if I didn't get that cage I wouldn't get my hamster. So, I agreed with him. We went back into the store, got the CritterTrail and the hamster. And to add more issues, my father sided with the PetSmart employee after they said they don't recommend seed-based diets. He pointed to the CHEAP FOODS, and told me to choose one. I hadn't researched, but I knew they had to have seed and grain protein. Under peer pressure because I didn't want to "act out" or "be ungrateful" I chose the Garden Select by Oxbow. My hamster ate it, but I keep researching and watching 2-6 hamster videos a day. So after all this PetSmart action and issues, my baby named "Bear" lives in a 120qt bin with mesh lid, eating Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health seed mix, along with the leftovers of the Oxbow (I am still saving up for another pellet/kibble mix, because I don't want him eating just treats as a permanent food). He loves burrowing, has a new wheel and 6" of bedding in half of his cage. And even if Munchie Herself doesn't resad this or respond, please share the word for reviewing this hamster diet website, claiming Oxbow Garden Select is one of the best hamster foods out there. petsuppliesjournal.com/best-hamster-foods/

[@felixadriensfavoritecousin]

I'm so glad you were able to provide your hammy with the life it deserved

[@callmekawaii7840]

This reminds me of my hamster adoption story and I am working very hard to get my little friend his very own ikea detolf!

[@PepperTheHamster488]

Sounds like your dad wants to abuse animals ):

[@PepperTheHamster488]

I have a similar story: when i upgraded to a ph preview hamster cage, i put LOTS of bedding extremely high, and when i cleaned my cage, my mom said: this is wayyy to much bedding! Don’t listen to these “experts” don’t listen to people to tell you to put something in there that they don’t need. I

[@PepperTheHamster488]

And when my mom said this because i was trying to explain that they absolutely need 6+ inches of bedding “look, your hamster is not burrowing.” me: “HES NOT BURROWING BECAUSE HE DOESNT HAVE ENOUGH BEDDING TO BURROW IN!” Finally, she agreed to put more bedding in. I felt so bad for mr Eli. Well, we learn as we go! I

[@isabellarouse7293]

I use Great and Small but it's a UK brand. There's also tiny friends farm and burgess in the UK which are all quite good.

[@user-yh9vy7uf5g]

for what i use for my hamster is: Sunburst with most cornflakes taken out, added: mealworms, those mice and hamster, etc, food blocks you find in the petstores that they feed their small animals with. Veggies every 1 - 2 days (i use, spinach, carrot, romaine lettuce, tomato, broccoli, btw i give 3 dif veggies every night not the entire variety (and not huge veggies (like the tomato is sliced mediumly(?) and the broccoli is broken off into smaller pieces, the romaine lettuce is a small piece). And i also scatter feed with, veggies (that are safe for hamster(Look it up if you arent sure) worms, their normal foods (sunburst) and sometimes broccoli (not normally because we dont have much, and cant find organic broccoli, or ones that are good for you) etc.

[@marynadeau724]

What percentage should protein, fiber etc be at to be ideal?

[@NamiNuitsuki]

Generally speaking, protein should ideally be between 17% - 19%, fiber between 6% - 15%, and fat between 4% - 7%. There is a lot more info on Hamster Hideout about diet, though, so I'd recommend reading these threads on it. hamsterhideout.com/forum/topic/98950-hamster-nutrition-i-nutrition-variety-and-quality/ As always, ask your vet if your hamster has specific needs that have to be met and always read the ingredients and do your own research. Not everything you read online can be taken as fact and even this thread may have faulty info here and there, but the percentages are good.

[@catking1059]

On the “absolutely terrible” list, right there in the middle, is the only food my petco had available when my sister and her friend bought the hamster they surrendered to me. I was hoping it would feature in at least the midrange section, but this is why you made this video. I did introduce her to dried mealworms this week, but dang.

[@JannaWillard]

Random question as a non-hamster person: would it make sense to mix Oxbow, a lab block, and a good seed mix? Thinking of the fibre content in particular.

[@amphibiland7315]

Well, the problem with oxbow is that hamsters hate it, and leave it in the dish. So they probably just wouldn't eat it

[@alexispratt4062]

Thanks for this video I was using a bad food ima change to sunburst! Tysm!

[@givowl2160]

Thanks for making this, I’m thinking of getting a hamster when I have the space so your channel has been very helpful.

[@TRUMP-uo4qo]

Very helpful!!! Thanks Munchie!

[@pm6829]

Could you please review the Oxbow Forage Wise Hamster & Gerbil Food😊

[@firstname9066]

Emergency rescued a hamster and have to use the bulk food from pet supplies plus at the moment. Ordered muzori and Higgins sunburst for my long-haired Syrian. I was told to feed 50/50 of each

[@katiesmith9158]

Can you do a review on mouse food I think I found a good one but I'm not sure??

[@zoewong9027]

aren’t pellets not recommended?? the hamster is going to get bored for eating the same food every day

[@Mariahalphawolf]

Please no hate. Personally, I feel corn is a fine ingredient in pet food, but it shouldn't be majority of the diet. Corn isn't low in nutrients, but it needs to be processed in the right way for the animal to receive those nutrients. Carbohydrates and amino and fatty acids are in corn which go towards energy and skin and coat health. I am speaking about this from dog and cat food. I'm not as well versed with small animals.

[@6millioncyphrs]

Agreed. Also commented earlier, both the vets I've been to, one of them being an exotic one including for hamsters, had posters in the waiting room areas debunking corn as just a filler, and then it talked about nutritional benefits. This idea that corn is filler is not helpful, it ignores what professional vets say about corn and makes the public see us as crazy, that we have a problem with 95% of hamster foods on the market because of corn added in there. If corn was so harmful, I don't think vets would be sitting back saying nothing. And hamsters would be dropping dead from nutritional deficiencies left and right, since corn is a "filler" in literally almost every hamster food anyone ever buys. I don't eat meat but, what do the world's factory farmed animals eat? CORN, soybean, wheat, water. A notable majority of calories people eat is derived from crops like corn, including indirect calories from meat form animals that did eat corn (recall seeing metastudies about this), so no it is definitely not nutritionally deficient, so dishonest to spread this myth

[@isabelle_311]

I use Higgins sunburst hamster seed mix and Missouri rat pellets lab blocks

[@madisonpaige321]

I’m so glad I saw this I try so hard to give my hamster the best life possible he has a giant cage and so many toys and a good wheel but I feed him the oxbow food. I’m going to the store right now to fix that

[@ThatLilFloofer]

I use tiny friends farm with mealworms and some dried flowers, is that ok?

[@Aeris357]

To me (hi, I run a hamster rescue in Italy! AAE Criceti ☺️) this is so funny, the food you put in the higher end (puur, vitalfraft and selective) are actually considered terrible here! Our top brands here are Bunny and Real Nature, you can look them up if you’d like and check the ingredients as well as the percentages. Even having such great blends we still recommend giving hamsters a pice of boiled egg or chicken every three to four days, personally (given that I have to set the standard for the rescue) I try and convince my adopters to use live insects instead but it’s not always easy 😬