Answer to Question 1
The easiest way to feed hamsters is to purchase commercially prepared pellets specifically designed for small
animals.
In mixing a ration, it is important that the animal receive a wide range of foods to ensure a nutritionally
balanced ration. The diet should contain seeds such as corn, millet, wheat, oats, sorghum, and rapeseeds.
Carrots, pieces of potato, fresh clover, or alfalfa hay should be supplemented into the diet, as well as dried
peas, beans, and nuts. Dry dog pellets or biscuits can be fed also.
Answer to Question 2
The Golden hamster, Mesocricetus auratus, is the most abundant of the hamsters. This species has been most
often used in research and is the species most commonly found in pet stores.
Another species of hamster that can be found in pet shops is the small desert, or dwarf, hamster, Phodopus
sungorus. The dwarf hamster is light gray with a dark stripe down the back. It is smaller than the Golden
hamster.