5 replies to this topic

[Rapha689Pro]

Obviously I’m gonna keep my hamster omnivorous,but,can they SURVIVE or even Thrive on a insectivore/carnivore diet? True omnivores like bears and rats can thrive on a vegan Or Carnivorous diet,since hamsters can perfectly Thrive on a vegan diet,can they also thrive on a carnivore diet with mainly insects,a little bit of meat and maybe a extremely little bit of seeds and grains?

[Kikya]

Omnivorous animals cannot survive let alone thrive on a vegan diet and I would not suggest putting a hamster on a carnivorous diet. Their ideal diet consists of mostly seeds/grains with around 20% protein and 10% fat. They have a digestive system that is leaning more plant based (as they have a forestomach for plant digestion/fermentation similar but not exactly like a cow's rumen)  than meat based and would have a hard time living on a diet of only meat. Likewise, a diet only consisting of plants would not be good for a hamster either.

[Robin~]

I know robos in the wild tend to have very insect heavy diets, especially when plant matter is scarce (up to around 60-80%!), but I don't think that means it should be replicated, let alone taken to the extreme of only feeding insects. Like Kikya said, they're more designed for eating plant matter right down to their anatomy (see massive incisors designed for chewing seed shells and roots). I believe feeding animal matter is very important to their diet, especially if you're feeding something that isn't commercially fortified, but, like I said, it's a balance between that and the majority of their diet being seeds, leaves, and other plant material.

[Lillias]

They could probably survive for some time on insects (like if they had to get through the winter at the end of a bad year), but they wouldn't thrive because they are largely designed to eat grains and seeds.

 

On the other side, they wouldn't do well on a diet that is mostly grasses, hay, and vegetables. They eat plant matter, but it's a different type of plant matter than a guinea pig. They can eat these foods, but they can't live on them.

[Rapha689Pro]

Omnivorous animals cannot survive let alone thrive on a vegan diet and I would not suggest putting a hamster on a carnivorous diet. Their ideal diet consists of mostly seeds/grains with around 20% protein and 10% fat. They have a digestive system that is leaning more plant based (as they have a forestomach for plant digestion/fermentation similar but not exactly like a cow's rumen)  than meat based and would have a hard time living on a diet of only meat. Likewise, a diet only consisting of plants would not be good for a hamster either.

Omnivorous animals cannot survive let alone thrive on a vegan diet and I would not suggest putting a hamster on a carnivorous diet. Their ideal diet consists of mostly seeds/They have a digestive system that is leaning more plant based (as they have a forestomach for plant digestion/fermentation similar but not exactly like a cow's rumen) .

actually,anatomically speaking,they are more omnivorous even than rats,they have bunodont-lophodont molars and VERY brachydont molars,also their cecum its very short,and actually,their fore stomach it’s not necessary,if you remove the fore stomach the hamster will still survive perfectly (this was done in a experiment!)

[Kikya]

actually,anatomically speaking,they are more omnivorous even than rats,they have bunodont-lophodont molars and VERY brachydont molars,also their cecum its very short,and actually,their fore stomach it’s not necessary,if you remove the fore stomach the hamster will still survive perfectly (this was done in a experiment!)

They start having kidney issues with too high levels of protein. I'd like to see this study with this experiment but it sounds cruel and unusual and I doubt the hamster lived perfectly since they usually kill off the subjects of studies after the conclusions. Do you have a link?

I don't think hamster teeth are the same as a herbivore since they don't have continuously growing molars compared to ruminant animals. But that doesn't mean they are more omnivorous than rats. It just means they don't chew their food like a cow chews cud. They need less fibrous food but fiber is still important to their diets unlike carnivores.

Edited by Kikya, 05 August 2022 - 11:01 AM.