• Hamsters need more than just seeds and grain to stay healthy.hamster image by cat from Fotolia.com
  
  Maintaining a balanced diet for your hamster is essential to keeping him healthy and happy. Along with the grain- and seed-based food you can buy at your local pet shop, there are a number of varieties of fruit that are both safe and nutritious for your hamster. Feeding him any of these fruits will definitely make his day.
  
  

Acceptable Fruits

• Apples, bananas, grapes, mango, peaches, melon, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, pears, blueberries, star fruit, kiwi fruit, cranberries, cherries and blackberries are all safe for your hamster to eat. Note that dwarf hamsters are highly susceptible to diabetes, and you should avoid feeding your dwarf hamster fruits with a high sugar content. If you do decide to give a dwarf hamster fruit, make sure the portion size is very small.
  
  

Feeding Your Hamster

• Only give your hamster fruit once or twice a week at first in very small portions. Eventually you can increase the frequency to once a day, but the portions need to stay small. According to Pet Web Site, "it is important that fruit and vegetables...be introduced to a hamster's diet gradually as a sudden large amount of fruit or vegetables can cause diarrhea." Make sure to remove any seeds or pits from the fruit before giving it to the hamster. Keep a close eye on your hamster after feeding it fruit to make sure it doesn't give him diarrhea. If it makes him sick, refrain from giving him any more fruit until he recovers. Don't give your hamster more than he can eat; the leftovers will go untouched and rot in his cage.
  
  

What to Avoid

• According to Andy Markison, author of the article "A Hamster's Diet: What Should I Feed My Hammy?", do not feed your hamster any of the following items, as they could cause some serious health issues for your pet: almonds, apple seeds, cabbage, citrus fruits, eggplant, garlic, kidney beans, mushrooms, onions, pickles, potatoes, rhubarb, tomatoes or any junk food meant exclusively for people, like candy and potato chips.