Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Nourish+Protect Hamster & Gerbil Food, 3-lb bag

We have a Syrian and a dwarf hamster. They both love this product! They prefer the bigger pieces, but they eat the little balls eventually after they've stowed away all the big pieces. They seem healthy and their coats look great, so I think the food really agrees with them.

I was a bit hesitant at first about buying food from Kaytee but in the end, its prices ARE much cheaper than that of most other pet food brands. I have three gerbils which I bought this food for and they seem to like it alright. The main ingredients in this food are sunflower seeds, corn kernels, peas, and a couple of other seed types as well as many, many brown pellets. However, I would highly suggest you remove the sunflower seeds and corn kernels from the feed and either feed them as treats or in moderation. I did notice, however, that my gerbils definitely did not like the brown pellets in the food. For those of you who replace your pets' food every day or every other day and notice that the only thing left in their dish is the pellets, I would NOT recommend simply tossing them out and refilling their dish. Considering most of the vitamins and nutrition is in the pellets themselves, this is possibly one of the worst possible things you can do to your pets' food intake. Most (if not all) pets eat what they like the best first (which isn't necessarily healthy for them) before eating the rest of the food. Instead, I recommend leaving the uneaten food in for one or two more days until most of the leftovers (pellets, mostly) are eaten before refilling their dish. In this way, your pets get the nutrition they need and over time, they will learn to eat everything in the bowl, including the pellets, in order to have their bowl refilled with the better-tasting food.

My girls have a habit of picking through seed blends to eat their favorites and leave the rest. With this food, they eat most of it! That’s a win for them. They will still pick through a bit, so we are always trying different options, but this will stay in the rotation as a good option for my discerning girls.

I recently tried the Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Nourish and Protect Hamster and Gerbil Food for my gerbil, and I am really impressed. The mix looks fresh, colorful, and full of variety, which makes me feel good about what I am giving him. He immediately went for it and has been happily snacking ever since. I also appreciate that the formula includes added vitamins and nutrients for overall health. The eight pound bag is huge and will last a long time, so it offers great value. There is no dust and no stale smell, just a clean and high quality blend. If you are looking for a nutritious food your small pet will enjoy, I definitely recommend trying this. My gerbil gives it two tiny thumbs up.