Diet
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In the wild the dormouse has a very varied diet. Its diet consists of fruit, pollen, nectar, insects, eggs, grains, seeds and nuts.
As a pet owner you should try to replicate it's natural diet as much as possible. Variety is very important.
The dormouse should always have access to seeds, grains and nuts. The most suitable are seed mixes for insect and fruit eating birds. These are much better than those given to other small rodents. Dry food should be supplemented with fruits and greens several times a week. I also give them nectar on occation. Remove the cores from peaches, plums and cherries, because eating them can be harmful to your dormice.
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Grapes seem to be a favourite, but variation is best, to supply additional vitamins and minerals. There are some fruits and vegetables you should avoid feeding your dormice, rhubarb (contains oxalic acid), lettuce, cabbage and spinach (these are all high in nitrat), avocado and citrus fruits (are known to be harmful to small rodents). Uneaten greens and fruits should be removed the following morning so that it doesn't get spoiled. You would probably like to give your dormice a treat every now and then. Seed bars are excellent treats. There are different flavours for both birds and rodents. There are even high-protein seed bars.
Most dormice owners use a food bowl for the seed mix, but it isn't necessary. You can also strew the mix on the tank floor in the bedding material. Then your dormice have to use their different sences to locate the food. This will keep them busy for quite a while and they seem to enjoy the search. The disadvantage is that it makes it harder to keep track on how much they eat. It will also make the bedding material a bit more filthy.
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The wild dormouse diet has a high protein content.
The proteins are broken down into amino acids in the body and are then used to build up body tissues.
Young dormice and breeding females need a larger quantity of proteins than non-breeding adults.
You can give them different types of insects like crickets, cockroaches, grasshoppers, woodlice and mealworms.
Dormice are very skilled hunters. Feed them late at night, then you'll get the chance to see them hunt. They will soon recognize the sounds associated with feeding and will come out to greet you.
You can vary the protein source with hardboild egg and some sources suggest that you vary with dry cat or dog food.
Greens and fruits contains less protein than meat, but high-protein plant foods includes peas, broccoli, sunflower seeds and nuts. Don't feed your dormice too much sunflower seeds, because they are very high in fat. If you want to make sure you give your dormice all the nutrions they need, you can give them vitamin drops in their drinking water. You can also shake the insects in vitamin powder or strew it over the fruit. This can be found in most petshops.
Fresh water should be available to your pets at all time.
A water bottle helps ensure the water's sanitation. If you use a water bowl you'll have to clean it every day. Ceramic bowls are easy to keep clean and do not tip over easily.
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