Feeding the right food enriched with nutritions and minerals is very important to grow healthy hamsters. If you have got a new hamster in your pet cage, you might be wondering about what you should feed your hamster and what you should avoid feeding.
Many beginners like you are confused about what to serve and what not. Worry no more, in this article; we are going to tell you everything you need to know about hamsters diet. We are going to discuss what can hamsters eat and they do not like to eat. Just keep reading until the end.
What Can a Hamster Eat?
Different kinds of hamsters might like different kinds of foods. However, there are some common foods that most of them like to eat. We are going to include those in a list and then at the end, we will also go for the FAQ section to discuss more the foods they can eat.
The first rule you should remember when you feed your hamster is that you have supply fresh foods that come with a good amount of specific nutrients. Secondly, the food you give to your hamsters should be safe and well washed. Unless you do so, your hamsters might get vulnerable to diseases.
Let’s now see a list of foods that are ideal for your hamsters:
- Fruits like Mangoes, blackberries, peaches, banana, apples.
- Oats, cereals, crackers, healthy bread.
- Lean chicken, hard-boiled eggs, tofu.
- Healthy rodent block, broccoli, cauliflower, celery.
- Cucumber, cooked potato, spinach, strawberries.
- Kale, carrots, hay, cooked brown rice, squash.
- Peanuts, nuts, lentils, apples without seeds, sprouts.
- Sunflower seeds, sweet potato, grapes, crickets.
- Romaine lettuce, mealworms, dandelion.
- Cabbage, cress, sweet peppers, skim milk.
- Melon, chicory, courgette, pear etc.
What You Should Not Feed Your Hamsters?
Hamsters eat a vast range of food. But, that does not necessarily mean that it eats or likes all. There are certain foods you should not feed your hamsters. Let’s have a look at a few of those foods you should avoid to give your hamsters to eat:
- Oranges, lemons, grapefruits, almonds, elder, bindweed, bluebells.
- Acorns, leeks, privet, unripe and overripe food.
- Raw beans, onions, garlic, chocolate, raw rhubarb.
- Any sugary, oily or salty food
- Junk foods, citrus fruits.
- Raw potatoes, apple seeds, aubergine.
- Lettuce, tomato leaves.
- Spicy and seasoned products
Things You Should Know About Hamster Diet
If you do not know about the hamster diet, you might end up feeding the wrong food to your hamsters. Here are a bunch of information you should know about hamster diet:
- The bulk of your hamster’s diet should be filled up with fresh dry foods. You should have a look at the nutritional needs while you feed hamsters.
- Hamsters like to chew and gnaw. You can offer them hay cubes, seagrass, pumice stone, cardboard, and coconut shells for them to chew.
- You can get seeds and pellets of both basic and flavored items in your nearest shop or online to buy. Make sure that they are well-preserved.
- Do not let the hamsters food come in contact with water or damp air. Any food that grows mold due to dampness is harmful to your hamsters. If hamsters digest damp foods, that can cause problems in their blood.
- Do not buy rabbit food or guinea pig food thinking that they will work for your hamsters. Every pet has a different diet habit and choice. On top of that, pets of all kinds do not have an equal need for nutrients. Choosing the wrong food might lead to malnutrition. Keep in mind that what might be beneficial to one species of pets might be harmful to another.
- Try to keep your hamsters in a big cage if possible. It will help them to eat comfortably by moving to and fro whenever they want. Here’s a good article to read about the hamster’s cage.
- Always preserve your food in a sealed container or anywhere dry. When any food expires or grows molds, take that away and do not offer to your hamsters ever.
Faq
Can Hamsters Drink Milk?
Yes. But be sure that you do not feed them whole milk. It is because they contain excess fat. Feed them skimmed milk instead.
Can Hamsters Eat Carrot?
Carrots are one of the most favorite vegetables of hamsters. On top of that, carrots are rich sources of vitamins and minerals. However, there might be some hamsters that are prone to diabetes. In that case, you have to offer a limited amount of sugary or sweet vegetables or fruits. Make sure that you offer them fresh carrots after about two weeks.
Can Hamsters Eat Cheese?
Yes, you can give cheese to adult hamsters occasionally. However, choose that cheese that comes unflavoured with low saturated fat and less salt. Avoid processed or flavored cheese as that might be toxic for some species of hamsters.
Can Hamsters Eat Cucumber?
Cucumbers are great for your hamsters, especially for babies if you feed a moderate amount occasionally. If you feed too many cucumbers or too often, that might cause wet stools.
Can Hamsters Eat Grapes?
Yes, you can give grapes but not grapefruits to the hamsters. However, do not offer grape seeds to them.
Can Hamsters Eat Apples?
A moderate amount of apples is safe for hamsters. Too much of it can cause diabetes, diarrhea, and stomach upset.
Can Hamsters Eat Banana?
Unless you have a dwarf hamster, you can feed banana to the hamsters.
Can Hamsters Eat Lettuce?
We do not recommend lettuce to feed to hamsters as it might cause stomach upset.
Can Hamsters Eat Celery?
You can avoid celery if you have other foods available. However, if you need to feed celery, give a very small portion of it so that it does not harm the hamsters.
Can Hamsters Eat Blueberries?
Blueberries are good for the eyes of hamsters. You should avoid giving it to diabetic-prone hamsters.
Can Hamsters Eat Tomatoes?
Yes, they can. But as tomatoes are acidic and watery, these might cause diarrhea and stomach upset sometimes.
Can Hamsters Eat Watermelon?
We do not encourage you to feed watermelon to hamsters due to its watery nature.
Can Hamsters Eat Bread?
You can offer rye bread, brown bread, and whole meal bread to the hamsters. Avoid white bread as that’s highly processed, sugary and contain little nutritional value.
Can Hamsters Eat Broccoli?
With vitamins like A, B, C, D, and K, Broccoli is a great food to feed your hamsters. You can give chopped-up broccoli to the hamsters regularly.
Can Hamsters Eat Almonds?
NO. You should not feed almonds to hamsters. Many almonds have cyanide substances and thus deadly for the hamsters to eat.
Can Hamsters Eat Oranges?
All the citrus fruits including oranges are not good for hamsters. So, you should avoid oranges for your hamsters.
Can Hamsters Eat Chocolates?
NO. you should avoid chocolates by all means. Chocolates contain sugar, saturated fat, theobromine, and other elements that might be deadly and toxic to the hamsters.
Can Hamsters Eat Raisins?
Yes. You can offer a small number of raisins to hamsters occasionally.
Can Hamsters Eat Spinach?
Yes, spinach is quite safe for hamsters to eat.
Can Hamsters Eat Peanuts?
If you have unsalted and unflavoured peanuts, you can offer those to hamsters. Do not feed more of it.
Can Hamsters Eat Peanut Butter?
You can offer a very small portion of organic peanut butter to your hamsters.
Can Hamsters Eat Popcorn?
Yes, they love plain and unflavored popcorn.
Can Hamsters Eat Cabbage?
Feeding a moderate amount of cabbage is safe for the hamsters. Much of it can cause stomach upset.
Can Hamsters Eat Walnuts?
Yes. But you have to offer them rarely as these are full of fat.
Can Hamsters Eat Pumpkin Seeds?
Yes. As long as you offer a limited amount of pumpkin seeds, that’s good for hamsters.
Conclusion
By now you should know everything about what can hamsters eat. If you can follow our list of foods on what hamsters can eat and what they cannot eat along with the guidelines, we hope that your hamsters will grow healthy and robust.
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