Do you know that hamsters are omnivorous! Yes, they gallop from vegetables, fruits, and grains to a little non-veg. Also, hamsters can eat several human foods. You can always offer them fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains from your kitchen.
But make sure they must be limited in 10% of their diet. The lion’s share must come from real hamster food like seed mixes or insects. Besides, you can add a little bit to his diet from your kitchen.
Here, we are going to show you a quick list of everyday human foods that your fuzzy friend can consume and how to serve them safely and interestingly. And at the end of the article, we will be covering the Frequently Asked Questions section to let you know more. Let’s dive in.
Common Vegetables That Hamsters Can Eat
Sweet Potato: Hamsters adore sweet potatoes! You can always feed yummy sweet potatoes to your friend. They will lick the plate for sure! Note that; don’t give it raw, every time boil a little bit. Moreover, add no spice to it. Not even a little salt.
Corn on the Cob: Scatter some happy-colored corn to your pet. It will be an exciting game for him! They will love the game and the food.
Celery: You can add a little bit of Celery to the diet of your fuzzy friend. Wash them nicely before serving them on the pet plate.
Cucumber: Who doesn’t like fresh cucumbers in their salad! It can be found in every fridge. Give it to the pet. In this case, make sure that you are giving a tiny amount. Because it is high in water. When you feed your pet something high in water too much, it may result in diarrhea. It’s a horrible case. It quickly dehydrates the Hamsters. Rush to the vet immediately, whenever you notice the symptoms of diarrhea.
Parsnip: Treat your little champ with tasty parsnips. Boil it. Never give raw.
Watercress: Do you have watercress in your fridge? Don’t hesitate to give it. Hamsters eat them voraciously.
Peas: It is very common in many people’s groceries. They are cheap as well. Allocate two or three pieces of it to the diet of your pet for a day.
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Cauliflowers
- Cabbage
- Romaine lettuces
- Spinach
- Squash
If you want to get a full list of vegetables that you should feed your hamsters, have a look here. (What vegetables can hamsters eat?)
Common Fruits That Hamsters Can Eat
- Banana: You and your little friend can eat it together. They just love bananas and the little nubs of the bananas. But be aware. Don’t give them too much. It is high in sugar. When we take too much sugar, we get fat. It happens to the hamsters too. Offer them a tiny piece of it.
- Grapes: Ah grapes! They adore this juicy fruit. But, consciously feed it. Firstly, it is heavily watery. So, press out some water. Secondly, take out the seeds of the grapes. According to some people, it is harmful to them. We are not sure though. But we love our pet too much to take any risk. Hence, do that.
- Tomatoes: It’s a fruit. Do you know that? Treat them with this nutritious fruit. Remember, never give tomato vine. Serve them just the real fruit. Again, don’t allow them to eat the seed.
- Peaches: Treat them with it. Be aware, they should not eat the stone part. Some fruit stones can be poisonous for them.
- Apples: Never hesitate to offer apples to hamsters. The limitation is also there. They can’t eat the brown apple. Give them red or green apples only. Also, apple seeds should be avoided.
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
To know more about what fruits can hamsters eat, you can hop into this article.
Miscellaneous Human Foods Hamsters Can Eat
- Whole grain bread or toast.
- Brown rice(cooked).
- Milk (skimmed).
- Whole-grain cereal (avoid sugary cereal).
- Cooked chicken(tiny nublets).
- Hard-boiled eggs.
- Nuts(no salt).
Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Hamsters
You have already seen several items that can go to the little tummy of your hamster. It’s pretty liberating! But, don’t enjoy freedom too much. Don’t throw things randomly to your love. It can harm him severely. They are made for eating wild foods. So, before offering any human food, be sure about it. Go to the forums, online blogs, or vets.
Remember, your friend can’t eat the foods your mamma stopped you from eating. Junk food! Hamsters can’t tolerate that unhealthy food.
Foods bought from shops like yogurt drops or seed sticks contain high sugar. Hamsters should not eat them.
If your one is a dwarf hamster, you have to be more cautious. You have to cut out sugar from their diet as much as possible. They are vulnerable to diabetes. It’s better to avoid fruits in their case.
Here is a list of food not to give to the hamsters:
- Onions.
- Garlic.
- Citrus fruits.
- Almonds.
- Oranges.
- Lemons.
- Chocolates.
- Oily foods.
- Any sugary or salty foods.
- Any junk foods.
- Apple seeds.
- Any fruits with stones, pit, and seeds
- Raw beans and potatoes.
Important Things to Remember Before Giving Human Foods to Hamsters
First of all, remember that though both ‘Hamsters’ and ‘Humans’ start with H and share many common foods, hamsters and humans are never the same. Hamsters take a very tiny amount of food. The food that hamsters take in a month can be eaten by just a day by humans. So, never give more food to your hamsters than it can consume.
Hamsters can live well by pellets and seed mixes available in the pet shop out there. Fruits and vegetables can just be fed as treat occasionally. You do not need to feed fruits and vegetables to your hamsters every day.
You can serve fruits twice a week and vegetables or other foods thrice a week along with pellets or commercial foods.
Always make sure that you wash the fruits and vegetables before serving these to your hamsters. If you feed unwashed and unclean foods to your loving pet, that might get affected by diarrhea and other diseases.
If the hamsters do not like any food, stop giving that food to them. If any food causes them diarrhea, stop offering that food to them.
If your hamsters are prone to diabetes, make sure that you do not feed them sweet fruits regularly. If you do so, they will be affected by diabetes.
In case your hamsters have diarrhea, stop giving them watery foods such as watermelon.
Always avoid seed, pits, and stones from the fruits. Just give them the main fruits by throwing away the seeds that come with those.
Never offer damp or molded food to hamsters. Doing so can make them sick with stomach upset and diarrhea.
If your hamsters get affected by diarrhea and other diseases for eating human foods or any other reasons, contact a professional vet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Hamsters Eat Apples?
Yes. However, you have to make sure that you offer them seedless apples only.
Can Hamsters Eat Milk?
It depends. Full-fat milk is not the best choice for them. You can offer them skimmed milk if you want.
Can Hamsters Eat Watermelon?
It is suggested not to give them much of it. Watermelon can cause diarrhea.
Conclusion
So, that’s our guide on what human food can hamsters eat. We hope that you can now take care of your hamsters better as you know the foods to offer to the hamsters and the foods to avoid. Feed your friend prudently. He will remain fit always and impress you with his naughty moves!