Hamsters are such delicate little creatures, and feeding them one thing that’s not good for them can simply hurt their well being and well-being. The excellent news is that contemporary meals for hamsters isn’t all that difficult, they usually can safely eat extra meals than cats and canine.
To make it simpler for you, we’ve compiled a listing of secure veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, flowers, herbs, protein and grain – so just about every little thing it is advisable to know! There’s additionally a listing of unsafe meals and meals it is best to feed carefully. This record is for all hamster species.
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How one can Feed Recent Meals to Hamsters
Recent meals similar to greens and fruits ought to make a small addition to your hamster’s common eating regimen. You’ll be able to feed just a few totally different vegs, fruits, and herbs a few instances every week and even one small piece of veg (or fruit) day by day. A normal information for serving is the scale of your hamster’s ear.
Introduce any new meals slowly, so your hamster doesn’t get an upset abdomen. If the meals is inflicting a “moist tail,” i.e., diarrhea or an hostile response of any type, cease feeding it.
Hamsters are inclined to hoard their meals, and since contemporary meals go rancid shortly, take away any uneaten veg and fruit items on the identical day you give them. Additionally, test your hamster’s stash to make sure they didn’t cover any of it.
Secure Greens Checklist for Hamsters
| Arugula | Ginger |
| Artichoke | Inexperienced Beans |
| Asparagus | Kale |
| Beet | Mushroom |
| Bell Pepper | Parsnip |
| Bok Choy | Peas |
| Broccoli | Potato (cooked) |
| Brussels Sprouts | Pumpkin |
| Cabbage | Radicchio |
| Carrot | Romaine Lettuce |
| Cauliflower | Soybeans |
| Celery | Snow Peas |
| Collards | Spinach |
| Corn | Squash |
| Cucumber | Candy Potato (cooked) |
| Edamame | Swiss Chard |
| Endive | Zucchini |
| Fennel |
Hamsters can safely eat all kinds of veggies, however there are some guidelines to observe.
Inexperienced, uncooked potatoes include massive quantities of a toxin known as solanine, so hamsters, like people, ought to by no means eat such potatoes. Potatoes must be fed cooked, with out salt or seasoning.
Garlic and onion have been an object of debate within the hamster-keeping group. Hamsters can eat cooked garlic and onion, and it even has some well being advantages for them! You’ll be able to learn extra in regards to the analysis on garlic and onion for hamsters here. However as with every little thing, moderation is essential.
Veggies that it is best to keep away from as they don’t seem to be secure are:
- Chili Peppers (and different sizzling peppers)
- Eggplant (Aubergine)
- Raw Broad and Kidney beans or different beans excessive in lectin
Though not essentially greens, beans are most frequently grouped that method. It’s vital to do not forget that some varieties of beans, similar to Broad and Kidney beans, are poisonous for people and hamsters when uncooked. It’s best to all the time cook dinner these beans earlier than feeding them to your hamster. Inexperienced beans, however, are secure to feed uncooked as they don’t include excessive quantities of lectin as broad and kidney beans.
Secure Fruits Checklist for Hamsters
| Acai | Kiwi |
| Apple (no seeds) | Kumquat |
| Apricot | Lychee |
| Banana | Mango |
| Blackberries | Nectarines |
| Blueberries | Papaya |
| Boysenberries | Ardour Fruit |
| Cantaloupe | Peach (no pit) |
| Cherries (no pit) | Pear |
| Cranberries | Pineapple |
| Currants | Plum (no pit) |
| Dates | Pomegranate |
| Elderberries | Raspberry |
| Figs | Starfruit |
| Gooseberries | Strawberries |
| Grapes (no seeds) | Tomatoes (ripe) |
| Guava | Watermelon |
| Honeydew Melon |
As everyone knows, fruits are typically excessive in sugar, so you shouldn’t feed fruits in extra. It’s best to rotate totally different fruits (in addition to greens) as a substitute of feeding the identical factor repeatedly, so as to add selection and enrichment to your hamster’s life.
Avocado flesh could be fed however carefully, as a result of it’s excessive in fats. Nonetheless, it is best to by no means feed avocado pit, pores and skin, or leaves as they’re poisonous to hamsters.
Citrus fruits are one other fruit household usually perceived as unsafe attributable to being extremely acidic. Additionally, analysis has discovered that citrus fruits could cause kidney tumors in male rats when fed in substantial portions. However there isn’t a proof that citrus fruits aren’t secure for hamsters – science discovered that they will even be useful. After all, you shouldn’t give your hamster massive portions of any fruits, together with citrus, as they’re excessive in sugar. However the occasional citrus deal with is solely secure on your hamster.
In the case of tomatoes, it’s important to needless to say it is best to solely feed ripe tomatoes with out leaves or stems as they’re poisonous.
Additionally, keep away from the pits and seeds of some fruits (talked about within the fruit record above) as a result of they include amygdalin which is transformed into cyanide within the abdomen and should trigger toxicity in massive doses.
Nuts & Legumes
| Almonds | Hazelnuts |
| Black Eyed Peas | Lentils |
| Cashews | Peanuts |
| Chickpeas | Cut up Peas |
| Coconut | Walnuts |
Nuts must be unflavored and unsalted.
Almonds usually find yourself on the “unsafe hamster meals” lists as a result of folks confuse bitter almonds with human-grade almonds. Bitter almonds aren’t secure for hamsters or people attributable to a poisonous chemical known as hydrogen cyanide. However human-grade almonds, which we people eat, are completely secure for hamsters too.
Though nuts make wonderful treats, being enjoyable and enriching, it is best to nonetheless be aware of the portions you feed them as nuts are excessive in energy and fats content material, so they don’t seem to be one thing you need to give day-after-day.
Seeds
| Chia Seeds | Pumpkin Seeds |
| Flax Seeds | Sesame Seeds |
| Hemp Seeds | Sunflower Seeds |
Like nuts, seeds also needs to be unflavored and unsalted.
Right here’s a web page from our “Secure & Unsafe Hamster Meals Checklist” printable that each one our subscribers get for simple reference. You may get entry to the printable by subscribing to our e-newsletter on the backside of this put up or right here.
Herbs & Flowers
| Basil | Nettle |
| Calendula | Oregano |
| Chamomile | Parsley |
| Cornflowers | Raspberry Leaves |
| Dandelion | Rose Petals |
| Dill | Sunflower Petals |
| Hibiscus Petals | Thyme |
| Marigold Leaves |
Herbs and flowers make an excellent addition to your hamster’s eating regimen. They’re wonderful for foraging and enrichment. You should utilize contemporary culinary kitchen herbs and dried herbs.
Grains
| Amaranth | Oat Flakes |
| Barley | Popped Corn |
| Buckwheat | Quinoa |
| Bulgar Wheat | Rice |
| Corn Flakes (plain) | Rye Flakes |
| Couscous | Wheat Germ |
| Millet |
Grains make up a big portion of your pet’s eating regimen. They’re served in a dry meals combine you give to your hamster, however you possibly can add a little bit little bit of your personal as a deal with now and again.
Protein
| Cheese | Cooked Plain Rooster |
| Cottage Cheese | Cooked Plain Turkey |
| Crickets | Cooked Plain Beef |
| Eggs | Salmon |
| Grasshoppers | Tofu |
| Mealworms | Yogurt |
Hamsters usually get mistaken for herbivores, however they’re really omnivores, so having animal protein of their eating regimen is important. Probably the most pure sources of protein for them are mealworms, crickets, and grasshoppers, as these bugs are just like what hamsters would eat within the wild, however you may as well provide different protein meals similar to cooked, unseasoned meat or eggs.
Understand that cooked beef shouldn’t be fed actually because it’s excessive in ldl cholesterol. Rooster is a a lot more healthy selection for hamsters.
In Moderation
Some meals aren’t that wholesome for hamsters due to their excessive fats or sugar content material. Feed the next meals carefully solely:
- Avocado – This fruit could be very excessive in fats, so it ought to solely be fed often and in small portions.
- Beef – Such a meat is excessive in ldl cholesterol in comparison with different meats, so it shouldn’t be the first protein supply on your hamster.
- Dairy merchandise, i.e., cheese, yogurt – Dairy is simply too excessive in fats to be fed usually.
- Dried fruits – Whereas fruits have pure sugars that aren’t dangerous for hamsters, dried fruits have a a lot larger focus of these sugars, so that they shouldn’t be fed usually or in massive portions.
- Garlic & onion – These veggies are effective to supply when cooked into different meals, however finest to keep away from uncooked.
- Excessive-fat meals similar to coconut and different nuts.
- Hamster treats similar to Yogurt Drops and different sugary treats.
Unsafe Meals
Hamsters can eat all kinds of meals. If a human can eat it, it’s almost definitely effective for a hamster too. However some meals are a strict “no” for hamsters:
- Raw Broad and Kidney beans and some others – Broad, Kidney beans and a few others include a excessive quantity of toxin known as lectin, which makes them toxic when uncooked. Beans that people can’t eat uncooked shouldn’t be fed uncooked to hamsters, both.
- Packaged meats similar to deli or canned meats aren’t wholesome for hamsters.
- Chili Peppers or any sizzling pepper.
- Moldy cheeses similar to Blue Cheese must be prevented.
- Eggplant (Aubergine) must be prevented because it accommodates excessive quantities of solanine. This alkaloid is poisonous if eaten in massive quantities.
- Uncooked potato – Hamsters, in addition to people, shouldn’t eat uncooked, inexperienced potatoes attributable to their toxicity.
- Rhubarb leaves – They’re poisonous to hamsters.
We’ve gathered the information for this hamster meals record from probably the most respected sources and double-checked every little thing to verify the record is totally correct. There are a lot of hamster meals lists shared across the web, however not many are backed by science. As an alternative, they’re created with “phrase of mouth” data which is commonly false. We wished to create a go-to place for hamster homeowners to get the proper information.
References:
Obtain the “Secure & Unsafe Hamster Meals Checklist”
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